When an organization or individual is well connected, media savvy, and wealthy, they shouldn’t be excused from being a considerate citizen. In fact, if they have reached the fortunate position where they are able to think about more than just getting by day-to-day, thoughtful and considerate is the bare minimum.
There is a grassroots campaign in my less than affluent neighborhood to stop the process of bulldozing a natural area along the river to install a solar field.
The people who live in the area don’t want it. The people who live in more affluent areas and will profit from it, of course, do.
I took to the keyboard to craft a letter to editor to One of America’s Great Newspapers. Below is a version of what I shared.
Dear Mr. Troy,
After reading South Toledo solar project gets plan commission’s OK; heads to city council published April 9, I find it curious yet unsurprising that the Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commission unanimously agreed to endorse plans for a 4.5 acre standalone solar array in South Toledo.
When a multi-million dollar behemoth organization like Historic South Initiative advocates for something, they are sure to get it. Especially when the opposition is only comprised of the residents in the community.
Historic South Initiative received $5.8 million in 2024. The annual average income per capita in 43609 is roughly $22,000. If past is prologue in America, the rich always win.
How many of the members of HSI and Elevated Energy Solutions, founded in 2025, live in the 40609 zip code? If they don’t live in the community they purport to serve, have they ever? When did they decide to move away and why? It seems not in their backyard makes solar a great idea again.
Looking at the Broadway Mile community engagement results the Toledo Design Collective published in 2022, the biggest requests of people who live and work here were for more natural spaces, plants, and seating to enjoy it after improving the infrastructure.
Similarly, the 2017 and 2023 Downtown Toledo Master Plan reports address the need and importance of more green space in our city and along our riverfront.
Green space offers more direct, immediate benefits for poor urban communities than a solar field, especially for health, social cohesion, and daily quality of life.
Shade from tree canopies contributes to cooler, healthier neighborhoods in a variety of ways. Perhaps there is an opportunity for RE-TREE Toledo to bolster and expand our urban tree canopy near 627 Lotus Ave.
If increasing solar capacity is a goal, a secondary rooftop solar project may make more sense. Could there be a cooperative opportunity for First Solar to re-invest into the community and work with HSI?
While a positive financial return five years after project completion sounds pretty good, sometimes ROI is more than just dollars. Sometimes ROI looks like increased surrounding property values with river views, wildlife habitat, and maybe even a few more trees.
The City can, and should, do better for its Old South End residents. As the handmade signs along Broadway Street say, make a park.
Sincerely,
Adam Hansen
Lifelong Toledoan
South Toledo resident since 1999
References:
World Resources Institute – Green Space: An Underestimated Tool to Create More Equal Cities
Progress & Poverty Institute – Greenspace and Gentrification: How to ensure that urban parks & gardens benefit everyone
PubMed – Urban Green Space and the Pursuit of Health Equity in Parts of the United States
