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Horrified by solar project

 

Editor, Index-Tribune:

 Thanks to Anne Phillips for her letter and photo in Friday's paper ("Shocked at impact of solar project," Index-Tribune, July 7).

Shocked is too mild a reaction - we're horrified. We have our own photos of our new back-yard view (full of solar panels). Somehow it doesn't fit with the roses.

We live adjacent to the new solar power plant at Adele Harrison school, and we did not have a letter, or any notification whatsoever, telling us that this monstrosity would be placed in our back yard.

Mr. Frese, of the school district, informed us (after construction was well underway) that legal notification had been given. Yes, there were apparently small paragraphs in the back of the local paper in 6-point type saying that bids were being taken, and the SVUSD did put information on their website - but I can't read print that small and no longer have children in school, so I have no reason to go to their website.

Nowhere was it mentioned that the solar panels would be covering acres of fields (rather than on the school roofs), would disrupt the native nesting birds and frogs and other fauna, or would be taking over a water run-off holding pond and affecting the purpose for which it was designed.

I've spoken to homeowners and parents of school children and teachers at various schools - and no one seems to have had the courtesy of notification other than the newspaper postings.

A good neighbor would advise his/her neighbors and perhaps ask for input. Not so the school district. We were told by Mr. Frese that this was not legally necessary and they can do what they wish with school property. Also, he was surprised that we would "assume" the solar panels would be on the roof-tops.

We are proponents of solar panels to utilize the sun's ability to power our homes. We want the schools to save money. But we didn't want our home to lose an estimated 20 percent of its value because of a horrendous solar power plant in our back yard when other locations were available that would not have impacted homes.

Mr. Frese has told us that these other areas have been pinpointed for "other uses" (we expect the next surprise to be a nuclear plant). On July 11, members of our homeowners association called a meeting with Mr. Frese, the site engineer, and two construction architects. When asked if they would want this behind their homes, the engineer and architects admitted they definitely would not. Mr. Frese also informed us that it would be "inappropriate" for us to plant trees in our yards to block our view of the panels.

So much for personal freedoms. What's theirs is theirs and, apparently, what's ours is theirs as well.

Nancie Ligon

Sonoma