Salton Oasis Utility/Security
Donation protected
We are in the process of securing major funding for the restoration of a vintage mid-century-modern property only two blocks from the edge of the Salton Sea, nearby the recently restored North Shore Beach & Yacht Club. The yacht club was designed by world-famous architect Albert Frey and our property was originally built in 1963 as an accoutrement to the club as a place for important guests to stay overnight. It is our intention to fully restore the property and convert it for use as an exclusive four-unit "boutique hotel" / B&B. We, the owners, will also live on site to better provide top-notch service to our overnight guests. We will also have an accent on Salton Sea history, circa its heyday in the 1960's and will work closely with the Salton Sea History Museum in order to do so.
However, in the meantime while we work on the funding for this major undertaking, we are still experiencing issues with drug-addict thieves in the neighborhood continuing to vandalize and steal temporary security measures we've attempted to implement on our current shoestring budget. We have it on good authority that these thieves are also the same criminals who completely destroyed the property removing the electrical wiring, plumbing, fixtures, appliances, windows and doors to sell for scrap. Since taking ownership of the property in December 2013 and spending weeks cleaning up the damage to the best of our ability, we have had four solar-powered nighttime floodlights stolen (a $300 value), as well as five "dummy" security cameras (a $50 value). Also there has been some minor yet still annoying vandalism associated with these more recent crimes.
What is needed to solve this problem is restoration of electrical power from the grid instead of solar, which unfortunately limits our security options. With "grid power" we will be able to contract with a legitimate security company such as ADT or Brinks. With state of the art security we should be able to stop the theft and vandalism and possibly even capture the thieves on camera and help put them behind bars.
In addition, we would also like to have the water turned back on as well. There are six beautiful palm trees and a very old mesquite tree in the courtyard that are literally starving for water. At the moment getting water to them has been very difficult and it is just a matter of time before it's too late to save them without a reliable source of water on site.
The amount we are trying to raise here - $4,000 - is approximately what we will need to:
a) Install temporary power pole on site and reactivate electric power from grid. The Imperial Irrigation District, whom we will be purchasing power from does NOT impose a time limit on the use of "temporary power".
b) Install secured water spigot and reactivate water service from Coachella Valley Water District.
c) Pay for permits and deposits for the above.
d) Contract with professional security service to install motion detectors, floodlights, cameras and sirens. Also to provide web-based monitoring of premises and notification to local law enforcement.
e) Pay for any other miscellaneous expenses related to these three primary goals - electricity from grid, water service and professional security.
The Salton Sea area is trying desperately to "come back" and interest in its restoration is escalating daily...on the local, state and federal levels. Depsite the devastation that has occured there since the 1980's and the environmental issues facing the sea itself, it has not yet reached the absolute tipping point. But time is running out...
We would like to be a part of the solution and see this valuable resource put back to good use. There is enormous potential there in terms of recreation, renewable energy, new businesses and jobs and so on. It is also an indispensable ecological resource for a myriad of wildlife who depend on it for their survival. Please help us bring one of California's most undervalued and neglected treasures back to the thriving economic and ecological resource it once used to be.
Visit the Salton Oasis page on Facebook!
Please take the time to watch some of these videos to learn more about the Salton Sea - past, present and potential future.
http://on.aol.com/video/salton-sea-518073053
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9mMd31FdZY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owKIgLAg_Q4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzQyHhcwTLQ
However, in the meantime while we work on the funding for this major undertaking, we are still experiencing issues with drug-addict thieves in the neighborhood continuing to vandalize and steal temporary security measures we've attempted to implement on our current shoestring budget. We have it on good authority that these thieves are also the same criminals who completely destroyed the property removing the electrical wiring, plumbing, fixtures, appliances, windows and doors to sell for scrap. Since taking ownership of the property in December 2013 and spending weeks cleaning up the damage to the best of our ability, we have had four solar-powered nighttime floodlights stolen (a $300 value), as well as five "dummy" security cameras (a $50 value). Also there has been some minor yet still annoying vandalism associated with these more recent crimes.
What is needed to solve this problem is restoration of electrical power from the grid instead of solar, which unfortunately limits our security options. With "grid power" we will be able to contract with a legitimate security company such as ADT or Brinks. With state of the art security we should be able to stop the theft and vandalism and possibly even capture the thieves on camera and help put them behind bars.
In addition, we would also like to have the water turned back on as well. There are six beautiful palm trees and a very old mesquite tree in the courtyard that are literally starving for water. At the moment getting water to them has been very difficult and it is just a matter of time before it's too late to save them without a reliable source of water on site.
The amount we are trying to raise here - $4,000 - is approximately what we will need to:
a) Install temporary power pole on site and reactivate electric power from grid. The Imperial Irrigation District, whom we will be purchasing power from does NOT impose a time limit on the use of "temporary power".
b) Install secured water spigot and reactivate water service from Coachella Valley Water District.
c) Pay for permits and deposits for the above.
d) Contract with professional security service to install motion detectors, floodlights, cameras and sirens. Also to provide web-based monitoring of premises and notification to local law enforcement.
e) Pay for any other miscellaneous expenses related to these three primary goals - electricity from grid, water service and professional security.
The Salton Sea area is trying desperately to "come back" and interest in its restoration is escalating daily...on the local, state and federal levels. Depsite the devastation that has occured there since the 1980's and the environmental issues facing the sea itself, it has not yet reached the absolute tipping point. But time is running out...
We would like to be a part of the solution and see this valuable resource put back to good use. There is enormous potential there in terms of recreation, renewable energy, new businesses and jobs and so on. It is also an indispensable ecological resource for a myriad of wildlife who depend on it for their survival. Please help us bring one of California's most undervalued and neglected treasures back to the thriving economic and ecological resource it once used to be.
Visit the Salton Oasis page on Facebook!
Please take the time to watch some of these videos to learn more about the Salton Sea - past, present and potential future.
http://on.aol.com/video/salton-sea-518073053
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9mMd31FdZY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owKIgLAg_Q4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzQyHhcwTLQ
Organizer
Steve Kennedy
Organizer
Mecca, CA
