A persistent crusade by Jerry Ross to pause construction of a large solar power project next to his home appears to be paying off.
For the moment, work has been halted on what Ross calls the “gigantic monstrosity” that sits just inches from the backyard wall of his Briarwood neighborhood residence. But what happens next to the 17-foot-tall, crescent-shaped steel frame remains to be seen.
If completed, the solar power array would generate electricity for the common areas of Simi Country Estates mobile home park, which commissioned the project. The structure sits on a stretch of land along a concrete portion of Arroyo Simi that is used for RV storage—between Simi Country Estates to the south and the Briarwood neighborhood and Crest Mobile Home Village to the north.
Plans for the project were approved in October 2020 by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Mobile home communities are regulated by the HCD, and approval by the City of Simi Valley is not usually required. The Acorn learned neither the city nor residents in the area were informed about the project, which spans more than 668 feet in length between Rory Lane and Oak Road. The width varies from 125 feet to 21 feet.
INTRUSIVE—Jerry Ross, center, stands with Joannie Basile and Linda Brengle on April 26 at the Crest Mobile Home Village Park with the recently built solar panel frame in the background. At top, the structure in proximity to Basile’s home. Photos by RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers
For weeks, Ross has been calling city and state officials in the hope they would intervene.
“This is a real injustice,” Ross told the Acorn.
“Frustrating is an understatement,” he told the City Council on April 19. “It is clear this project does not pass the sniff test. We need the City of Simi Valley to step in and protect its residents. We cannot fight this alone.”
Ross lives in one of five Briarwood homes that directly border the project. A community park for the gated community, as well as six mobile homes occupied by seniors at Crest Village, are also directly in the line of sight of the solar power array.
Roland Dela Cruz, who has lived in Crest Mobile homes for more than 20 years, said he felt helpless when he learned that they were building a “solar farm” so close to his home. To make matters worse, workers damaged a sewer line near his residence, forcing him to move out for more than a month because of the stench, he said.
TOO CLOSE—At left, Jerry Ross stands in his backyard with the frame of the solar panel project behind him. Above, an “Order to Stop Work” posted at the site where solar panels were being installed off of Rory Lane in Simi Valley. Photos by RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers
“Every day, the noise of compressors (and) banging of the metal is really very bad,” Dela Cruz told city officials April 19.
The structure has destroyed views and devalued properties, he said. “Seniors are devastated.”
Linda Brengle, who moved to Crest Mobile Home Village after her Agoura home was destroyed by the Woolsey fire in 2018, said the project is pushing her and other residents to the brink.
“We are a senior citizen park and have survived the Covid-19 scare and all of our 70-plus years of living only to be unable to enjoy our homes,” Brengle said.
“The trucks, the noise, the welding, the sparks flying. It’s the most horrible thing to live through,” she said.
As of April 29, 479 people had signed a petition started by Ross that seeks to halt construction of the solar power structure until concerns of neighbors are addressed.
“We’re not against solar. It’s such an obscene eyesore,” Ross said.
Backtracking
California environmental policies encourage solar projects, and until last week, city officials thought there was nothing they could do to address residents’ concerns because the project is outside of their jurisdiction.
During the April 19 council meeting, officials sympathized with the plight of residents.
“There is no quick fix that the city can do, but we’re certainly spending time to get to the bottom of it,” Mayor Keith Mashburn said.
Councilmember Mike Judge asked for the matter to be brought back to council.
“Unfortunately, our hands are tied. We don’t have the ability to supersede what the state agency does,” he said. “I hate being in that position to say there’s nothing I can do.”
Then on April 21, City Manager Brian Gabler informed council members that no further construction will take place until the issues are addressed.
Communications between the city and the state agency sparked an investigation by Kyle Krause, the state housing acting deputy director. In an April 20 stop-order notice to Pasadena-based Sun- Green Systems, which pulled the permits, HCD noted that approved plans require a 5-foot setback, yet the project is being built within about 2 feet of adjacent properties.
Moreover, the original approval of the mobile home park in 1972 indicated that significant changes to the property must also be approved by the city, Gabler said.
“This project should have received a city nod that everything was OK and it didn’t,” he said.
Not only did the state agency fail to respect the city’s land-use authority, Gabler said, but HCD inspectors didn’t listen to the concerns of residents and identify the flaws in construction.
HCD spokesperson Alicia Murillo said construction permitting and inspections for mobile home parks under its jurisdiction are completed by HCD—with some exceptions. “The park owner is separately required to ensure any park alterations are in compliance with the conditional use permit issued by the city,” Murillo said.
At this point, it’s not about blame, but about what steps are taken to address issues, Gabler said. The city and HCD are working to determine how to move forward.
“We are reaching out to the property owner to have them file an application to allow the solar panels to be built at this location,” Gabler said.
This will perhaps involve a planning commission hearing, which would give people a chance to weigh in on the project.
“It’s possible that the park owner will have to make modifications to what’s already been built,” Gabler said.
A representative with Sun-Green Systems Inc. said the company is aware of the stop-work order and is working with HCD to find a resolution.
Simi Country Estates has 274 homes. In a phone interview with the Acorn before the stop-work order was issued, Simi Country Estates Office Manager Clifford, who declined to state his last name, said the solar power structure was built following rules and regulations.
“We have all the proper permits. Everything is legal,” he said.
Once complete, the structure’s photovoltaic panels will provide electricity to common areas in the mobile home park. Homes won’t be connected to the system at first, although they may a year from now, Clifford said.
Excess power generated by the project will go back to the grid.
“This is an investment. The property owner wants to save money,” Clifford said. “All utilities are going up.”
Ross said he is relieved that the project has been halted.
“We have won a significant battle of which I’m sure will be a long, drawn-out war,” he said.
The issue is not the solar project itself, he said, it’s the proximity to property lines, the height, and the lack of consideration of the impact it will have on the surrounding homeowners.
“I hope that if this project moves forward the impact on surrounding homeowners is taken into consideration . . . and that an equitable compromise can be reached,” he said.