The Daily News Journal-Residents hope petitions will zap TVA proposal
The Daily News Journal
Originally published May 12, 2006
Residents hope petitions will zap TVA proposal
By BYRON HENSLEY
hensley@dnj.com
More than 1,200 people opposing plans for a new 500-kilovolt power station and transmission lines in rural Rutherford and Williamson counties delivered petitions to the Murfreesboro TVA office Thursday.
Some 25-30 people were on hand when the petitions were delivered, including Dana Reed of the Patterson community in Rutherford County, a possible substation site.
"We would lose roughly 20 acres and our hay barn," she said. "We raise horses and sell babies, so it will put us out of business."
With population growing in Rutherford and Williamson at an average rate of 4.3 percent per year since 1990, electric power demand has grown by 3.5 percent per year in that time. TVA predicts that by 2010, load growth will be more than its current transmission system will be able to handle.
But residents of the communities where potential sites for the new substation and transmission lines are located don't think they can handle a 40-60 acre substation in their neighborhoods. They fear it would harm communities, the environment and property values.
"This will be a monstrosity going through some totally beautiful country," potential power line neighbor Linda Soderquist said. "It's the last thing we want to look at."
Rockvale area resident Brenda Kiskis-Elliott, who lives two houses away from where a transmission line would go under one proposal, said she hopes TVA will instead upgrade existing facilities to meet the growing demand.
"You can't replace the memories," she said. "You can't replace everything everybody has done with their homes."
Kiskis-Elliott said TVA may have been under the impression that the community was undeveloped in making its proposal.
"It's not undeveloped," she said. "It's developed exactly how we want it."
"That is undoubtedly some of the most beautiful land in Tennessee," said Kelly Schaffer of Christiana, who likes riding horses in the Patterson area.
"We've ridden out there for years," she said. "I would be devastated if I didn't have access to those beautiful, rolling hills"
Horse farmer Suzane Wooten doesn't accept explanations by TVA officials that the Eagleville and Patterson locations are necessary because alternatives could not be completed by 2010.
"That seems like bad planning," Wooten said. "They are asking people who have lived here for 30 years or more to sacrifice their homes and farms for the new people coming in."
Mark Brandt of College Grove said many people moved into areas with TVA easements where it was thought that there were no plans to actually use them.
"After 30 years of it being dead, so many people have built houses," he said. "For them to blaze a trail through the area is an outrage. It's like we're not even there."
TVA will announce its decision on a preferred site and routes for future studies in late spring.
"We are still looking at alternative sites," said Roger Sparry, TVA's manager of siting and environmental design transmission line projects. "Community input is very important for TVA. Public comment like we've heard today will help us make decisions that will have less impact on the community."
Originally published May 12, 2006
Residents hope petitions will zap TVA proposal
By BYRON HENSLEY
hensley@dnj.com
More than 1,200 people opposing plans for a new 500-kilovolt power station and transmission lines in rural Rutherford and Williamson counties delivered petitions to the Murfreesboro TVA office Thursday.
Some 25-30 people were on hand when the petitions were delivered, including Dana Reed of the Patterson community in Rutherford County, a possible substation site.
"We would lose roughly 20 acres and our hay barn," she said. "We raise horses and sell babies, so it will put us out of business."
With population growing in Rutherford and Williamson at an average rate of 4.3 percent per year since 1990, electric power demand has grown by 3.5 percent per year in that time. TVA predicts that by 2010, load growth will be more than its current transmission system will be able to handle.
But residents of the communities where potential sites for the new substation and transmission lines are located don't think they can handle a 40-60 acre substation in their neighborhoods. They fear it would harm communities, the environment and property values.
"This will be a monstrosity going through some totally beautiful country," potential power line neighbor Linda Soderquist said. "It's the last thing we want to look at."
Rockvale area resident Brenda Kiskis-Elliott, who lives two houses away from where a transmission line would go under one proposal, said she hopes TVA will instead upgrade existing facilities to meet the growing demand.
"You can't replace the memories," she said. "You can't replace everything everybody has done with their homes."
Kiskis-Elliott said TVA may have been under the impression that the community was undeveloped in making its proposal.
"It's not undeveloped," she said. "It's developed exactly how we want it."
"That is undoubtedly some of the most beautiful land in Tennessee," said Kelly Schaffer of Christiana, who likes riding horses in the Patterson area.
"We've ridden out there for years," she said. "I would be devastated if I didn't have access to those beautiful, rolling hills"
Horse farmer Suzane Wooten doesn't accept explanations by TVA officials that the Eagleville and Patterson locations are necessary because alternatives could not be completed by 2010.
"That seems like bad planning," Wooten said. "They are asking people who have lived here for 30 years or more to sacrifice their homes and farms for the new people coming in."
Mark Brandt of College Grove said many people moved into areas with TVA easements where it was thought that there were no plans to actually use them.
"After 30 years of it being dead, so many people have built houses," he said. "For them to blaze a trail through the area is an outrage. It's like we're not even there."
TVA will announce its decision on a preferred site and routes for future studies in late spring.
"We are still looking at alternative sites," said Roger Sparry, TVA's manager of siting and environmental design transmission line projects. "Community input is very important for TVA. Public comment like we've heard today will help us make decisions that will have less impact on the community."
posted by BryanY. at 1:33 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home