Greetings and welcome to the month of June in beautiful La Quinta. The heat is rising, and residents continue to find ways to cool off and enjoy our Gem of the Desert. The work continues for our city throughout the summer and here are some projects we are currently working on.
The La Quinta Village Complete Streets Project is focused on making roadways safer and more accessible to pedestrians and bicycles in the La Quinta Village. The project received $7.3 million in funding for construction through a grant called the “Active Transportation Program.” The project includes five roundabouts in the Village area and construction on phase 1 is anticipated to begin this month along Calle Tampico. June will mark the start of the Dune Palms Widening Project. This project is expected to widen Dune Palms Road from Blackhawk Way to the northern approach of the future Dune Palms bridge from two to four lanes. The project will include constructing a new northbound travel lane, curb and cutter, and 6-foot wide curb-adjacent sidewalks.
The Eisenhower Retention Basic Project has begun construction. The drainage improvements and storm water retention include a 6.3 acre, 8-foot-deep retention basin located near the intersection of Eisenhower Drive and Avenida Fernando, providing flood protection for a 150-year storm event. The basin is designed to collect runoff on Eisenhower at the Coachella Drive and Avenida Fernando intersections, and accept overflow from the Legacy Villas development.
Finally, it is not a secret that this is my last month as your City Manager. I have been a part of this community for the past 31 years and will continue to be after I end this journey. What a journey it has been. I have watched La Quinta evolve into a thriving, exciting and financially secure city during my tenure. While being City Manager is not always an easy job, I have always put the city first and given my all to the residents, visitors and community alike. I look at what we have accomplished together to make La Quinta the place people want to be and cannot wait to experience the future of this beautiful destination. There are many projects in progress with some of the big ones being game changers. I am proud of the culture that we developed at City Hall with a staff who make it a point to always put the community first. The shift in the culture is something I can say I am very proud of, to see how hard this staff works on each and every project/process while continuously seeking ways to improve. Then there is our council leadership; this is not an easy job to take on in any city, but our council has embraced these changes and I thank them for the leadership they have provided to me over the years. A strong foundation that can continue to thrive is hard to find, but I have the extreme confidence that this city will continue to make us all proud in the future. Thank you to those who have challenged me, supported me, questioned me, and encouraged me; each of you have helped to make me strive to make La Quinta the Gem of the Desert.
