No wave park, less drama: New version of La Quinta's Coral Mountain moves to city council

Over a year after the La Quinta City Council rejected a proposed development at Coral Mountain, a revised plan for the 387-acre parcel will soon be considered by the council — but this time, without the hotly debated wave basin that drew strong opposition from nearby residents.

The city’s planning commission unanimously advanced the proposed development, which will have 750 homes, an 18-hole golf course, a 10-acre recreation lake and 60,000 square feet of commercial space, during its meeting Tuesday night. Much of the revised proposal is consistent with existing zoning designations for the site at the southwest corner of Avenue 58 and Madison Street.

The plans for the site were reworked after the city council unanimously rejected the development in September 2022, citing concerns over major zoning changes that would have been required for the wave basin and a proposed hotel. The vote came after opposition from neighboring communities, who criticized its potential impacts on traffic, noise and light pollution, as well as its water usage.

That original proposal was first announced in 2020 by Meriwether Companies and Big Sky Wave Developments, who teamed up as CM Wave Development LLC to buy the land. At the time, project developers touted bringing “the largest, rideable open-barrel, human-made wave in the world” to La Quinta.

While the previous proposal drew strong pushback, the discussion at Tuesday’s meeting was less heated, with one of residents’ main concerns being the short-term rentals allowed under the project’s proposed development agreement. The commission ultimately agreed to recommend the city council consider a cap on the number of permitted short-term rentals.

John Gamlin, president of CM Wave Development, told the commission Tuesday that the plans represent an “evolution” of traditional private clubs in the Coachella Valley, noting its central area will feature a sports clubhouse near the 10-acre recreational lake.

“Even though the golf course will be really solid and great in this community, we're calling this community not golf-centric,” Gamlin said. “There's an amazing array of other amenities that will be offered, and at the core of it, the vision is for healthy living and quality of life for all generations.”

For the 10-acre lake, Gamlin said activities such as paddleboarding and kayaking could be options, though he said gasoline-powered boats were not envisioned for the site. The facilities will be private for only residents and their guests.

Gamlin also noted the lake will use non-potable water while acting as an irrigation facility to store water for nearby landscaping in the development.

Estimates from the Coachella Valley Water District, whose board approved the water usage plans last fall, show the lake would use 70.26 acre-feet per year, while the irrigated turf on the golf course will require 436.46 acre-feet per year. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, or enough to serve at least two households per year.

In total, the new project’s projected demand for water is about 27% higher than the previous proposal, according to CVWD estimates.

If the project wins final approval from the city council, it could see construction begin in the first quarter of 2025, with the golf course potentially opening in spring 2026. The project’s full buildout is expected to take seven to 10 years once construction gets underway.

What residents said

While the opposition wasn’t nearly as strong with the wave park off the table, a few residents spoke to the commission about ways to improve the project.

Sheila Warren said the developer should agree to never put any sort of wave-making technology into the proposed recreational lake. She added there should be no golf course lighting at night, and she also was concerned about the prospect of special events creating parking issues and other disturbances.

Guillermo Casillas, who lives next to the property, said he remains in opposition to the project, noting the parcel has long been sacred land for the local Cahuilla native tribes. He added vehicle access onto the property via Avenue 60 should be limited to residents only, saying it would be a “travesty” to have lines of cars along the road abutting his home.

Others were more critical of the project being allowed to have short-term rentals. In a letter read to the commission, resident Bob Lazar said the proposal was really for a tourist-oriented destination “to be comprised of 750 luxury short-term vacation rentals disguised as a residential golf community.” He was similarly concerned about the effects of special events and overflow parking.

The commission also heard from Salvador Amesquita, a representative from the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, who encouraged the city to consider requiring local contractors for the buildout of the development.

Eight other residents, including the president of the PGA West Fairways Homeowners Association, submitted written comments in support of the project and its impact on the surrounding community.

What commissioners said

While the commission largely supported the proposal, some members raised concerns about the prospect of up to 750 new short-term rentals coming to the area.

“In my opinion, it is totally inconsistent with the community,” commissioner Dale Tyerman said, noting some nearby neighborhoods don’t have STVRs. “Right now, I believe we have 1,230 short-term vacation rentals permitted in the entire city of La Quinta.”

Commissioner Mary Caldwell largely agreed, saying she liked everything about the project except the potential for unlimited short-term rentals. She added there’s “still a huge sensitivity on this issue in the city.”

Another commissioner, Doug Hassett, noted information from city staff that typically only about a third of homes in a development gain short-term rental permits. Earlier in the hearing, Gamlin told the commission “it’s pretty unlikely” that all 750 homes would gain permits, based on market trends.

Commission Chairman Stephen Nieto said they should leave the decision to the city council on an appropriate approach with the short-term rentals. Otherwise, he said he was comfortable with the project.

The rest of the commission agreed, opting to include a "strong recommendation" for the council to consider its options for capping the short-term rentals permitted in the development.

With the commission’s 7-0 vote backing the project, the council will consider whether to grant final approval to the revised Coral Mountain plans during its Feb. 20 meeting.

Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coral Mountain moves ahead in La Quinta — with no wave park this time