Major Projects Move Forward in Thousand Palms
Anyone who says nothing ever happens in Thousand Palms doesn’t know Thousand Palms very well. In the next several months, several projects will come to the unincorporated community which will add to the substantial infrastructure already in place.
Some of the relatively recent improvements include the beautiful community center, Art Samson Library and park on North Robert Road, the new SafeHouse of the Desert and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus.
But there’s lots more in the pipeline which will makeover Thousand Palms in the very near future—a large portion of it by the end of the summer.
The $10 million Varner Road and Monterey Avenue Street Improvement Project is set for completion by late this year. The project consists of road and sidewalk improvements on both of those major arteries, widening Varner to four lanes from Ramon all the way to Monterey; and widening Monterey to four lanes from Varner Road northerly to Ramon.
Along with all that new asphalt, there will be an 8-foot block wall, sidewalks, curbs and gutters the length of Monterey. Also included: new medians, the removal of the Broadmoor Drive signal light, and a wall between Varner Road and Interstate 10 which would shield motorists from oncoming headlight glare and would also provide noise reduction in the community. A drainage basin will help eliminate flooding at Broadmoor and Varner, and 51 power poles will be undergrounded or relocated.
The $14 million Thousand Palms Fire Station & Fire Technology Center will take a little more doing.
This ambitious project is designed to replace the old fire station on La Canada, and add a training center and “burn tower” on property between the post office and Robert Road, along the north side of Ramon.
The fire station itself is a 7,800 square foot, three-bay heavy urban station which will greatly enhance public safety in the community. A 4,500 square foot Fire Technology Training Center, adjacent to the fire station, will be used in conjunction with the College of the Desert’s Public Safety Academy’s Fire Technology Program.
Bid opening is set for April 9, and project completion is expected by late 2009.
Another project which should increase both safety and convenience is the Ramon Road Reconstruction Project already under way, from San Miguelito Drive on the north side of Shenandoah Springs Resort (Tri-Palm) all the way east to Thousand Palms Canyon Road. This project will not only make the driving a lot smoother, it will also modify the horizontal or vertical alignments at three locations. Project completion is expected in the very near future.
Also on tap for the growing community of Thousand Palms: the Thousand Palms Park Rehabilitation Project, which will rehab and expand the existing park to include dual basketball courts, a tennis court, tot lot, barbecue grills, picnic pavilion and other amenities.
In addition to these projects, La Canada will receive new concrete, sidewalk, curb and gutters along the south side, from Monte Vista Way to near Thelma Avenue.
Good things coming soon to Thousand Palms: look for the changes in the very near future.