ATA Anti-BESS Kick-Off Rally, Sat., June 3, 2023 at Acton Park

ATA News

ALERT! SAVE THE DATE! CONFIRM YOUR PARTICIPATION!
BESS Appeal Hearing Scheduled at Board of Supervisors Dec. 19 Meeting

Acton Takes Action | November 9, 2023 – Today, Ruthie Brock, Chair of the Acton Takes Action Community Task Force (ATA), sent out an email alert notifying Acton & Agua Dulce residents who have signed up to attend BOS meetings, that SORT's BESS Appeal has been scheduled on the Supervisors' Consent Agenda for discussion and comments at their Tuesday, December 19th meeting in downtown Los Angeles.

Ruth stated in her email that it was time for all the Acton and Agua Dulce resident's who signed up to attend BOS meetings to CONFIRM THIER PARTICIPATION in this tremendously important Appeal meeting, adding, "In order for SORT's BESS Appeal to receive the discussion by the Board of Supervisors that it deserves, either our Supervisor, Kathryn Barger, must hold the item for discussion or there needs to be people signed up to make public comment on the appeal. This is where our Acton Warriors come in, as I cannot express how important the BESS Appeal is and how important it is that our participants make public comments in order for the Appeal to be voted on separately, instead of being combined with other items on the agenda in one motion!"

To find out more about this important BESS Appeal meeting, and to confirm your participation at the Tuesday, December 19 BOS meeting, CLICK HERE to read the full Alert.

It's time to CONFIRM your attendance and participation at the December 19, BOS meeting. Please attend and make your voices heard; help get wrongly passed BESS facility approvals invalidated and rescinded! To confirm, email Ruthie Brock today at ActonTakesAction@ATT.net

Please Help the LASD Find Illegal Cannabis Grow Houses and Operations in Acton & Agua Dulce

Acton Takes Action | November 8, 2023 – The Acton Town Council and the Acton Takes Action Community Task Force support the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Departments efforts to find, eradicate, arrest, and prosecute illegal cannabis grow houses, operations, and their operators in the AV, specifically in the Acton and Agua Dulce communities.

Please Help the LASD find illegal cannabis grow houses and operations in our communities. Anyone who sees activity that appears to be suspicious or criminal in nature should contact their local sheriff’s station, or remain anonymous and email your tips and info to MarijuanaTips@lasd.org.

For more information on why we should help eradicate illegal cannabis growers and cultivation, and to read LASD tips on how to spot a marijuana grow house in your neighborhood (and area in general), please visit the LASD page on this website at – LASD MarijuanaTips Email Hot Link, Tips, and Info.

ATTENTION ACTON COMMUNITY – IMPORTANT BESS ACTIVITY UPDATE!

Acton Takes Action | September 8, 2023 – On Sept. 7, Ruthie Brock, Chair of the Acton Takes Action Community Task Force (ATA), posted the following summary on Next Door and Facebook regarding what Acton Takes Action, its sister community group: Save our Rural Town (SORT) directed by Jacki Ayers, the Acton Town Council, and ALL of our many, wonderful pro-active Acton residents and outside community supporters have accomplished thus far.

Here's what we've accomplished in just a few, short months... everyone give yourselves a big clap on the back!

  • We’ve held a rally.
  • We’ve gone to the media.
  • We’ve written letters to our Supervisor.
  • We’ve circulated a petition of protest and gathered 1,892 signatures!
  • We’ve emailed County Planning and explained in detail why a BESS does not belong here.
  • We’ve submitted proof that a BESS facility in Acton would be a violation of the Zoning Code.
  • We’ve pointed out that a BESS in Acton would be non-conforming to the Antelope Valley Area Plan.
  • We’ve brought County’s attention to the fact that a BESS is not permitted in Rural Acton according to their General Plan.
  • We’ve reached out on behalf of our residents and pleaded with County to sit down and discuss these issues and hopefully try to find some common ground.
  • We’ve made it crystal clear that we wish to exhaust all administrative remedies to resolve this dispute over the wrongly issued ministerial approval of the Hecate Grid Humidor BESS project and the CEQA Notice of Exemption granted in violation of CEQA guidelines.

But now, we have to ask... what more can we do?

We only have one more option and the decision as to whether we will pursue this option will be made based on what happens in the next few days.

Will Los Angeles County show us the respect and consideration that the residents of Acton and constituents of LA County deserve?

Will they come to the table?

Stay tuned Everyone!

Report on Acton Emergency Town Meeting held August 29, 2023. Decision Made to Move Forward with Law Suit Against Los Angeles County Mishandling of Hecate Grid Humidor BESS Project Approval

UPDATE – Saturday, September 9, 2023 As of this date, Supervisor Barger has yet to respond to SORT Director Ayer's August 24, 2023, 20-page letter.

UPDATE – Wednesday, August 30, 2023 Ms Ayers filed a Supplement to the Appeal Document with the LA County Planning Department (Planning) establishing further proof as set forth in the Acton Community Standards District established in the County Zoning Code that the project should never have been approved using a Ministerial Site Review Plan and that the CEQA NOE is not valid and should never have been issued.

Acton Takes Action | August 31, 2023 – A great showing of Acton residents and Anti-BESS Supporters from SCV and AV communities were present at the emergency town meeting held on Tuesday, August 29, 2023 at the Acton Community Club. The meeting was called by Acton Takes Action Chair, Ruthie Brock, and Jacki Ayers, Director of Support Our Rural Town (SORT) to address Los Angeles County's improper handling and improper approval of Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS Project review.

To briefly recap the progress of Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS facility project: The project was paused in February 2023, thanks to several swift actions initiated by the Acton Town Council (ATC), but the project application was reactivated in July by LACo Dept. of Regional Planning (DRP) and, unfortunately, was approved via a simple Ministerial Site Plan Review (SPR) on August 1, 2023. In response to the DRP's action, Acton's other community group, Save Our Rural Town (SORT), lead by its Director, Jacki Ayer, sprang into action.

The Acton Town Council (ATC), ATA, nor SORT can appeal the DRP's ministerial approval BUT, SORT can Appeal the Notice of Exemption from CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act)!

Jacki Ayers immediately initiated a series of actions beginning with a 20-page letter in rebuttal to the DRP August 1, 2023 letter announcing its Ministerial Site Plan Review approval of Hecate Grid's Humidor Project and its Notice of Exemption of same to CEQA. The letter was sent to the LA County Board of Supervisors (BOS) addressed to 5th District Supervisor, Ms Kathryn Barger on August 24, 2023. The letter enumerated and cited a comprehensive, detailed list of DRP's improper handling and improper approval of Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS Project review, incorrect use of their office, and grave errors made in its discretion..

On August 25, keeping the pressure on, Ms Ayers filed a 14-page Appeal Document to the Notice of Exemption (NOE) from CEQA with the LA County Planning Department (Planning). Commenting about the Appeal to ATA Chair, Ms Brock, Jacki stated that with all the points she has enumerated (with comprehensive citations) in the Appeal, it is very clear that DRP made grave errors in its discretion, and that hopefully it will convince Planning to set the approval and CEQA NOE aside, therefore making legal action unnecessary. In the letter to BOS and in the Appeal to Planning, Los Angeles County (DRP, BOS & Planning) has now been informed – in no uncertain words – that they will be challenged in court if they try to overlook Ms Ayer's citations of LA County Zoning Codes, CEQA Guidelines, and more.

On Monday, August 28, 2023, Planning sent an email to Ms Ayers to confirm receipt of the Appeal and that they will be in contact with SORT with a BOS Appeal Hearing date. SORT will let us know when the Appeal Hearing has been scheduled so that Acton residents and supporters of our anti-BESS efforts can plan to attend and participate in the hearing (Sign-up to attend HERE!).

Concluding the meeting, ATA, SORT, and attendees unanimously agreed to proceed with the next action which includes preparing and filing a lawsuit against the County for the illegal and improper handling of the Hecate Grid Humidor BESS project review, violating LA County's zoning codes, and CEQA Guidelines. SORT and ATA will update the community with a status report on the lawsuit filing as soon as possible.

Links to all of the relevant letters and documents mentioned in this article are listed here:

  • To read the SORT letter to BOS rebutting the August 1 DRP Hecate Grid Humidor BESS project approval letter, click HERE.
  • To read the SORT Appeal Documentation, click HERE.
  • To read the SORT Supplement to the Appeal Document filed with the County on August 30, 2023, click HERE.
  • To read the August 21, 2023, SORT letter to LACo Planning regarding their determination of the Hecate Grid Humidor BESS project, click HERE.
  • To read the August 1, 2023, letter to the ATC from LACo Planning Department Regarding Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS Project Approval – APNs 3056004058 and 3056004044, click HERE.
  • To read a brief, bullet point summary of the Appeal Documentation which was discussed at the Acton Emergency Town Meeting, click HERE.
    IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THE BOS APPEAL HEARING, SIGN-UP HERE.
SORT Law Suit Filed in Superior Court of Los Angeles Against Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors & Hecate Grid Humidor Storage 1 LLC, et al

Save Our Rural Town (SORT) | September 19, 2023 – Today, Ms Alene Taber, Esq. of the law Firm Hanson Bridgett LLP, filed a law suit against the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (Respondents) and Hecate Grid Humidor Storage 1 LLC (et al Real Parties in Interest listed) on behalf of SORT. Directed by Ms Jacqueline Ayers, SORT is acting in conjunction with the Acton Takes Action Community Task Force, chaired by Ms Ruth Brock, the Acton Town Council, and the Acton community as a whole in Acton's continuing fight to keep lithium-ion battery energy storage (BESS) facilities out of Acton. The law suit also lists a number of interested parties including Watt Enterprises LTD, Watt Energy LLC, Ninyo and Moore Geotechnical & Environmental Sciences Consultants, and the County of Los Angeles.

The law suit seeks Declaratory Relief and Injunctive Relief from the Respondents and Real Parties in Interest activities and actions based on (1) Writ of Mandate [Code Civ. Proc., § 1085 and Pub. Res. Code, §§ 21168.5 and 21168.9]; (2) Writ of Administrative Mandamus [Code Civ. Proc., § 1094.5 and Pub. Res. Code §§ 21168 and 21168.9]. The Writs of Mandate and Administrative Mandamus itemize violations of Los Angeles County Code, Antelope Valley Area Plan, the Los Angeles County General Plan, and State Planning and Zoning Laws. All Respondents have been charged with committing these violations.

CLICK HERE to read the full law suit (Case Number 23STCP03422) PDF.

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