Arnold, CA…As a homeowner in Arnold, I’m deeply concerned about the placement of Meadowmont Shopping Center’s new electric vehicle charging station behind the complex, in the woods, adjacent to residences.

To be clear, I fully support bringing electric vehicle charging station infrastructure to Calaveras county, and I recognize that the state is accelerating progress with financial incentives and the county is following along with streamlined permitting requirements.

But, it’s the job of the local government to address and support the concerns of the community, and we’ve been given no opportunity to comment on the issues posed by fast-tracking permit approval of the building owners’ choice to locate the project behind the store as opposed to the property’s safe, expansive, highway-adjacent main parking lot.

This location introduces numerous safety and quality-of-life issues, from the extreme fire risk posed by EVs to the light pollution, noise pollution, and the safety issues (for both visitors and residents) introduced by allowing 24-hour access to an obscured location without regard to security features or noise and light mitigation.

I’ve reached out twice to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors seeking transparency in this process and a path to productive dialogue, and I’m still waiting for a response.

As misinformation spreads and miscommunication clouds this issue, county residents deserve better communication and more support from their elected officials.

Sarah Jones

Contributing editor, Mix
Contributor, Popular Science
Architecture, Engineering and Construction section editor, Autodesk Redshift