The proponents of Morro Bay Initiative A24 claim it is intended to stop construction of a battery storage facility on the old power plant property owned by energy company Vistra. But, the Initiative makes no mention, as in none, of the proposed battery storage facility. Since A24 makes no mention of the proposed battery storage facility, what does it actually do?
A24 limits local control and reduces community input by preventing our elected officials and our professional City staff from making informed land use decisions in the best interests of our community. The City’s adopted General Plan already defines uses of the A24 land parcels exactly as the Initiative proposes. However, if A24 passes, our locally elected officials would be unable to act, and the well-established processes for involving citizens will be bypassed in discussions about the battery storage facility, as well as any other land-use proposals involving the A24 land parcels. The City would effectively lose influence on those parcels, and would lose the opportunity to pursue community benefits on those parcels.
What property does A24 include — 107 acres of Vistra land, which is divided into several areas — the former tank farm, the power plant area, the Lila Keiser Park and Morro Creek area, the Scott Street hill area, and the Embarcadero area. Additionally, A24 includes the approximately half mile of commercial and recreational fishing designated lands along the waterfront from Beach St. to Target Rock (the Measure D area).
A24 proponents make much about preserving these parcels for visitor-serving. However, PG&E, the first owner of the property, placed deed restrictions on the power plant property that prohibit human-related uses that might expose people to dangerous contaminants (it is presently unknown what contaminants may lie under the power plant building and the stacks). Subsequent owners of the property accepted these deed restrictions as a condition of sale. Those restrictions are in place today. Also, California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control already prohibits visitor-serving development on the 24 acres of the proposed battery storage parcel. The Department filed restrictive covenants with the County on July 21, 2022. Those covenants explicitly forbid visitor-serving uses such as hotels and motels on that parcel, as well as other human-use developments.
The bottom line on A-24 is simple. Do you want an electorate who is generally uniformed about land development, public revenue, public benefit, and taxation making land use decisions, or do you want the City’s professional staff and your elected officials guiding those land use developments?
To those in our community who want to stop a battery storage facility being built on the old power plant site – find a more direct and rational method – a method that does not create an untenable and misguided land use process, and is not fear based.
Ron Reisner
Morro Bay