New Powerline--Action requested, By Med Dyer, Adobe Bluff, copied from Nextdoor Park Village
云淡风青-100407 09/30 59334.0/1
This is my first note using Nextdoor. I think the topic will be of interest to many of you. It concerns a new power line that has been proposed for PQ.
The Environmantal Impact Report (EIR) for the Sycamore-Penasquitos Transmission Line was just released and there are two items that I think are of vital importance to all PQ residents. This transmission line is a bit of a leftover from the Sunrise Powerlink project. It has been talked about for years, however these two items are recent developments.
First the (potentially) good news. The EIR conclusion indicates a “Superior Alternative” that does not run through Penasquitos at all. This option, referred to as “Alternative 5”, uses a routing that follows existing roadways that are south of PQ. There are no overhead sections so no homes or schools end up with the aesthetic or health risks that an overhead 230kv line presents. It is a great alternative.
Now the bad news. The original “Proposed Project” has the new power line running on new towers placed throughout PQ, including across Black Mt where there are currently other towers. This EIR is the first document that shows aviation balls added to the new 230kv lines that will cross Black Mt. These brightly colored balls are highly visible. This is a significant visual impact to our mountain, arguably the most visible landmark in all of north county. The balls will be visible from all of PQ and well beyond. In addition of course there will be a new 230kv line running close to many homes in PQ, as well as close to Hilltop Park and Mt. Carmel High, which brings added health risks as well as greater risk of fires due to downed lines. This “Proposed Project”, which is the default plan for SDG&E, was a bad deal for PQ initially, but is much worse with the addition of the aviation balls. The views of the mountain will be significantly diminished.
There is a limited time to send public comments to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). These comments will most likely be the largest factors in favor of “Alternative 5”. If you feel as I do, that we should avoid the added health risks and visual impacts of the original plan, please use the contact info below to convey your thoughts to the CPUC. I also suggest you communicate your thoughts to City Council member Mark Kersey and to the PQ Town Council.
The link to the EIR is: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Environment/info/...
The contact info for comments is on that page as well. You can e-mail them, send a letter or even send a fax. The deadline is Nov. 2. This is the MOST IMPORTANT THING you can do to impact this decision at this time.
Your message should mention that you do not want the “Proposed Project” and that you instead prefer “Alternative 5”. Avoiding the proximity of additional high-voltage to homes and schools and the diminishment of home values due to aesthetics are the reasons. You might also highlight the added risk of fires from the added overhead lines.
In addition to writing the PUC, District 5 City Council member Kersey is at the address below:
MarkKersey@sandiego.gov
There is a lot more to this topic than I am conveying in this brief note. My goal here is to let PQ residents know that we have an option that keeps this entirely out of PQ while maintaining the natural beauty of Black Mountain.
