Proposed surf park in California desert is rejected by La Quinta City Council
The proposed surf park and resort in Northern California has been voted down by a California city, leaving a group of environmentalists angry and demanding changes.
“The City of La Quinta will not approve the proposal for a surf park,” La Quinta Mayor Mike Stoker told the city council Monday afternoon. “The project cannot proceed because it does not meet the objectives and goals for the city that have been set forth in the Comprehensive Plan.”
“The proposed surf park has been in the works for years, with the help of various agencies, the city council has reviewed the proposed site plan and a site survey has been administered,” Stoker said.
“This is not a rejection,” he said. “Just the city council’s unwillingness to move forward with a project that does not meet its objectives and goals.
“We’re a little taken aback,” Stoker said.
The proposal was designed to showcase not only surf culture, but the diversity of Northern California, according to the group that’s promoting the project: Protect the Channel Surfing Heritage, according to its Facebook page.
“A great deal of thought has gone into the design and it’s very well thought out, but ultimately it would be our decision and the council’s decision,” the group posted on Facebook.
It has gone through a few planning stages before being submitted to the city.
“We’ve been looking at different concepts for years and the project is the best concept,” said Dan Egan from Protect the Channel Surfing Heritage.
“We’re excited about this project,” Stoker said. “It’s been something we’ve been looking at for sometime and was really looking forward to move forward and see what the city had for us.”
The city council rejected the proposal for a site plan for the project on Monday evening.
“The city council approved the application in December,” Stoker said. “The applicant has applied for approval of various permits, and we just had to decide.
“I’m just really disappointed we can’t have the project approved,” he said. “I was really looking forward to having it