Solar Farm Elicits Concerns from Planning Group

A 46-acre solar farm could sprout in the vicinity of Warnock Drive and Ramona Street if all goes smoothly with county approval.

Photo Voltaic Solar Farm developers appeared before at its September meeting to seek support for its application for a major-use permit from the county.

The site is on a 110-acre pig farm whose owner is willing to lease the land to the developers in a 20-year contract.

Panels would be 8 to 11.5 feet above ground. Steve Wragg, representing the solar company, said fencing would be installed around the solar farm for safety and security.

Bob Hailey, vice chairman of the planning group, expressed the concerns of the south subcommittee which reviewed the plans, that there would be the loss of land zoned for agricultural use.

“The real concern was the visual effect, seeing a huge line of glass across an agriculture environment,” Hailey said.

, who lives in the area, also expressed her concerns.

“Ramona will be known as the Valley of the Solar Panels,” she said. “It’s time to plan before the Valley of the Solar Panels becomes a reality.”

Planning group member Scotty Ensign asked about the plans for indigenous weeds growing in the area of the proposed solar farm. Wragg explained that weeds and vegetation would be kept under control and a biodegradable cover will be on the ground.

“The weeds have to be kept down,” Wragg said. “Vegetation can’t come up to affect the movement of the panels.”

When planning group member Carl Hickman asked about any benefits from the solar farm for Ramona, Wragg said the energy generated here would be sold to San Diego Gas & Electric but would remain in the Ramona grid.

A letter will be sent to the county with the concerns of the planning group. The project proposal will return to the planning group.

In other business, planning group members gave the nod to Jerry Cordiano’s request for county permits to increase parking spaces and add a tasting room for his boutique winery on Highland Valley Road.

“We would have sufficient parking to accommodate whatever needs there are,” Cordiano said.

The area now accommodates 30 cars and Cordiano would like to increase it to up to 50 vehicles.

Cordiano was accompanied by two of his neighbors. One neighbor said he hears more noise and music coming from the Wild Animal Park than he does from winery events.

While the Cordiano property in Highland Valley is closer to Escondido than Ramona, it is within the boundaries of the local fire protection district and therefore falls under the Ramona Community Planning Group’s confines.

Village design issues also came before the group. Howard Blackson, of the consulting firm PlaceMakers, gave a Power Point presentation on the village design project. He updated the group on the results of a week of workshops held in Ramona in August. The issues covered include the traffic impact on Main Street, vernal pools mitigation, the state highway running through the business sections and infrastructure and requirements set forth by Ramona Municipal Water District.

Blackson said he will be meeting again this month with the planning group’s village design subcommittee and also making a report to the county Board of Supervisors in the near future.

The planning group will host a workshop Oct. 20 to identify areas that flood during heavy rainstorms. It will take place at Ramona Community Center, 434 Aqua Lane, beginning at 7 p.m.

The next meeting of the planning group will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at the library’s community room, 1275 Main St.