Residents urge council to reject proposed eGroup/Harmony Acres utility-scale solar inside city limits

Several residents used the public‑comment period to urge Twentynine Palms officials to reject a proposed utility‑scale solar project (referred to in public comments as eGroup/Harmony Acres) within city limits.

Peter Lang, a resident, told the council the city instituted a moratorium in 2012 on commercial and industrial solar fields to protect land‑use compatibility and the town’s character. He quoted language from the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) saying aesthetic impacts would be "significant and unavoidable," warned of mass grading and dust during construction and operation, and said the project would be "highly visible from key viewpoints" and could permanently degrade the visual character of the area. Lang asked the council to reject the local approval and have the company pursue state processes that require enforceable community benefits.

Suzanne Lyons focused on the proposed community benefits package. She said the cash payment offered to the city—$100,000 per year, as stated in public comments—is well below commonly reported host‑community benchmarks (which she cited as roughly $5,500–$7,000 per megawatt per year) and argued the offer lacked a meaningful community process and enforceable benefits. Lyons also raised concerns that the project structure resembled a special purpose vehicle, which could insulate owners from long‑term financial liability for monitoring, enforcement, or decommissioning.

Neither the staff presentation nor the council took formal action on the solar project during this meeting; speakers addressed the council during public comment. Council members did not vote on the project at this session, and staff did not announce next procedural steps in the meeting record.