Owens Valley Zoning Changes

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Vaca Russ
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Re: Owens Valley Zoning Changes

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Rockchucker wrote:If someone opposes them they bring out a panel of high dollar lawyers to get what they want. It's a no win situation.
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." :D :) :D

William Shakespeare, Henry the Sixth, Part II, IV, ii (1623)

Disclaimer: I have several good friends and neighbors who have chosen the honorable profession of "Attorney". Just sayin'...

-Russ
"...Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host and then a master?"

Kahil Gibran.
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maverick
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Re: Owens Valley Zoning Changes

Post by maverick »

Take this as public as possible, have any friends at the local newspapers? Put
pressure on the board, expose DWP for what they are, and get your state reps
involved. As Lawrence mentioned politcians want to say in office and we vote
them in, if they feel the heat they will do the right thing, but you all must be
ruthless as the other side even more so since you are on the right side of this.
I am no fan of the Sierra Club, but if you can pursuade them to join you, they
have no shortage of ruthless lawyers and political influence too.
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markskor
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Re: Owens Valley Zoning Changes

Post by markskor »

The Owens Valley can be defined, dryly, as a 100-mile long by 6-to-20-mile (~18 average) wide drop in the earth's crust between two large faults at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada and at the western base of the Inyo mountains. The valley reaches north to the Volcanic Tablelands and south past the Haiwee Reservoir.
The Ovens Valley thus comprises ~1800 square miles.

LADWP's Southern Owens Valley Solar Ranch would occupy 1.875 square miles on Manzanar-Reward Road. That's immediately east of the site of the former Manzanar War Relocation Center, often referred to as a concentration camp, where 11,070 Americans of Japanese ancestry were forcibly interned during World War.

While disturbed/irked about the site chosen - (future solar site obscenely too close to Manzanar), still there is a lot of open land available esewhere in the OV - asking for only 0.1%.

Local jobs, solar energy...Dust abatement...A slippery slope?

Undecided...
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Rockchucker
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Re: Owens Valley Zoning Changes

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Local jobs? Nope like all major projects that will be outsourced. Project 395, all not from here. The hospital, again all contractors came from down south. I'm all for solar, but this benefits the valley not at all, all the power goes to energy hungry LA. 4000 square acres is a huge scar on the land, stripped of all vegetation. Why not put the solar on the millions of stripmall roofs? Why not put this in LA county? They have the land. I see zero benefit for the valley. It's the same joke they play on small communities everywhere.
I'm no suture for my future.
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jessegooddog
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Re: Owens Valley Zoning Changes

Post by jessegooddog »

This zoning change is separate from DWP's plan for the solar "ranch" near Manzanar. Being a government entity, it seems they can do any project they like on their own property; they do not answer to Inyo County. They sent a PR guy to do a few "courtesy" meetings with residents; he was so out of touch he told us that rainwater in our high desert would clean the panels!
The Inyo Planning Department has implemented this zoning change to open our current open space and agricultural land to outside industrial interests for renewable energy.
Our new website http://www.deepestvalley.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is updated daily with new developments and meetings.
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rlown
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Re: Owens Valley Zoning Changes

Post by rlown »

you have to push on EIR. that's it. or you're dead. If there is a kit fox or a lizard or tortoise, that is native and impacted, they have to mitigate. but, and a very big but.. they would say they can still move around and not be disturbed.

Good luck
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Rockchucker
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Re: Owens Valley Zoning Changes

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Thanks for posting the link, your a part of this?
I'm no suture for my future.
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Vaca Russ
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Re: Owens Valley Zoning Changes

Post by Vaca Russ »

rlown wrote:you have to push on EIR. that's it. or you're dead. If there is a kit fox or a lizard or tortoise, that is native and impacted, they have to mitigate. but, and a very big but.. they would say they can still move around and not be disturbed.
Or they can spend the money to mitigate the damage that might impact the environment as was done by the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System.

http://ivanpahsolar.com/desert-tortoise ... ar-project" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

-Another Russ :)
"...Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host and then a master?"

Kahil Gibran.
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jessegooddog
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Re: Owens Valley Zoning Changes

Post by jessegooddog »

Press conference noon tomorrow April 1 on the steps of the Independence courthouse. 1:30 Board of Supervisors will vote on the next step. Expecting major "disruption" if they go ahead with the plan as suggested by the Zoning Commission.
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Re: Owens Valley Zoning Changes

Post by LMBSGV »

Here's hoping the press conference and Board meeting is not an April Fool's Day joke. Good luck!
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