Twentynine Palms City Council hosts public hearing on proposed solar project tonight (3/23)

The Twentynine Palms City Council will host a public hearing this evening on the E-Group Solar Project and high attendance is expected. The usual three-minute time limit during public comments will be reduced to two minutes to accommodate the anticipated high volume of speakers. 

The developer, E-Group, initially filed applications for a commercial solar field in August of 2023, and has been effectively moving forward with plans ever since. The project would place approximately 160,000 solar panels over 241 acres north of Two Mile Road, west of Noel’s Knoll Road, and east of Canyon Road. 

At this meeting, council will consider E-Group’s request to rezone 60 acres of the southern 236 acres of the property from Rural Living/Low Density Residential Development – 5 Acre Minimum (RL-5) to Single-Family Residential, 1-Acre Minimum (RS-1). Also, they want to amend the General Plan and make changes to the Land Use Map to establish a new “Renewable Energy” land use district over the northern 241 acres of the property which would enable development of a commercial solar field. There will also be a review of an Environmental Impact Report prepared by the city to analyze the project’s potential environmental impacts. 

The meeting will also feature a public hearing on the Elm Avenue Project funded under the Community Development Block Grant – Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) Homekey Set-Aside. The project included the purchase and rehabilitation of four residential units on a single lot to provide permanent housing for homeless veterans. Staff will request council review results and close out the project. The meeting takes place tonight, Monday, March 23, at 6:00 at City Hall. The meeting can be livestreamed or viewed on-demand via the city’s website, 29Palms.org.