Commission approves six utility buildings at LADWP site; commissioners press for follow-up on wastewater and infrastructure

The Adelanto Planning Commission on Jan. 15 approved Location & Development Plan 24-13 to construct six utility and equipment buildings at an existing Los Angeles Department of Water and Power site in the city’s public utility zone.

Planner Christian Espinosa outlined the proposal — six structures including an AC filter relay building (about 2,226 sq ft), a spare parts building (about 11,476 sq ft), medium-voltage switchgear buildings and a microwave communications building — and said staff determined a Mitigated Negative Declaration was the appropriate environmental document after public circulation. Espinosa recommended adoption of Resolution P-25-02 and approval of the plan subject to conditions.

Agency representatives said the project will replace aging infrastructure at a site that has been in operation for decades. In response to resident concerns about water consumption and sewer discharge, an agency speaker said the proposed plant would operate as a closed system and that water consumption and sewer discharge are conservatively expected to be reduced by about 50% compared with the current cooling system: "The future plant is going to be closed system, so the expectation is the water consumption and sewer discharge is conservatively reduced by about 50%." Commissioners asked about phasing and decommissioning of older equipment, and staff said the old buildings would be decommissioned as new ones come online.

Residents and Mayor Gabriel Reyes urged follow-up conversations with LADWP about wastewater discharge and possible partnerships to address needed city sewer upgrades. The commission adopted the staff recommendation; the vote passed with four yes and one abstention.