Coral Mountain Resort Planning Commission Meeting - Oral Comments

Good evening, my name is Sendy Hernádez Orellana Barrows. I am a founding member of CactusToCloud Institute, certified UC Climate Steward, certified UC California Naturalist, and a concerned tax-paying homeowner in La Quinta.  

The applicant has made numerous claims of financial benefits, but where is the proof? Can the applicant provide verifiable information about another city where they have successfully implemented this unsustainable project? Regardless of how many claims they make about being innovative and climate-friendly, no project will be worth anything if we continue accelerating climate change and run out of water. 

Why don’t we talk about climate change's reality?  According to a recent article published by UCR researchers, the financial losses on our local economy due to climate change will be significant. One example provided was the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, which according to the research, quote “stands to lose up to $1.44 million annually in tourism in today’s dollars.” end quote. One has to wonder what the dollar amount will be for the city of La Quinta. Who will visit us when we can no longer hide the effects climate change has on our community or when we run out of water?   

Several developers try to make our community believe surf parks and lagoons are the best tourism option; this is simply not true. This project and others like it are duplicating existing wasteful practices in the desert.

Now is the time we must be proactive as a community to ensure that our local economy continues to thrive and provide the quality of life that we all have become accustomed to. In a recent roundtable with state agencies and local conservation partners from Imperial and Riverside Counties, a community leader from Brawley shared the challenges his community must endure and referred to his city as the “heyday of the Salton Sea.” I hope you reflect on his words and prevent our community from becoming another heyday that we will all live long enough to lament.

The world has changed, and not everyone is keeping up. Some of us spend countless hours and sleepless nights researching climate change and environmental impact data. Unfortunately, most people don't, which results in them ignoring the warning signs or refusing to believe climate change and the drought will devastate our area. 

Most people will never understand the concept of our ongoing drought because, at least for now, they continue to have fresh, clean drinking water every time they turn on the tap. In addition, to receiving continuous incorrect information that contradicts existing scientific research, either from the water district who stated we have enough water for this project or the local elected officials that have approved unsustainable projects such as these through the Coachella Valley. 

People depend on and trust that their local elected officials will read through all the documents and always represent the community's best interest. However, this has not always been the case. Whether we believe in it or not, climate change is already affecting us. We can either keep on adding lighter fluid to the fire and ignoring the facts or be proactive and protect the economic well-being of our city and the future generations who will call La Quinta home. 

Thank you for your time.