KEEP Andreas Hills SAFE from FLOOD WATERS - KEEP ANDREAS HILLS SAFE FROM FLOODWATERS

UPDATE 07/21/2025—CLICK HERE FOR LATEST NEWS DETAILS

WE ARE GETTING THERE!!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!
COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY ON 07/21/2025 TO MOVE OUR PLAN TO THE NEXT STAGE. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES AND WHEN FULL PLAN FUNDING IS BEFORE THE COUNCIL FOR FINAL VOTE.

MONDAY, July 21, 2025, at the Council Meeting at 5:30PM at City Hall, the Council voted UNANIMOUSLY to:

REJECT Fifth Alternative Design proposed by Oswit Group (follow link for details) and adopt Staff’s recommended Fourth Alternative Design for the South Palm Canyon Drive Low Water Crossing Bridge Replacement at Arenas Canyon South, City project No. 06-18, Federal Aid Project No. BR-NBIL(502) (the “Project”)

Authorize City Staff to finalize environmental review for the Project; and

Authorize City Engineer to finalize the plans, specifications for the Project and proceed to bid the Project, following completion of environmental review for the Project.

WHY DOES THIS WEBSITE EXIST?

With only 1-way in & 1-way out, South Palm Canyon Drive is our singular, vital connection during an emergency. The City knows South Palm Canyon Dr. at Bogert Trail has a high-risk flooding potential, and since 2000, they’ve worked to get funds and engineer the Low Water Crossing needed to ensure our lifeline road stays open in extreme weather. But, your IMMEDIATE ACTION is needed to ensure the City approves the project and ensures our Community & Tribal lands get this urgent road improvement.

How can you help? Attend City Council Meeting, MONDAY July 21 at 5:30PM at City Hall. Register and attend ZOOM If you are out of town. If you would also like to Write and send a letter to the City Clerk, follow the link.

Conservationists don’t want the tiniest part of the area disturbed, they fail to recognize the life-safety risk to the Andreas Hills residents when this road floods, closes, and potentially delays emergency response to our community. This site is intended to share the details and history of what this project is all about, and inspire you to let the City know we want our project to move forward! When you are finished reviewing the material, please ACT NOW to help.

Andreas Hills includes the communities of Alta, Andreas Hills, Andreas Palms, Azalea Circle, Bella Monte, Bogert Trail, Dogwood Circle, Estancias, Goldenrod Lane, Linea, Marigold Circle, Monte Sereno, Parc Andreas, Snapdragon Circle, plus Tribal Lands.

This website is a community-based initiative. We are a group of neighbors working to inform our community of a critical life-safety issue that exists due to our restricted, 1 way in & 1 way out access to our homes. Our aim is to ensure the City resolves this issue and our Community & Tribal lands get this important roadway project.

WHY THE CROSSING?

In 2024 alone, our 710 homes made almost 600 emergency calls–almost 2 per day. As recently as Valentine’s Day 2019, severe flooding closed South Palm Canyon by PS Emergency Responders. But this is not a new problem for us. In August 1982, January 2005, and February 2010 the road has been flooded, intermittently closed, and we have been in jeopardy of not getting full access to timely emergency help. After the flood water and our fears subside, we are left with the mud and debris to clean-up. All of this goes away with the well-engineered low water crossing–where the water goes UNDER the roadway, not over it!

1982: Bogert Flood

2005: Bogert Flood

2010: Bogert Flood

Valentine’s 2019: View south on South Palm Canyon at Bogert intersection

EMERGENCY RESPONSE FACTS

Emergency response vehicles are further away from the Andreas Hills area than most of the City–in good weather! In fact, a trip to Parc Andreas is twice as long as the suggested goal of 5 minutes to receive help. We are most grateful to our emergency responders and do not want them to be forced to deal with flooded roads when trying to respond to our community during a storm event–when seconds matter to a us or loved one experiencing a stroke or heart attack.

During the 2019 Valentine’s Day Flood Event, South Palm Canyon at Bogert Trail was flooded and closed. See the image above showing the road-closed barriers South of Bogert, blocking northbound South Palm Canyon. The Palm Springs Fire Department conducted two water rescues, one swift-water rescue for car trapped on South Palm Canyon, and one person trapped on the golf course–see Fire Department Incident Report here. The Palm Springs Police Department posted on its Facebook page alerts that show the closure from 2/14 until 2/15. They also warn to expect possible delays to emergency services due to limited access south of this intersection. When this road is closed, how are you and your loved ones going to receive unexpected emergency care? BTW, can you see the road barricades, the back of the road closed sign, and the vehicle with headlights waiting? And do you think it is a couple of inches of water you can ride your bike through?! NO, it is not, yet that is what folks keep saying at meetings.

WHAT HAS BEEN ENGINEERED?

For over a dozen years, road and hydrology engineering experts worked to design a Low Water Crossing–a NO-RISE, flat with the rest of the street, reinforced roadway with sidewalks built at grade level. This allows flood waters funneled from Arenas Canyon’s “Alluvial Fan” to flow freely BELOW the street–not over the street. “Rip rap” rocks will line the vast majority of the channel, collecting sediment, and allowing natural flora to grow and enhance the site on the 3 acres of City-owned land. Please know that the City reviewed several alternate plans, and NONE of those came close to being able to handle the event flood flow anticipated for this area. The construction will take approximately 50 weeks to complete. There is no real downside to this life-safety project.

Proposed view from Bogert looking West over South Palm Canyon

Proposed south view from South Palm Canyon at Bogert left turn

Proposed southeast view from open space across new Low Water Crossing

FLOOD FACTS

Hydrology scientists have determined 3,000 cubic feet per second, equivalent to over 1.3 million gallons per minute, will flow during an extreme flood even at South Palm Canyon and Bogert Trail. The alluvial fan receives the main channel flow of storm water and releases it directly toward the South Palm Canyon and Bogert Trail intersection. For decades, FEMA has categorized this area as flood Zone A, and the City has worked since 2000 to address the problem. In 2023, FEMA completed a full-hydrology study for the South Palm Canyon and Bogert Trail area, changing the flood zone to Zone AE (meaning in-depth study was conducted by them) and increased the expected flood impact from their previous projections. This flood-zone designation, Zone AE, means that during a 30-year mortgage, we have a 26% chance of this 100-year flood event! See 2023 FEMA flood map showing low-lying blue areas that will carry the water to the wash, going across the golf course using the floodway shown in blue/red hatch, that was designed as part of the Murray Canyon levee.

WHY NOW?

Why NOW? While decades ago the City secured CalTrans and Federal funds for the low water crossing improvement, the bad news is the deadline to access these funds is very near. The PS City Council must approve this project NOW or we will lose the allocated funding. In 2012, nearby Araby Cove residents rejected their roadway project and permanently lost their funding. Their road washed out Valentine’s Day 2019, see video of disaster. They regret not having the road. Let’s make sure that the Palm Springs City Council knows we want ours. THANK YOU for your help in protecting our community.

STAY CONNECTED: CLICK >>> CONTACT US so we can notify you of important dates and news.

IMAGINE another Hurricane Hilary that hits our neighborhood as hard as it struck Cathedral City and floods the ONLY access to our Andreas Hills Neighborhoods. Then imagine in the midst of the storm you suffer an emergency, but the waters raging across South Palm Canyon prevent the emergency vehicles from getting you help. It sounds like a scene from a movie, but with extreme weather events and fires it’s a real possibility and a true LIFE SAFETY ISSUE with only 1 way in & 1 way out!
This can only be prevented by our Palm Springs City Council APPROVING the LOW WATER CROSSING at SOUTH PALM CANYON NO 06-18.

SUPPORTED BY CONCERNED RESIDENTS IN THE ANDREAS HILLS NEIGHBORHOODS.

********** NOTE ********** The chart below is best viewed either via a desktop computer, or with your mobile device turned sideways (landscape.)

TIMELINE	FLOOD FLOW	CITY EFFORTS	OPPOSITION
SUMMARY	Hydrology scientists have determined 3,000 cubic feet per second, equivalent to over 1.3 million gallons per minute, will flow during an extreme flood event at South Palm Canyon and Bogert Trail. The alluvial fan receives the main channel flow of storm water and releases it directly toward the South Palm Canyon and Bogert Trail intersection. For decades, FEMA has categorized this area as flood Zone A, and the City has worked since 2000 to address the problem. In 2023, FEMA completed a full-hydrology study for the South Palm Canyon and Bogert Trail area, changing the flood zone to Zone AE (meaning in-depth study was conducted by them) and increased the expected flood impact from their previous projections. This flood-zone designation, Zone AE, means that during a 30-year mortgage, we have a 26% chance of this 100-year flood event!	As part of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, the City has flagged South Palm Canyon for high-risk flooding potential that could wipe out South Palm Canyon and strand the residents without emergency services. The City has secured State and Federal funds for a water crossing that will allow the flow to go under South Palm Canyon and maintain access to the residents and Tribe during storm emergencies. This is simply a Life-Safety issue to prevent us from being isolated in emergencies. Soon, the City Council is finally voting, hopefully to move forward with the project. However, your IMMEDIATE ACTION is still needed to ensure the City resolves this issue and ensures our community and Tribal lands get this necessary road improvement.	Some conservationists have opposed the Low Water Crossing project since 2019. They deny the life-safety risk to our community. If we do not act now and accept the CalTrans and Fed funds, we will never get a chance to address this problem the natural topography of our area and Mother Nature have in store for us.
2005	Flood event.	The City filed for CalTrans and Federal funding following flooding and flood damage at the South Palm Canyon and Bogert Trail intersection.
2008		The City hired Dokken Engineering to redevelop the road intersection to prevent flooding at one of the two low water crossings.
2010	Flood Event.	The City asked Dokken to design another low water crossing to address the balance of the flow at the road intersection.
2016		Dokken submitted full plan to City.
2017		Litigation with owners of canyon land delayed any further action by City on Low Water Crossing.
Valentine’s Day 2019	South Palm Canyon at Bogert Trail is flooded and closed. The Palm Springs Fire Department conducted two water rescues, one swift-water rescue for car trapped on South Palm Canyon, and one person trapped on the golf course–see Fire Department Incident Report here. Palm Springs Police Department posted on its Facebook page alerts that show the closure from 2/14 until 2/15. They also warn to expect possible delays to emergency services due to limited access south of this intersection. Araby Cove has Araby Trail (see video) washed out for three weeks, jeopardizing their emergency response. In 2012, that community rejected their road project to solve flooding concerns. The permanently lost funding for their road!		Some of those opposing the project deny the intersection of South Palm Canyon Drive & Bogert Trail was closed.
10/2019		City agrees to pay $1,000,000 toward the canyon purchase and a separate amount for the 3+ acres of the canyon for the Low Water Crossing project. Oswit agrees to purchase the remaining 111 acres of the parcel for conservation.
12/2019		The City paid $112,500 for four concepts to be reviewed. All four options did little to address 100-year flood flow. It is believed the actual flood flows for our area were NOT considered in the concepts presented. No other adequate plan has been submitted. Ironically, just months earlier, the Valentine’s Day Flood closed our road and jeopardized our community!	Conservationists object to the Low Water Crossing project and claim the only reason it was conceived was due to a 2005 housing development idea. Conservationists said the Low Water Crossing plan is overkill, and submitted four options of a smaller-footprint solution. Those 4 were vetted by the City/Dokken Engineering and rejected as terribly inadequate. The City paid $112,500 for this evaluation.
2020		City directed Dokken to reduce the footprint of the channel concept, to line it with rip rap rocks ($$$) versus concrete–literally laying rocks ON TOP of the existing topography of the site, use a rock berm–all to make the channel blend better with the natural landscape. Only the portion of the channel, going under the road, is concrete. Going into the golf course for a short distance is also rocks (below road grade).
3/2020		The former housing developers at the canyon site sign a Settlement Agreement (click here) with the City and Oswit to buy the whole 114 acre parcel. City paid $1,000,000 toward the canyon purchase and a separate sum for their 3 acres of land–SPECIFICALLY to do the Low Water Crossing project (with the odd shape specific to the Low Water Crossing designed years ago), and Oswit got the remaining 111 acres for conservation. The parties signed agreeing the City had ultimate authority on the City’s 3-acre site to design and construct the flood project.
2023	In 2023, FEMA completed a full-hydrology study for the South Palm Canyon and Bogert Trail area, changing the flood zone to Zone AE (meaning in-depth study was conducted by them) and increased the expected flood impact from their previous projections. This flood-zone designation, Zone AE, means that during a 30-year mortgage, we have a 26% chance of this 100-year flood event!	City updates the CalTrans and Federal funds grant requests. CalTrans reaffirms funding and reaffirms EIS (Environmental Impact Study).
2024	Hurricane Hilary dumped 3.6″ of rain on Cathedral City missing this area by a few miles. 3.6″ of rain would have flooded the road and closed it, given the damage done in Cathedral City.	City Council brought the project to vote, but due to mild opposition, the City chose to delay the vote.	Mild opposition spoke out that the plan was not vetted, and denied the life-safety risk exists for our area. They asked for community input before the Council vote.
2025		City Council brought to vote on the project, but was met with mild opposition. The City delayed the vote this time to discuss the plan with the community. The funding deadline is approaching! The project must be substantially completed by 12/2026 for the secured funds to get applied.	Conservationists objected to the project. You’ve read it from earlier objections-they claim the Low Water Crossing was only for a housing development that is no more. They declare that the recent Valentine’s Day 2019 flood and subsequent road closure at our vital intersection of South Palm Canyon and Bogert Trail, and the near miss of Hurricane Hilary are NOT serious enough, so the project is NOT needed. They have claimed the project is MASSIVE, but it is an at-grade level with the roadway improvement that allows flood waters to travel UNDER the road. They claim the project is too big, but never presented a validated, flood-flow design that is smaller. They want the environmental study (EIS) to be redone saying it has been too long since the original study. Please note, CalTrans already reaffirmed the EIS in 2023. Now they say it is too expensive, and costs have increased–but partially from their requested design enhancements to modify the channel, and also from this project be stalled for so long.
May 28, 2025		City hosts Community Meeting to get input on this decades-long project, and to move forward.	People opposed to this project are passing along claims not based in science and deny the life-safety of the existing residents in our community. They hope being loud enough to drown out the decades of work the City has done to provide life-safety emergency response to the Andreas Hills neighborhood and the Tribal lands south of this intersection. How can we believe that for decades the City leaders have been wrong planning for this project, the City engineers have been wrong in their direction, the CalTrans and the Feds have been wrong in earmarking funds for this project, and Road/Flood Engineers–Dokken are wrong and the plan is overkill (even though they are the only engineering firm to evaluate and consider the full flood flow potential from this site)? These entities are not wrong. We ask the conservationists to accept the reality of this life-safety issue of the people who live in the community and to embrace the existing plan. We CANNOT lose these funds and be like Araby, and permanently regret not having a flood safe road.
July 2025		After four requests for plan Oswit promised in mid-June, City finally receives Oswit plan and immediately evaluates with City Engineering Staff and Consultants working on the currently approved design. City meets with Oswit team and asks questions to get clarification on some of the numerous assumptions and pie-in-the sky performance calculations of their plan. Since the plan crosses three property owner’s parcels and is totally different from the City approved plan, that will require a brand new environmental report that would take at least two years to try to get. But there is no guarantee that it would even be granted after waiting two years. The City team also informed Oswit due to the incredible number of assumptions this was still a concept that would need months to evaluate. Coupled with the troubled environmental delay and high potential to lose the Federal funds for this project, the City staff informed Oswit that they would be recommending to the Council to reject the Oswit plan.	Oswit decided after the Community Meetings that perhaps flood control is needed. Oswit waited until the first week of July to submit their newest flood control plan to the City. They attended a City Staff, that also had CIty Council members. The meeting was to explain some of the many assumptions in their plan. Soon after the meeting, Oswit was told by City Staff that the Oswit plan would be recommended to be rejected at the upcoming City Council Hearing. Oswit decided to email blast followers to write to City and object to the rejection.
July 21, 2025		City Council Meeting. City Staff presented result of community outreach and facts that after outreach number of residents in favor greatly outweighed those against. Staff went on to report their interaction, review, and decision to then recommend REJECTING Oswit plan 5. Public Comment was OVERWHELMING in favor of the City Plan via in-person testimony and ZOOM. The only negative voices were a handful of Oswit staff and a couple of supporters. The Council asked a few questions and ultimately voted to UNANIMOUSLY to reject the Oswit Plan 5, and to move forward with bids, and amending environmentals. The Community Residents present cheered loudly.	Oswit maintained claims that their latest plan solved everyone’s problem. They stated it’s location, size, materials, components–all could be altered, and still it could protect better than the City’s fully stamped and approved (by all necessary government agencies) plan. They asked for more time. Bear in mind, since 2018, Oswit has been the only opposed voice. They based their rally cry on that this flood control project was NOT needed since it barely floods, the project was for vetoed housing, it would be massive and noisy to construct, etc. Perhaps the community did not feel safe relying on the group who was the only opposition to this project, a group set on preventing anything from being done to protect their community, to have a say in how they would be protected.
End of July 2025		City Staff begin to amend environmentals for the approved project. Then move on to request bids from contractors.	Oswit is appearing in interviews and reaching out to powerful lobbying groups to still complain their idea is great and needs more time. Even though they signed Settlement Agreement from 2018 PREVENTS them from interfering directly or indirectly with this project once the Council approves the bid requests.