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On Sunday night, more than 40 residents of the Indian Cove neighborhood in Twentynine Palms met with developers of a resort planned for the 218-acre parcel that lies adjacent.
Patriotic Hall was packed last night with residents of Twentynine Palms’ Indian Cove neighborhood who expressed numerous concerns to Joubin Sedgh, the new owner of the 218-acre parcel slated for resort development. Sedgh was joined by Project Director Hooman Fazli, who attended the meeting from Iran via Facetime.
The two-hour meeting covered a long list of residents’ concerns, such as the impact of a commercial development in a residential community, effects on wildlife, disruption of the natural watershed, increased traffic, sewage plans, and light pollution.
A pre-application for the development was submitted to the city on March 24 and the parcel sold in early October for $950,000. The meeting was introductory as no plans have been approved and none of the 20 or so required pre-construction studies have begun. The parcel, zoned RL5, is bordered by Indian Cove Road (which leads to Indian Cove Campground) and Joshua Tree National Park.
Fazli stated that the resort will feature 55 earth domes (400 square feet each) created from soil utilizing SuperAdobe Earth Bag technology. (Bonita Domes in Joshua Tree are a larger example.) Plans for the resort also include a pool, restaurant, bar, gym, gift shop, art exhibition space, and community center.
Public Policy Coordinator Susy Boyd from the Mojave Desert Land Trust and Director Pat Flanagan from the Morongo Basin Conservation Association also attended and voiced concerns. (The Mojave Desert Land Trust did try to acquire the parcel but they are restricted to purchase land at appraisal value and no higher.)
Alicia Pike, co-host of the environmental podcast, “90 Miles from Needles,” also attended and spoke in defense of the pristine land. It was noted several times throughout the meeting that approximately two-thirds of the land is a wildlife corridor and home to numerous desert tortoises. In urging the developers to look elsewhere, Pike said, “Surely this is not the only beautiful parcel that is available for development.”
In the ensuing dialogue, Fazli responded, “I’m not sure that NOT developing this land is on the table. Something will eventually happen on this land.”
What some in audience called a “low-level threat,” Sedgh frequently pointed out that the land could alternatively be developed into 44 five-acre parcels as a modern sub-division with a much higher level of environmental disruption inferring that the resort would be – as one attendee called it, “the lesser of two evils.” The developers say they plan to concentrate the domes in a tight area and leave much of the land untouched.
The developers expressed great affection for the desert and concern for the delicate nature of the parcel but the residents weren’t having it. Already weary from battling the high influx of short-term rentals in the Cove, residents have seen the sudden appearance of massive two-story homes that have blocked views and raised the ire of an otherwise sleepy community that sits alone on the city’s western edge.
There is no timeline for the project.
For more information and to receive notices about upcoming meetings, contact [email protected]
