Anaheim Councilwoman Kris Murray
Anaheim Councilwoman Kris Murray published this op-Ed in the Anaheim Bulletin yesterday:
Last week, the Orange County Water District voted to lease property at the Ball Road Basin in Anaheim to a private company, Competitive Power Ventures, to build a gas-fired power plant. It would include 90-foot stacks towering over the neighboring community and obstructing the view of local businesses as well as the Honda Center and Angels Stadium.
Shockingly, the OCWD board also refused to consider changes to the plan that would have required approval by the City of Anaheim. Even more shocking, this planned power plant will not provide power to Anaheim.
Anaheim residents should be outraged that a 20-acre power plant – proposed for an area currently zoned as open space along the Santa Ana River trail – was approved prior to conducting any feasibility studies, environmental impact reports, public hearings, or obtaining any land use permits.
Anaheim recognizes the need for diverse sources of power in Southern California, especially with the permanent loss of the San Onofre plant. In Anaheim, we’ve focused on promoting diverse energy resources and conservation. In fact, Anaheim’s utility department developed a power portfolio that will exceed 33 percent renewable energy. Our residents, schools and businesses have partnered with the city on major solar projects. Most recently, the Honda Center – home of the Anaheim Ducks – partnered with Bloom Energy on new energy technology, making it one of the greenest facilities in the National Hockey League.
It is important to note that Anaheim offered two alternative sites properly zoned and approved for this purpose, but CPV rejected these sites – even though their prospective client, Southern California Edison, released maps to specify medium- and high-value locations that did not include the land at Ball Road Basin.
Orange County Register has also weighed in, arguing that the project should be subject to the local jurisdiction in its Dec. 10 editorial “Hear about the power plant? Anaheim project proceeds with scant notice.” They recommended that OCWD and Competitive Power Ventures slow down and allow local residents and the City Council to have “a larger voice in this matter, given they will be most impacted by the proposal.”
In Anaheim, we’ve had a long history of working collaboratively with OCWD on vital infrastructure projects, including a recent partnership to build Anaheim’s Canyon Power Plant in 2011. But it’s inexcusable that this new project is moving forward without any local review or planning in the process.
A broad coalition of community leaders, area businesses, and local and state lawmakers have joined together to oppose the power plant at this location. Now is the time for city residents to speak up.
Go to stopthepowerplant.com for more information on how you can get involved and make your voice heard.
I attended most of the public meetings at the OCWD in FV, but never heard anything about two alternate sites offerred in place of the Ball Road Basin by the City of Anaheim ??
Also, didn’t hear hear about the City’s offer to buy the property until the final meeting of the night of the vote. And that offer expired during the exclusive negotiation period with CPV. So that offer seems to be fictious and a smoke screen. Why make an offer that the Water District couldn’t legally respond to ??
Based on the comments of the district directors at the various meetings, they seemed to really want to stick it to Anaheim. We all have heard how they played nice together in the past, but there is some bad blood between the two for sure.
Seems there is more to this story… much more !!
~ Anaheim-Al
OCWD and Anaheim have worked on many positive projects together – the primary board member criticizing Anaheim was strangely Director Sheldon who’s done a lot of work in Anaheim over the years so interesting for him to be so critical of the city. What many would like to know is how this came out of the blue and was approved so quickly by OCWD without any local input. There is definitely more to this story and I hope a good investigative reporter gets to the bottom of it.
Can’t they just build 90 foot stacks with Goofy’s ears wrapped around them and a wall with Goofy’s face painted on it?
Why is this site the one they want to use. What does it have that the other 2 do not? I am puzzled by this. Are they paying a higher lease here?
Seems we are not getting allthe information on this one. Please have some public forums.
Live in neighborhood and it will effect us. We can’t move, couldn’t afford another home. We have a really nice neighborhood, shame to mess it up.
Be sure to increase the insurance on your home to cover a complete loss so when the plant explodes you can afford to move and afford another home!
This site is owned by OCWD and they want the huge income from the lease. The other properties Anaheim offered for the Power Plant don’t line the OCWD pockets, nor do those alternative sites line the pockets of the Directors pushing this. The Anaheim City Council has acted in good faith and they have fought HARD against this site. 100’s of residents have shown up to the OCWD meetings and sent emails and letters to them against this project. The ONLY people who are for this project at this location are the OCWD Board Members who voted for it. There is something terribly fishy going on here.
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