Listen here:
The group behind a possible development in Flamingo Heights faced a skeptical but receptive crowd at the Flamingo Heights Community Center on Saturday afternoon, where they laid out their plans for a 4.4 acre commercially-zoned property located at 777 Old Woman Springs Road that would include twelve cabins, a kitchen, swimming pool and changing rooms.
Nicholas Fahey and Rob Massar call the project Flamingo Blossom and described it as retreat center – and pitched it to the group as an “alternative to the over-saturation of Airbnb’s that have overwhelmed local neighborhoods” and according to their website – it would include spaces for events, ceremonies and receptions.
The duo told the crowd they are not developers – a statement that contrasts with their website’s tagline of “Developing for the High Desert.” That same website also describes the project as an “eco-conscious development meets artistic ingenuity of the high desert community of Landers, California” promising “sustainable spaces that harmonize with the unique landscape while fostering a sense of belonging and connection within the community.”
The audience seemed skeptical of the project description and cut straight to the point – despite the project being pitched to the group by the duo as a retreat center and community space – the project is being zoned as a hotel, and according to some of the meeting’s attendees – hotels don’t provide the types of amenities that locals can actually use or appreciate, ultimately boiling the project down to “just more vacation home rentals.”
Justin Merino, who was part of the group who pushed back against the recently canceled Flamingo 640 glamping project – asked if the group was aware that the Transient Occupancy Taxes collected in unincorporated San Bernardino County projects go into the general tax fund rather than directly to the community. The group said they were unaware of that fact.
Other comments from the audience – including some from the proposed hotel’s closest neighbors – reminded the development group that despite being zoned by the county as a commercial piece of property, residents make their homes in the rural area to escape the type of traffic a hotel or event space can bring.
Rob Massar of the Flamingo Group cited popular destinations such as the Integretron, Giant Rock, and La Copine as markers of the “progress” that they see in Landers:
Rob Massar: “You know, there has been progress. One of our neighbors – La Copine – they’ve done an incredible job with the people they’ve brought out. You see their parking lot right now, it’s incredible. You go to the Integratron, same thing – it’s amazing the amount of cars there, the amount of people that are there.”
La Copine owner Claire Wadsworth pushed back a bit on the definition of “being built for the community.”
Claire Wadsworth: “This (La Copine and The Integratron) is something that the community can partake in, this is not. Your project- I’m sorry – is not for us, it’s for you.”
A few passionate voices from community members vowed to fight the development, but after a little more than an hour the meeting wound down into casual discussion with many attendees reviewing some proposed mockups for the development brought by Oregon architect Brando McDonnel.
This isn’t the first proposed iteration of the development planned for 777 Old Woman Springs Road and the “Flamingo Blossom” group seemed open to the community feedback while simultaneously appearing slightly defeated after the latest version of their project didn’t seem to fully resonate with some of the crowd that showed up Saturday.
Flamingo Heights community member: “It’s not bad that this area gets a little bit developed, but that it’s geared toward the community. And I absolutely agree that you guys have failed today in providing any sort of concrete or even imaginary community access to this place. I think it’s a fantasy right now.”
At the end of the meeting Flamingo Blossom as well as the Flamingo Heights Community Association said they would follow up with everyone on possible future meetings.
You can follow the Flamingo Heights Community Associate on Instagram, where they are providing updates. More details on the nascent Flamingo Blossom hotel project is available on their website.
Previously Reported:
