Agenda - 09-04-2014 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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46 1 natural environment is part of why we have all moved here and paid a premium for our property 2 and homes to do so. 3 4 We realize that you will not be voting on this proposal tonight, but hope that when you do 5 vote, you will reject it. There is a clear consensus in our neighborhood that this proposal should 6 not be implemented. 7 8 That is the first of my comments. My personal comments —The Falls of New Hope 9 subdivision has existed for nearly 50 years. We first came upon it in 1971 when seeking rural 10 Orange County property to build a home. Driving toward the New Hope Creek on Mount Sinai 11 Road, I spotted Joe's (Joseph F. Matthews, Jr.) sign. Later that day my husband and I met him 12 there and chiefly because he emphasized his intention to maintain the rural character of the 13 community and the individuality of the homes as they were contracted and built, we bought land 14 on the creek. Joe explained plans for the 9 acre "Gardens of the Falls" lying along a bend in the 15 creek just above a natural dam and cascade. Joe wouldn't have called himself a naturalist, but 16 he loved the creek and the quiet rural spaces and the trees and plants that grew there. He 17 expressed that when naming the streets in the community, for example; Falls and Cascade 18 Drives; as well as Caprea Court (goat willow or pussy willow Cedronella (Cedronella 19 canariensis), Celastrus (Celastrus paniculatus) and Charlock, the wild field mustard that grows 20 gold in the meadow along Cascade. 21 22 As long as he lived, he worked to maintain and expand our park, creating paths 23 bordered by azaleas, camellias, and day lilies. He placed a swing and picnic tables beside the 24 creek for community meetings there. In the beginning, he employed the youngsters in the 25 community to help create winding trails and plant bushes. Years ago our sons worked with him 26 on Saturdays to build those paths and plantings, and both boys grew to love the place as much 27 as we do. 28 29 We plan to live here until they carry us away, and our estate planning includes the boys 30 living in our house again if they want to. We are not the only retirees planning to remain here 31 forever, relying on the neighborhood to maintain its unique character far into the future. It's 32 important for both personal and economic reasons. 33 34 Today the nine acre park is still owned and enjoyed by the association members, as 35 designated in Joe's will. He had no wish to commercialize the park area and specified that if we 36 failed to maintain it we would lose it. He strongly emphasized that the rural nature of the 37 neighborhood be respected, and today's residents continue to participate in workdays and 38 association business meetings in the spring and the fall to follow his plans. 39 40 So when I learned of plans for a solar power plan for the meadow beside Cascade Drive, 41 I referred to Google images, entering solar farm and solar array and similar terms. As I scrolled 42 through them, the first one hundred, then two hundred and more images, it became glaringly 43 apparent that none of them - not one - was in a residential community. There must be a reason 44 for that. 45 46 I've learned that European countries place solar collectors on every roof or flat surface, 47 using available structures to preserve the green spaces. Friends visiting Germany confirm that. 48 49 While being first can be a good thing, however, being the first residential community in 50 the County to suffer a solar power plant intruding among its homes is definitely not one of those