Creelman residents share concerns about SDG&E project

The Steering Committee of Creelman Lane sent this to Ian Stewart, San Diego Gas & Electric regional public affairs manager.

We are a group of citizens who live in sight and near to the proposed SDG&E Industrial Solar Generating project at Creelman Lane and Ashley Road in Ramona. We don’t want this solar generating plant in our area. SDG&E over the past 25 years has not been a good neighbor. The purpose of this letter is to address current issues and concerns prior to the advancement of this project — dust health hazards, road safety, traffic issues, noise issues, unfinished projects from the past, paving and straightening of Creelman Lane, present plans and 20-year plan of property, substation needs to be less obtrusive, compensation for devaluation of our properties, and stipends for all properties above the solar plant.

SDG&E has not been a good neighbor to residents of Creelman Lane and Ashley Road. Projects have been done without the meeting, approval and discussion with local residents. Projects of the past haven’t been completed. Poles along Creelman are still remaining from the 64K upgrade project done in the late ‘90s. Not only do they not meet road setbacks, they are a hazard and an unsightly mess.

Being a good neighbor means working with the residents of the area and their approval not ramming projects through the county Board of Supervisors and ignoring the Ramona Planning Group. An example is your Warnock and Dye solar project, which despite the objections of the people the project was pushed through and distorted to the area residents. The solution — work with the residents, remove the seven wood poles and clean up the unfinished projects.

The next concern is a requirement and not a request. Creelman Lane is a county maintained d/g (dirt) road. This construction project will increase the use of this road by 400 to 600 vehicle trips per day from plant employees during and after construction. The estimated trips are based upon the Warnock/Dye solar generating plant count of vehicles. This will increase the dust, which will exacerbate the health problems for the residents of Creelman Lane. Also, this will increase safety and noise issues.

Creelman Lane is a dirt road from San Vicente to the substation. It needs to be paved from San Vicente to the substation due to the impact of this project, which will greatly increase the number of trips between the Warnock solar plant, the proposed Creelman solar plant and the current Creelman substation. This road was put in by SDG&E to access your substation when it was installed. The solution to this problem is SDG&E needs to work with the county to straighten and pave Creelman Lane from San Vicente to the substation at the end of Creelman.

SDG&E owns the substation at the end of Creelman. Over the years, the residents of Creelman have been living with the existing substation and its unsightly problems. It is unsafe, the unsightly fencing in need of repair, driveway unsecured and not fortified, which is an inducement for loitering. However, other substations in other areas are pristine. Our concern, if SDG&E can’t take care of its existing substation, then how are you going to convince the residents of Creelman Lane that you can take care of a solar plant much larger than the substation? The solution is for SDG&E to make the substation less obtrusive, which would mean landscaping, covered fencing and upgraded beautification.

Glare is another concern, especially for the people who live above street level of the proposed solar generating plant. A solution to this problem is to give a stipend to all residents for trees to block the view and glare from the plant.

Ramona is not a town of uneducated hicks. Many of the residents of Creelman Lane are educated professionals and are frankly fed up with SDG&E’s ramming projects at us. Any project in the county of San Diego requires a major use permit and a meeting of the residents. There are requirements that apply such as the need to see actual plans, setbacks, fencing style, landscaping, and entryways.

The Creelman Lane residents are requiring a complete design review. In addition, we would like to see SDG&E’s 20-year plan for this project and surrounding property. What are your plans for the remaining 60 percent of this property?

The last issue is the devaluation of the properties surrounding this solar generating plant. Since the article was written in September, all surrounding properties have devalued. We checked other properties in Ramona and they have appreciated. The solution to this is to compensate all property owners whose properties have devaluated due to the announcement of the SDG& E solar generating plant. This is not a request; this is a requirement. The homeowners believe this to be a reasonable requirement considering the blight you will be putting in our area and the current loss of property values.

The group of citizens who live near the proposed SDG&E Industrial Solar Generating project at Creelman Lane and Ashley Road in Ramona don’t want this solar generating plant in our area. Consider the above problems and requirements to be an opportunity for SDG&E to work with the residents to do something positive for the community. In summary, we are looking for the following items:

Straighten and pave Creelman Lane,

Stipends for trees to block glare,

Upgraded beautification of existing Creelman sub-station,

Remove the poles along Creelman from previous projects,

Compensation for devaluation of surrounding properties due to the solar generating plant, and SDG&E 20 year plan for this project.

Creelman Lane Steering Committee members are: Bob and Trudy Romeo, Jim and Vicky Tate, Randy and Pan Ayers, Ali, M.D. and Juby Falahati.