Oella's Solar Sun Rise

The Solar system is finally up.  Thanks to all those who stopped by or emailed their support for Solar coming into our community.  For those of you who would like to have a Solar Assessment of your roof/property for feasibility of putting up Solar System- feel free to stop by and I can share my experience with you and info on submitting for a State Solar Grant of up to $10k.  Some have suggested that I have some secret agenda and will financially benefit from Solar in Oella.  Silly & Untrue. I don't care who installs your Solar system- go with who ever offers the best package.  Solar panel prices have fallen by some 50% since last year and have bottomed out I believe.


Don't be fooled by Mr. Appler's letter posted on the HOA website regarding Solar in Oella.  It is totally false and misleading with respect to his legal assertions and conclusions that the HOA has the right to totally control where Solar can go on Non-Historic homes. Check the previous post for corrections to his letter.  Another Board member has even commented that there is no legal ruling regarding the HOA's control of Solar in Oella on Non-Historic Homes and that a compromise was reached (to plant the Crape Myrtle trees as a "screen")  to avoid legal expense.


There is a very tiny minority here in Oella who unfortunately are more worried about seeing Solar Panels than their benefits.  You can't please all the people all the time to benefit the majority.  It's antiquated to whine that solar panels are "hideous".   No one is requiring anyone to share the same awarenesses or beliefs about our environment and how best to improve same.


Solar and wind power are here to stay and will proliferate in the coming years with government incentives and mandates.

Mr. Appler's Letter to the HOA membership

Mr. Appler's letter (posted below) addressing the HOA membership letter is full of mischaracterizations and legal inaccuracies.  This letter is a distortion of facts that attempt to explain the actions that both the ARC and HOA board took to stop solar in Oella from "spreading".   What were the legal fees the HOA wasted on this issue??

Mr. Appler's assertion that our attorney did not contest the HOA's response and that we did not make a compelling case is totally false and misleading.  We did not make a case because we choose not to waste more money on legal fees going to court to prove our obvious right to install solar.  It was fiscally prudent to just plant the Crepe Myrtles.

Mr. Appler does not mention in his letter that he and a few others on the board wanted us to spend $848 each for 6 Crepe Myrtles that were 12'-14' tall (versus $99 for 10'-12' trees) to "screen" the solar panels. That's $5,000+!! Come on- how absurd!

The Solar Panels will be high on the roof in full view.  Even if the Crepe Myrtles get to full height- we need to keep them trimmed to avoid shading the solar panels and keep them a safe distance from the overhead power lines.  They will provide screening if you stand directly under or next to them?

The below letter totally misrepresents the legal rights of installing Solar and implies that the HOA has some legal indication that they are correct in their view of the Maryland solar laws -And the HOA/ ARC has the absolute right to dictate where and if a solar system can be placed.
THE FACT IS - THE HOA DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DENY ANY NON-HIOSTORIC HOMEOWNER THE RIGHT TO INSTALL A SOLAR SYSTEM IN THE BEST LOCATION AND INSTALLED COST.  The only definitive understanding of this right comes from either an injunction or hearing in the Baltimore County Courts.
Anyone who desires to install a Solar System should be able to do so without the fear that their HOA will put up road blocks in the name of preserving historic charm.

OELLA SOLAR = YES

The HOA's attorney has advised the HOA to approve our Solar Installation. The letter from the HOA board is posted below.  

To avoid further legal expense for us and the HOA- we agreed to install additional Crepe Myrtle's to satisfy the illogical request by the HOA board that we plant something to provide a "visual buffer" from solar panels that will be high up on our roof and in plain view.  They wanted us to spend $850+ EACH to install 6 Crepe Myrtle's that were 12'-14' tall versus $99 for 10'-12' plants.  That's $5,000+!!!  Ridiculous!
Oella HOA should adopt a Solar policy that encourages Solar systems and not pretend we live in a Museum vacuum- or on a planet where perceived historic views/importance trump the environment or an individuals right to access solar energy.
I will be glad to share info on solar with any Oella HOA member interested in installing a Solar system on their non-historic Oella home.