On Friday night, NBC Palm Springs shared the story of Parkview Mobile Estates in Palm Springs—a senior community that went without power for nine days amid soaring desert temperatures.
Rick Metzger, a resident of the 185-home community, spoke on-air about the challenges residents faced during the outage. Many seniors rely on electricity for critical medical equipment, home offices, or even just basic comfort.
“We’re suffering with no idea of when the electricity will come back,” Metzger said. Despite praising the management company for offering hotel reimbursement of up to $250 per night for up to six nights, he noted the difficulty of finding rooms due to the Coachella Festival. “Every hotel and Airbnb is sold out,” he added.
The community’s underground utilities are reportedly 65 years old and undergoing a two-year overhaul—one that’s not even halfway complete. Metzger acknowledged the complexity of the work but questioned why a larger crew couldn’t be brought in to speed up repairs.
After the segment aired, NBC Palm Springs received a flurry of responses from other residents—some offering praise for management’s handling of the outage. One resident, Vic, criticized the initial report as “one-sided,” citing daily updates from the park manager and a long history of patched-together electrical systems.
But nine days without power remains a harsh reality, regardless of updates. While some residents expressed frustration that their voices weren’t included, NBC Palm Springs attempted to contact NGR Management directly. The result? Two hang-ups, two “no comments,” and even one call redirected to a company claiming to be “Las Vegas Air Conditioning”—all from the same number.
Some residents suggested reporters should have gone door to door to get everyone's opinion—an impractical ask given the scope of the situation.
Power has since been restored at Parkview. But the situation raised bigger questions about aging infrastructure, transparency, and how well management communicates with the people most affected.
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By: Fred Roggin
April 14, 2025
