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THE DESERT SUN (
Developer sees greener pastures for Duroville
Gone are the ramshackle trailers, raw sewage, the dump.
In their places, new homes powered by the sun and wind, and a
15,000-acre farming co-op.
“Farming would provide a steady income and a lot of the residents at
Duroville would be able to walk to work,” he said.
Dickerson, owner of Palm Desert Masterbuilders Inc., came up with the
idea to rebuild Duroville — a dilapidated trailer park on the
Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation near Thermal — when he found out
about Wesa Torres's plight.
Torres, a single mother of three abandoned boys she adopted, is a member
of the tribe and is living in a trailer near Duroville.
The electricity and water are sporadic. Half of the roof is covered with
bags of sand on top of planks. The interior is “unlivable,” Dickerson
said.
Dickerson now is building Torres a “green” home for free, with ICF foam
blocks — a thick, stackable material used for foundations and walls.
The project got him thinking, and now he has a plan to demolish all the
trailers in nearby Duroville and replace them with 298 energy-efficient
homes.
It's the first detailed rehabilitation plan to emerge for the park —
almost shut down last year for what officials called
But it still faces challenges, such as the $14 million cost.
Dickerson, who attends
“It's a small thing for God,” he says. “We're considering every option
in terms of funding.”
Local businesses already have contributed $100,000, he said, and he's
applying for a $4 million Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant.
Much of the community's utility needs would be met by utilizing solar
panels and wind turbines, he said. Each home will have a roof-mounted
windmill and a solar veranda.
“My goal,” explains Dickerson, “is for there to be no utility costs for
these houses.”
As for the dump: “We're going to regrind compost off of the dump and
spread it,” Dickerson said. “By blending the water from the cesspools
with clean, fresh water, we can use it to re-irrigate the land.”
Enthusiasm for plan
The park, formally named
But because thousands of its residents would have become homeless
overnight, a U.S. District Court judge ruled in May 2009 that Duroville
could remain open — with a court-appointed receiver to manage the park
for two years.
What happens come May 2011?
“It's perfectly clear that it's unclear at this moment what's going to
happen at Duroville,” wrote Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S.
Attorney's Office.
But he called Dickerson's plan a “very significant first step.
“There are a number of things that still need to take place,” Mrozek
said. “But it's a viable plan and looks good. It'll definitely meet our
primary goal which is to improve the health and safety of the living
environment.”
“He has a lot of enthusiasm,” said Tom Flynn, the court-appointed
receiver for Duroville.
“He has been working on it for the last several months and there's a lot
of energy there.”
Dickerson has submitted a formal proposal to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs. According to Robert Eben, interim superintendent for the
Southern California Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the proposal
has been thoroughly reviewed.
The BIA now has to submit a recommendation to Federal Magistrate Judge
David Bristow, who will make the decision on how to proceed.
Other groups are interested in participating, such as the House of
Gratitude Healing Center, based out of
Mark Emerson, founder of the nonprofit, faith-based organization, speaks
highly of Dickerson and the rehabilitation plan.
“Kenny is a powerful professional. I'm familiar with his buildings and
he only produces things that are of the highest quality.”
“He is a man of integrity, compassion, faith and action. I am honored to
be a part of this rebuild project.”
Dickerson has been in the construction business for 20 years. Some of
his notable projects include the JFK Medical Plaza II and high-end homes
in the Hideaway in La Quinta.
Through the planning stages of the project, Emerson will work on
developing a collaborative network of sponsors throughout the
When the project is complete, the House of Gratitude Healing Center will
have offices at Duroville.
The organization educates formerly incarcerated individuals on how to
escape homelessness as they re-enter their communities, as well as
provide alcohol and substance abuse classes.
From the ministry offices at Duroville, House of Gratitude will serve
the entire Coachella Valley and work closely with the Torres-Martinez
tribe to help tribal members in need.
Dickerson also has sought a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of the
“The project is a great idea,” said Habitat Director Fred Bell. “We are
looking at the proposal and will go back to Kenny with questions or
concerns we have. We want to determine the best way for Habitat for
Humanity to be involved.”
“If this dream can come true, these houses — this new community — would
be great for the people,” said Duroville's owner, Harvey Duro.
The idea of rebuilding Duroville appeals to Merejildo Ortiz, president
of the Purepecha Indian Council at Duroville.
“This is the
He does wonder whether Duroville residents will be able to purchase the
homes Dickerson wants to build.
Currently, residents pay about $200 a month for a pad site for their
trailers, and up to $300 a month for electricity during peak times,
Dickerson said.
The goal is for residents to pay no more than $400 a month for
everything, Dickerson said.
Ortiz's nephew, Max Ortiz emphasizes the peace that comes from knowing
one's trailer can be moved to wherever one's work is, but concedes that,
“rebuilding Duroville sounds good.”
He, too, wants to make sure that residents would be able to own their
own homes, citing how important it is to provide for future generations.
“We want to own something we can pass down to our kids.”
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