An entirely new city has been proposed for Shavers Valley, east of the Coachella Valley, bordering Joshua Tree National Park. The new city, resurrected from a proposal originally put forth more than a decade ago, would be called Paradise Valley. It would include around 8,500 housing units (homes, townhomes, condos, and apartments) with more than 20,000 residents, 1.4 million square feet of commercial and light industrial space, along with the necessary supportive infrastructure, and would place it on more than 1,000 acres of prime habitat for the threatened desert tortoise.
Paradise Valley would be sited directly on the southern border of Joshua Tree National Park, and north of the Mecca Hills and Orocopia Mountains wilderness areas, creating a new obstacle for wildlife and sand transmission corridors in the area. The development would disrupt a critical migration path for desert bighorn sheep, according to the National Parks Conservation Association's Chris Clarke.
There is a Riverside County Planning Commission public hearing on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, that will address the Paradise Valley final Environmental Impact Report. It is imperative that supporters of Joshua Tree National Park and desert wild lands and wildlife attend the meeting and speak for preserving these lands.
Riverside County Planning Commission Public Hearing
9 a.m., Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Coachella Valley Water District's Steve Robbins Administration Building
75515 Hovely Lane East
Palm Desert, CA 92211
There is free parking on site, and it is advisable to arrive early.
Chris Clarke requests that park advocates RSVP to him at cclarke@npca.org or call him at (760)600-0038 so he can answer questions or assist with preparing talking points as public comment time is limited.
For more information on the proposed Paradise Valley project:
http://www.paradisevalley-ca.com/assets/PV-Project_Book.pdf
And the EIR:
https://planning.rctlma.org/Home/PlanningNotices/ParadiseValleySPEIR506.aspx
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