APS responds to public’s concern about project

MARC BUCKHOUT ~ MANAGING EDITOR~ 1/18/2012

APS announced a couple of changes to a project that will impact Desert Hills residents at the Jan. 10 New River/Desert Hills Community Association meeting.
For the approximately 70 people in attendance it’s a start, but far from what they’d ultimately like to see regarding a project that is supposed to improve the consistency of electrical service to the area.
Just five days removed from a meeting outside of a Desert Hills home, attended by approximately 20 members of the community, and following numerous calls by customers in the area Kendra Cea, APS’s Community Franchise & Outreach Consultant, announced that the project, some six miles of line that had been scheduled to be completed in June, now won’t start until the fourth quarter of 2012 at the earliest.
The cause for the delay was an overwhelmingly negative reaction from members of the community on a new 69,000 volt line that would have seen poles on both the east and west side of the street.
The existing lines on the east side of the street in the community are 12,000 volt lines that power local homes. The new lines, which will stand 64 feet above ground, which is 10 to 15 feet taller than the current poles, will help send power between substations at Gavilan Peak and a newer Gateway substation.
Due to the growth in the area Cea said there is an overload demand. If Gavilan Peak’s substation were to fail there isn’t a backup to power the area as things stand.
APS is going back to the drawing board with the intention of keeping all power lines on the east side of the street with the goal of using as few poles as possible to complete the project.
Many members in the audience questioned Cea about why their properties had been staked and said that was the first time they had become aware of the project.
Cea said that none of the current spots necessarily will be where the poles end up.
Acknowledging that APS didn’t do a good job of informing the neighborhood about the project, she vowed that they will be kept abreast of the project moving forward.
While APS was conciliatory in some regards, including agreeing to go with rust colored poles as opposed to a gray galvanized color that they typically use, the crowd was left frustrated by other points.
Time and again the crowd asked about having the power lines buried, citing the health risks of living next to 69,000 volt lines, the visual eyesore taking away from their scenic desert landscape and what they feel is a subsequent drain on their property values. Several indicated they would sell their homes rather than live underneath the powerlines.
Cea explained that the cost of burying lines is approximately five to six times more expensive as above ground wires and estimating that the above ground project will cost $4.1 million.
While APS will bury lines, it falls to the subscribers or some other entity to foot the additional cost.
Members of the crowd asked to be given a figure as to what the actual cost would be to bury the approximately six mileline.
Past NRDHCA president Shareen Goodroad suggested that residents should consider going to Maricopa Board of Supervisors Chairman Andy Kunasek, who represents District 3, to get him involved with their concerns.
The other question posed was why APS couldn’t use an alternative route besides using Desert Hills from 7th Ave. to 12th St and then Desert Hills to Carefree Highway.
Cea said the current plan was one that was designed, with public input, 10 years ago.
That didn’t sit well with the audience, as multiple people pointed out that few of the current homes that would be affected were around back then.
Several members of the audience suggested that putting the power lines along already widened 7th St. would make a lot more sense than to build on their residential streets. They also suggested simply going along Carefree Highway as another alternative.
Cea said that at this time, while APS will take subscribers concerns into account, they plan to build along their current path.
“I’d love to look at other lines, but the fact is we have right of way, easements and permits taken care of for our current route,” Les Rainey, APS Transmission Construction Manager said. “We really can’t win in this business. Nobody wants them in their neighborhood. We have two other pending projects and if those can get done smoothly it would buy us more time to look at alternatives for this project.”
By the end of the meeting APS had accepted NRDHCA president Alan Muller’s invite to return for the next NRDHCA meeting, set for 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14 at the Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church, located at 42425 N. New River Road.
To view the map of the power line route go aps.com/files/siting/NCroutemap.pdf
For information on the New River Desert Hills Community Association go to nrdhca.org.