HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/23/2005 - STAFF REPORTS Good Evening {Mayor and City Council,
We are Dana Stewart and James McKinley of Palm Springs. (760) 864-4181.
We have a big idea. It's called,
E',acb to Mire Dratnving Doard
We're so happy to see that'the Boulders project was sent back m the Planning Commission for a
topo model, and possibly a computer simulation. We Think this is a great idea. As it concerns the
mass-grading for40 homes at once, on our boulder-strewn hillsides, lire cannot understand why
the Crescendo, which concerns the mass-grading for 80 homes at once,would not be sent back
for the same edifying process. Was this done for the Palm Hills project, which has mass-grading
in mind for hundreds of homes?
As we are in a position to be at the bottom of the boulder pile should this mass-grading
destabilize the land, we have a real personal stake in all this We noticed that no one took us up
on our offer to trade horses during the minimum 18 to 24 months of the endless Crescendo of
Boulder-busting! There might be a minimum of a decade for the trade,to assure that it won't all
be Wwnbling down on Top of us. Our corporate attorney is on oxygen at Eisenhower because of
fungal pneumonia. We're really worried about that, too.
Ms. Marantz of the Planning Commission would be. our top candidate for the trade. Just the
opposite of her statement that proponents say, "we've got ours, now you can't have yours", she
can have ours! Has the City Council, or the Planning Commission, looked into the history of these
parcels? Somedme between 1985 and 1990, these boulder-strewn areas were declared 'un-
buildable". When the City tried to have everyone on sewer, and not on septic as they are, the
terrain was declared to be °cos£-prohibitive". We still do not have our challenge answered as to
the costs to the city for infrastructure, water use, and emergency services for These projects.
Nih photos, and iestimony from Ms. Foal and Mr. Pougnet, about the boulder-crushers' effects,
we cannot understand why the request for an EIR was rejected, and the totally inadequate and
challenged Negative Mitigation Report was approved. i'he fungus endemic to our area,testified
to by Dr. Larry Cone, was dismissed by Mr. Wessman's attorney as having been presented
before, and they asked if Dr. Cone had performed the tests for the fungus on those areas of land.
This is exactly the point. It is not 'the doctor's job. It is the developer's job. This known major
health hazard, to at-risk people in our town, was not even mentioned in the report.
This alone dernands on EIR!
[-else and misleading statements frorn City and Tram officials are being rude in the stress. Just
how many man-hours and money has been spent by the City in trying to discredit the citizen-
sponsored ballot measures? We'd like to have equal tinge and funding from the City.
When half-truths are given, remember thai they are, by definition, liall lies.
There is no reason whatsoever, that if an environmentally friendly change to the initiative were
needed, that they could not put that change on a ballot for a vote by the people, also So,
basically the developers and our officials are railroading these projects down our throats like a
bullet train,without the proper safeguards. We're sure that they will not like what they fired out in
an EIR, but we Insist—Lade to 1-re DirawN npj t='oard.
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Mayor, City Council—Dana L. Stewart and James F. McKinley of Palm Springs
(760) 864-4181
Timing and Procedure changes
The folks in planning and city government have been tinkering with timing and
procedures for some time now. They've not noticed meetings properly, not answered
questions or challenges, approved mass-grading and boulder-busting projects without
sufficient study and assurances, or independent EIRs. Even the EIR for Palm Hills did
not mention this known fungus among us.
We see this limiting of time for public input, and making the timing for comment even
more difficult, as another blatant attempt to exclude and limit public participation in the
democratic process. Half of us cannot even make it by 7:00, let alone 6:00. WE WORK,
YOU KNOW. Many of us until six. When do we get to eat?or drive from here to there?
If we also have to fill in cards beforehand, it makes it doubly difficult. It seems that
they're shuffled to allow proponents of massive developments to have the last word. We
should have comment AFTER we listen to developers and city council members, who
have an unlimited time to drone on, and on. Mr. Mills took over forty minutes one night to
answer 6 minutes of comment-about how wonderful their monstrosities are. We have
to look at drawings of the butchering of our hillsides for hours on end. We want anequal
share of the time and funding as the developers get! Not less!
What happened to the Final Public Comments and Requests at the very end?
Sometimes, it is a person's only time to speak! Mr. Mills may now always have the last,
interminable words.Why is the Redevelopment function floating all over the agenda?
How will we know when we can speak on an issue of concern?
There has been abuse of the bully pulpit in this town. We want to have a video copy of
the"State of the City" speech. How do we obtain it?We would like to see the accounting
projections that prove when, and if, these projects are truly revenue generators, or
revenue losers. We believe that you will be legally required to provide EIRs for mass
grading, and boulder-busting, and the increase in the resultant"Valley Fever"fungal
pneumonia. Healthy people die from it, let alone at-risk people!
People, who moved here for their health, for peace and quiet, are being threatened.
Stringent assurances that the hillsides will not be destabilized from terracing it, contrary
to the terrain, particularly during flood conditions, are absolutely necessary. These
hillside projects put life and property at risk.
So, Yes is Best on B. And say no to Costly Catastrophes, Vote No on C.
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