Category Archives: Environment

Economic Development, Environment, Open Government, Safety, Social Capital

RTRP Update

August 21, 2023 admin 3 Comments

Most Current Talking Points

Coalition of Riverside City Council & Norco to underground High Transmission Lines Norco will spend approximately $300,000 to $500,000 in this effort.

Edison is engaging in a full-court, behind the scenes press distributing misinformation. Facts:

Project will not cost a “billion dollars”
Project is not shovel ready
The project regardless of above or below ground will be spread out over every rate payer in the state – either way will cost approximately $1.00 additional per year. (Cal Strategies: Steve Larson & Hope Christman/CPUC)
We will be petitioning for the entire length of line: under river, Norco, County, La Sierra (we are correcting the press release)
No Riverside residents’ rates will go up more then a dollar per year due to this project
Norco has hired the same attorney and consultant who undergrounded Jurupa Valley and Chino Hills
Undergrounding in the EIR was deemed the superior way to go but it was not explored.
In the short term undergrounding disturbs the area but in the long term is better for the environment
When high transmission lines go up, it impedes the ability for helicopters to drop water on fires – that is exactly what saved Norco during the two large fires on our SW and SE quadrant – without those helicopters Norco would have been in trouble.
The center of Norco is rated highest for fire danger.
The river bottom is an urban forest – the EIR downplays the vegetation
The City of Riverside invested in new helicopters that may not be able to function effectively with smoke obscuring the transmission lines.
The EIR was completed prior to the devastating Paradise Fire, Norco’s two major fires and Lahaina.
The Santa Ana winds reach a higher wind speed then the hurricane winds that caused the Lahaina fire.
Hope Christman, our areas CPUC Rep is creating a fact sheet with additional information

We need a strong response from elected who carry more weight with the CPUC: we need specifically targeted letters to both electeds and CPUC. In the next few days we will be releasing talking points. Below are elected officials to contact and status of their support and our ask: please be respectful.

Senator Alex Padilla (310) 231-4494 https://www.padilla.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/

Is looking for a way to fund the undergrounding – send letters to encourage.

Congressman Ken Calvert Office (951) 277-0042
https://calvert.house.gov/zip_authentication?form=/contact/email-me

He is in full support and is currently working on figuring out the status of the re-alignment of the high transmission lines through the Hidden Valley Nature Preserve. We need a full-support letter.

Congressman Mark Takano (951) 222-0203 https://takano.house.gov/contact/email-me

Is in full support, is working with Calvert to underground. Need letters of encouragement and strong support letter.

Senator Richard Roth Office (951) 680-6750
https://sd31.senate.ca.gov/send-e-mail

Says he is supporting and has sent a rep to all RTRP meetings. Need a stronger letter that excludes the time restriction and claim of no support should rates go up (this is a false narrative being pushed by Edison)

Senator Kelly Seyarto Office (951) 280-1260
https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=SD32&inframe=N

Fully in support and onboard: Letters of support and ask to continue are appropriate.

Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes Office (951) 371-6860
https://a58.asmdc.org/contact-me
Fully supports and is on board – but, as in the case of Senator Roth, we need a stronger letter of absolute support.

Assemblymember Bill Essayli Phone (951) 369-6644
https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=AD63&inframe=N
Fully on board and helped bring Riverside and Norco councils together.

First District County Board Supervisor Kevin Jeffries Office (951) 955-1010 district1@rivco.org

Kevin Jeffries told me he was on board and then pulled out stating the process has gone on too long and expressed concerns incorrectly about costs. He seems to believe Edison and the ask is to fully support the fact that Riverside and Norco have formed and alliance and Norco is spending big bucks to do the right thing – he needs to get on board.

Second District County Board Supervisor Karen Spiegel
district2@rivco.org Office (951) 955-1020

She is supportive and was going to agendize for a vote but it seems Edison is strong arming the Supervisors to stay quiet. Need letters encouraging her to support and agendize issue. It will not look good if it is agendized and only she votes yes – those voting no will not look so good.

Third District County Board Supervisor Chuck Washington
district3@rivco.org
Office (951) 955-1030

Has stated to me he supports undergrounding – election year, send letters to encourage full support.

Fourth District County Board Supervisor V. Manuel Perez
district4@rivco.orgOffice (951) 955-1040

Do not know him – send letters to support

Fifth District County Board Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez
district5@rivco.orgOffice (951) 955-1050

Told me he supports Norco’s position. Send letters to encourage unqualified support.

Riverside City Council

There appears to be a deadline of September 30 – we are working really hard to have our petition in and to have the funding or a chunk in place. Steve and Chuck have done a wonderful job but holding that majority together seems to be tough. Particularly given that staff is little help. Please write each and thank them for support and encourage to do the right thing.

Erin Edwards

Has opposed vocally the coalition – letters encouraging her to support.

Mayor Lock Dawson

On board – thank you.

Clarissa Cervantes

Strongly n board – thank and encourage

Ronaldo Fierro

Strongly on board – say thank you

Chuck Conder

Organized the coalition – say thank you

Gaby Plascencia

Opposes at times – encourage support

Jim Perry

Opposes at times – encourage support

Steve Hemenway

Strongly on board and helping to organize

Parks, Public Policy, Transportation, UCR

Planning Commission To Re Zone Park For STEM High School

February 15, 2023 admin Leave a comment

The proposed STEM school site on Blaine and Canyon Crest, contains two parcels of property.

One belonging to UCR, the other to the city of Riverside.

This Thursday, Feb 16 at 9am at city hall, RUSD will be presenting to the city’s planning commission a proposal to change the zoning on the city owned property in order to build the school. After hearing the presentation, the commission will make its recommendation to the city council for a final vote.

Make an E Comment, Call in or Zoom it.

We need everyone to come to the meeting or contact the planning commission to let them know our concerns about these possible changes and the impact they will have on our community.

Because this is a zoning meeting, it has been highly recommended that we focus our opposition to the zone change on issues that we feel will impact our community. Key factors to consider are:

This is not a neighborhood school where traditionally students walk to. This is a commuter school bringing school buses and hundreds of cars into our area.
District’s proposal indicates 1,200 students and 60 staff members. The proposal does not address the need for a parking lot to accommodate this many people. There are no places for parents to line up when dropping off and picking up students on Blaine, Canyon Crest, Rustin and Linden.
The proposal is to have the flow of school traffic go from Blaine to Canyon Crest then right onto the narrow parking lot by the ball fields, then exiting onto Rustin. Rustin is a very narrow two lane street already jammed with apt. cars parking on both sides of the street. Traffic from the STEAM school on the corner of Rustin and Linden already is impacting Linden and Rustin.
There is no legal parking/waiting on either side of Blaine.
UCR will begin the 2nd phase of building a 1,600 student dorm from Blaine towards Linden across from the proposed STEM site. The parking lot for the dorm will be similar to the one near Watkins with egress and ingress onto Blaine. This will severely impact traffic flow around Blaine and Canyon Crest
With the 1,260 STEM population, along with 1,600 UCR dorm students, rezoning will result in nearly 3,000 people crammed into a very small block area.
Canyon Crest is a two lane road already jammed with RTA buses, commuter cars, cyclists and pedestrians.
Rezoning will eliminate the only developed Park and Rec facility in our community. We may lose our baseball/softball and soccer fields . This field is used often by UCR intramural sports, community sport clubs and other community organizations needing a large field.
Less than a 1/2 mile from the proposed school, plans are to tear down the old Kmart on 3^rd and Iowa and construct a 1-3 bedroom complex adding hundreds of cars onto Blaine/3rd and Iowa.
Less than 1/2 mile from the proposed school site is the new warehouse on the corner of Watkins and Spruce, which will now bring commercial trucks into our neighborhood.
With the STEM traffic, UCR dorm(s) traffic, the new apt. complex at Kmart traffic, the warehouse on Spruce and Watkins trucks, the cross town commuters by passing the freeway, traffic jams already around the North High School, University Heights Middle and Highland Elementary school, rezoning this property is detrimental in increasing harmful carbon emissions from cars, buses and trucks into the air affecting especially those with health issues, our children and the elderly living in our neighborhoods.

We must first ask for a denial for this zone change or a least ask for a postponement on rezoning until an in-depth traffic and environmental study independent of the district is conducted.
We must demand that the district present a detailed plan to the commission and to the community addressing our concerns with traffic, parking and environmental issues before a decision is made to rezone, something the district has denied us for years.

We need you to contact the planning commission expressing your opposition to rezoning the city property.

Email the commissioners at fandrade@riversideca.gov. There is no individual email for each commissioner. Your email will be disseminated to each commissioner.

You are limited to 3 minutes if participating orally on Thursday, Feb 16 at 9am.

Speak in person on Thursday, Feb16 at city hall.
Calling in at (669) 900-6833 and enter Meeting ID: 926 9699 1265. Press star 9 (*9) to request to speak. Individuals in the queue will be prompted to press star 6 (*6) to unmute and speak.
By zoom at: https://zoom.us/j/92696991265 . Select the “raise hand” function to request to speak. An on-screen message will prompt you to “unmute” and speak.

Follow along with the meeting via www.RiversideCA.gov/Meeting or Riverside TV

cable channels,

Please pass this along to family and neighbors. Any additional comments to add to the list are welcomed.

Economic Development, Environment, Resoration Economy

Entergy Louisiana Proposes $5B Grid Resilience Plan with 10 Potential Microgrids

January 25, 2023 admin Leave a comment

Louisiana Power Lines Downed by Storm Damage

A scale version of this would be very doable within RPU’s service territory. Louisiana officials are smart in that they recognize the benefits of deploying hybrid sources of generation, which buys you resiliency, flexibility and adaptability.

And again, the big win is…. we would OWN the sources of generation!

Read the story here.

City Of Our Dreams, Environment, Open Government, Resoration Economy, Social Capital

RTRP Vote To Find Funding For Undergrounding

January 17, 2023 admin Leave a comment

We Need Your Voice!

We were told unequivocally that undergrounding the high-powered transmission lines near Hidden Valley (Ward 7) was not possible. For fifteen years they said it was a “DONE DEAL” to place the lines overhead.

TRUTH: It was NOT a “done deal”. Truth is, they never told us the truth about any of it. This in spite of at least one public comment demanding an underground option from the start.

What a difference fifteen years of neighbors being organized , collaborative and effective in pursuing common desires. Add your voice at tomorrow’s City Council meeting.

MOTION to FIND the MONEY to underground this project will be made Tuesday, January 17^th by Councilman Chuck Conder. It is important for you to SHOW UP and show support for this motion.

We NEED action! You can speak during “Open Comment” or come to support your neighbors who are speaking and support the council members who want to see this project UNDERGROUND!

COME! Let our City know that you DO NOT want these lines overhead.

Where: City Council Chambers next to City Hall

When: Tuesday January 17, 2023

Time: 6:15 pm

Parking: FREE in the evenings, handicapped available

BACKGROUND

RRR is the neighborhood group most impacted by this. They have been fighting to have this project undergrounded since 2017 via:

EDUCATION
INFORMATION
FORUMS
SOCIAL MEDIA
COMMUNITY MEETINGS

We were not giving up! Councilman Steve Hemenway (Ward 7) took the lead when he was elected in 2019. Due to his diligence, perseverance and educating himself on this project, there is now hope to underground these lines.

He brought Councilwoman Cervantes and Councilman Fierro onboard; but these 3 council members were outvoted to change the project.

Councilman Conder now realizes that undergrounding is the “superior project”, and he will bring a motion before our Council on Tuesday to FIND THE MONEY to do so!

Please come and show support for these 4 councilpersons who have listened and responded to residents. They deserve our public support. This is a defining moment in the history of Riverside.

Steve Hemenway Ward 7
Clarissa Cervantes Ward 2
Ronaldo Fierro Ward 3
Chuck Conder Ward 4

City Of Our Dreams, Environment, Green Energy, Social Capital

RTRP Transmission Lines Along River Vote

November 14, 2022 admin Leave a comment

URGENT City Council to vote on this TUESDAY Nov 15

We have a chance to get these underground!

New consultant finds it is AFFORDABLE!

Do you care about transmission lines being placed overhead at Hidden Valley and behind the homes of many Ward 7 residents?

Independent consultants have found that under grounding can be AFFORDABLE! SCE said lines would cost ~ $57 million per mile;

Los Angeles and San Diego placed lines in a similar project for $11 million a mile.

Every rate payer in Riverside has been paying for these for 12/18 years on RPU bill (Reliability Project)…we have the money. Also, consultants say grants are available to minimize the cost.

Speak Now! It is time to be heard!

Our City Council will be voting on this project on TUESDAY November 15^th! What you can do:

Write to EVERY council member and express your thoughts. You can address one email to all members and include the city clerk.
You can call every council member NOW! You can THANK Councilman Hemenway for giving us this opportunity.
You can attend the meeting and speak if you would like or support those who do speak. (I will get the time to you this week)
You can call into the meeting, if you can’t attend, and speak

If you want these lines underground, NOW IS THE TIME to write, call and be heard! Here’s a link to make an e Comment for agenda Item #20

This is a critical juncture; you must speak up NOW! We have a chance of under grounding based on the findings of the Independent Consultants brought in by Councilman Steven Hemenway.

Chuck Conder – cconder@riversideca.gov

Phone: (951) 826-5991

Mobile: (951) 990-9718

Clarissa Cervantes ccervantes@riversideca.gov

Phone: (951) 826-5991

Erin Edwards eedwards@riversideca.gov

Phone: (951) 826-5242

Gaby Plascencia GPlascencia13@gmail.com

(951) 782-0330

Perry, Jim J. JPerry@riversideca.gov

(951) 826-5991

Ronaldo Fierro RonaldoForRiverside@gmail.com

(951) 826-5905

Steve Hemenway (shemenway@riversideca.gov)

(951) 826-5024

Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson 2mayor@riversideca.gov

(951 826 5551)

City Clerk city_clerk@riversideca.gov

Donesia Gause, MMC

Neighborhood Issues & Resources

Neighbors Better Together

Follow Our Courts

US Covid Atlas

Riverside Neighborhood Partnership

City Of Our Dreams, Environment, Health, Safety, Social Capital

Save the Date. Watkins Dr Included In Great American Clean Up

April 22, 2022 admin Leave a comment

Save the date! Saturday May 7, 2022.

After way too many months of neglect, Watkins Dr., gateway to the University Neighborhood is about to get some TLC.
Along with Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful, the Friends of Riverside’s Hills, UNA neighbors and UCR students, we’re converging as part of a Citywide clean up event. Sign up here

Don’t forget to select your T-shirt size. Click Ward 2 and mention Watkins Dr in a box near the end of the form. Spread the word. It’s a big job. See you there.