Homeowner Assoc. Opposes Quail Brush Power Plant, Mayor Doubts City Can Help

Last week the Sunset Greens Homeowner Association submitted a resolution to the CA Energy Commission opposing the which is proposed to be built in the hills just north of Santee (a copy of the resolution can be found in the media box).

The Sunset Greens Community is situated in western Santee, bordering , and in an area that could be affected by the project.

The resolution in is broken into seven points, including pollution, noise, increased traffic and property value loss; it is fully quoted here:

1. The Project will add to peak time pollution during the hottest times in the surrounding area particularly in SGHOA that includes a majority of non-air conditioned homes.
2. Noise from the project will be a because so many residents rely on the quiet for using natural ventilation to cool their often open, but locked, homes during day and night. This project would destroy the evening silence of one the few areas nestled into a natural setting and in the quietest urban areas in San Diego County.
3. The project will create downward pressure on already devastated in the closest neighborhoods. While other areas of San Diego may recover, the properties here will.be impacted because potential buyers will have to approach in full view of the 24,000 square foot main building of the proposed project.
4. The natural desire to accelerate the return on the $150M investment will create pressure to run the power plant at times outside the peak time. if not all the time.
5. Present "peak time" demands may soon become the norm resulting in this project running continually.
6. Stated efficiencies of this project will encourage the sale of more efficient and less expensive energy to distant consumers, further pressuring the continuous use of the project-not just in peak times.
7. Traffic in the vicinity of Mast and Highway 52 is already severely impacted for 4-5 hours per day; construction will create long delays and traffic snarls. Other traffic servicing the project will create more pressure on this already difficult section of highway.

The City Council said that they would be discussing the project in closed session at the , but they added that because the project is proposed to be built on City of San Diego land (the same land that the city has ), there is likely little the Council can do to oppose it.

According to , legal costs for the city to fight the power plant project would likely exceed $100,000 and it seems that the City of Santee has no clear legal recourse to oppose SDG&E, the City of San Diego or the Landfill operator.

"I would not support the City spending that much money opposing a project under very unfavorable legal conditions," Voepel said. "This would, in my opinion be a fight that we probably could not win."

"If the Sunset Greens Homeowners Association has $100,000+, to spend on a questionable legal action and would agree to be responsible for any legal costs to the city, I would consider working with them," he said.

Voepel cited the City of Santee's as a result of the state .

"We are in very tough times and the times just got tougher with the state taking our property tax money," he said.

A , informational hearing and public comment period will take place Jan. 25. .