Prince William Supervisors Schedule Public Meeting to Discuss Haymarket Power Lines

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Image of high voltage power lines from the Dominion Power website.

Residents will have one last chance to make their voices heard about the high voltage Dominion Power Lines coming to Haymarket.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors scheduled a special meeting for Thursday, June 1, 8 p.m., in the board chambers of the McCourt Building. The public will be able to comment on the proposed Dominion Virginia Power 230kV double circuit transmission line and associated substation in Haymarket.

Gainesville Supervisor Pete Candland said this meeting is not an indication the board will be choosing from the two routes chosen by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. “We’re still committed to under-grounding.”

However, without permission from the board to proceed with the “Railroad Route” Dominion says it will move forward with construction on the “Carver Route.”

During the struggle to “fight the power lines” residents raised concerns about potential negative impact to property values, and the Board of County Supervisors urged the SCC to select the "I-66 Hybrid Route.” That route would underground approximately 3.2 miles of the transmission line that runs near adjacent neighborhoods.

April 6, 2017, the SCC issued an Interim Order, in which the commission rejected the Hybrid Route, saying "the costs and adverse impacts attendant to the I-66 Hybrid Route are neither reasonable nor in the public interest.”

The order leaves two options for consideration. The SCC preferred option is the "Railroad Route," which would require the Board of County Supervisors to allow Dominion to construct an overhead transmission line across property at Somerset Crossing, which is protected by an Open-Space Easement held by the County.

The alternative option stated in the order is the "Carver Road Route," which the SCC concluded would have a greater impact on local residences.

In a letter from Dominion to Prince William County Government, Dominion requests the board provide written response to Dominion as to whether it will authorize construction of the Railroad Route through the property protected by the County's Open-Space Easement.

According to Prince William County, if the board refuses to permit Dominion to construct the Railroad Route, the power company will move forward with the Carver Road Route and construct it with "higher single shaft steel poles," instead of the lower weathering steel H-frame structures that it is willing to use on the Railroad Route only.

According to the order, Virginia Dominion Power has until June 5, 2017 to file "written confirmation that any legal constraints blocking construction of the Railroad Route have been removed or, in the alternative, notice that construction of the Railroad Route is not possible due to the legal inability to procure necessary rights-of-way."

The SCC will rule on the transmission line after it receives a response from Dominion as directed in the Interim Order.

Candland says he has not committed to either route.

“I don’t try to limit myself to two choices,” he said, in a phone interview, Friday. “I don’t believe at this point it is up to decide. The SCC is the one to decide this. [The board’s] not going to agree with either one. We think that both of those options are the improper location for the powerlines.”

Candland remains committed to undergrounding the lines despite the cost. He argues the power lines are not being built to serve the citizens or even existing businesses, but for one data center that the community did not want built in that location. He said that at the very least, the corporation behind the power lines, believed to be Amazon, should pay to bury the lines.

As it stands, the citizens who believe the powerlines will adversely affect their property value, will have to pay for the construction of the lines through their power bills.

Candland said the county would be happy to have the powerlines in the appropriate location, but the corporation behind the powerlines will not budge.

“I think it’s arrogance and a lack of desire to be good corporate citizens to the area. Most areas just roll over and beg these companies to build these data centers,” he said.

Candland said the data center took advantage of outdated zoning laws, but more restrictions have been put in place. The county does offer areas where the building of data centers can be expedited.

In regards to data centers in the appropriate area, he said “we want them here.” He would have hoped the data center would have respected the community’s wishes.

“Our count employees have reached out to numerous times and said ‘let us help you find another location,’ and they said ‘no.’”

First part of the article is based upon a press release received from Prince William County Government. 

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