Palomar Mountain Planning Organization
The PMPO is the watchdog of the mountain. Its job, in the words of Chairman Bruce Graves, is “to preserve the rural atmosphere and quality of life on Palomar Mountain. Although it is not an official organ of the County, like a planning group or sponsor group, it is recognized by the County as Palomar’s official voice. It was established in the late 1970s.
The committee includes 15 members, elected by the community in an annual meeting. This year’s officers are Bruce Graves, chairman; Bob Thicksten, vice chairman; Mike Pique, treasurer; Tracy Dixon, secretary.
PMPO has an annual meeting the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend at the Palomar Mountain Lodge. Letters are sent out to 700 property owners and residents and that’s when the pitch for donations is made. Whatever money is raised is used by the committee to fund its activities, which can include hiring consultants. At the annual meeting the committee is elected.
Besides that meeting, the group meets about four times a year at the fire station. Its concerns are issues that affect the community.
One issue it is concerned with is preventing too much water from being drawn from wells and sold off the mountain. Residents are concerned that the mountain aquifers will be depleted if this is allowed to occur.
The group is responsible for the creation of the County Telecommunications Task Force, which looks at the siting of radio and television towers. Because of the PMPO the County enacted an ordinance confining future towers on the mountain to a “tower farm.”
The committee is also working to rectify an error made by the U.S. Forest Service in 1980. The Service, using inaccurate survey information, moved the boundaries of the U.S. forest about 200 feet, putting the properties of most residents in the Crestline under a cloud.
The PMPO is also working with the County to get an ordinance modified that made non-conforming uses out of the buildings that are in the mountain’s tiny six acre commercial area.
You can write to the PMPO at P.O. Box 145, Palomar Mountain, CA 92060 or call Bruce Graves at 742-3027.
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