A growing uproar of complaints is continuing to be heard from residents near Active Towing's storage site on Nopal Lane at National Trails Highway.

    Going against Newberry's activists opposition, Supervisor Robert Lovingood in June 2014, supported a rezoning and a Conditional Use Permit to allow five parcels to be utilized for industrial Big Rig towing and storage.

    The other four supervisors followed Lovingood's lead on the vote.  There is a customary practice on such matters.  The other supervisors will follow the wishes of the local supervisor when an agenda item solely impacts a single supervisorial district.  There is a courtesy practice of  'I will vote with you on matters of your district and you vote with me on matters of mine.'  So, Lovingood held the swing vote.

    As predicted by the Newberry opposition, the Big Rig tow and storage operation was later expanded with a second CUP being issued.  The industrial operation has been growing and becoming more visually unsightly and smelly ever since.  Leaking fluids from the wrecked commercial vehicles and equipment have been contaminating the soil.

    Shortly after the rezoning approval in 2014, Supervisor Lovingood was questioned as to why he voted for the approval of the application.  He replied that he felt that owners of properties should be able to do whatever they want with their land.  And that, if a neighbor didn't wish a nearby property to be rezoned, the neighbor could purchase the property.

    This sad stupidity and arrogance by Lovingood is sheer contempt of his constituents.  Many people invest in land for their retirement.  They struggle just to pay the taxes and they trust that existing zoning will protect their investment.  When Lovingood with his mining and Big Business mentality arbitrarily switches the zoning to benefit special business interests that trashes and devalues a neighborhood, then the residents, the small investors, and the community suffers.

    Most people don't have the money to purchase neighboring parcels that an outside developer may want to have inappropriately rezoned for a trashy industrial business.  Lovingood's out-of-touch mentality that the peasants can simply buy-out the out-of-town developers is akin to the thinking of "Let them eat cake."

    Many of the problems that exist today at National Trails and Nopal Lane of a Big Rig towing and storage operation was warned to Lovingood three years ago before his vote but he wouldn't listen.  Today, he still doesn't seem to care and the National Trails Highway Scenic Route is now less scenic.

National Trails Scenic Route looking towards Active Towing's storage yard.

    Lovingood recently became a traitor to Newberry by voting for the removal of Policy 4.10 from the Renewable Energy & Conservation Element (REC Element).  The REC Element will now likely be implemented into the General Plan next year without the policy.

    Policy 4.10 was the barrier that would have prohibited utility-oriented solar projects from adversely affecting unincorporated areas.

    The removal of the policy will allow Lovingood's Big Business mega-sized corporations to fast-track massive solar projects into Newberry Springs.  All of the vast federal land that is being made available to solar developers isn't enough, they are insisting upon the county controlled land also.

   Those who love their High Desert rural communities and the desert are now losing them with Lovingood as their Supervisor.