Some area residents are protesting a proposal by Duke Energy Florida to expand an electrical substation at Smith Road and Satin Leaf Lane in Wesley Chapel.
Opponents claim the project will devalue their properties and create unsightly views.
The request for a special exception permit for the New River Substation expansion has been put on hold.
The Pasco County Planning Commission granted a continuance at Duke Energy’s request during an Aug. 9 public hearing in Dade City. The rescheduled hearing will be Sept. 6 at 1 p.m., in the Pasco County Commission’s chambers in Dade City.
The delay will give Duke Energy and area residents time to discuss conditions of the expansion.
While opposing the substation expansion, area residents said at the very least the power company should consider moving the substation from the southeast corner to the north side of the site. They say that would minimize impacts to property values, and lessen potential noise and visual pollution.
Resident Lee Schmidt spoke against the proposed expansion. “It will most definitely affect my property values,” Schmidt said.
Residents also said Duke Energy didn’t do enough to fully explain their plans, either in the letters that were mailed to residents or a July meeting with eight residents.
The energy company sent letters to 19 residents living closest to the project site to invite them to a meeting, according to a Duke Energy memorandum.
Resident Joshua Kling said Duke’s outreach “was really more reminiscent of a marketing campaign.”
Most of the proposed expansion would happen on the existing site, according to Duke Energy. But, additional acreage would be added to expand the parcel to about 10 acres.
The expansion is part of upgrades to the grid system necessitated by the merger several years ago between Duke Energy and Progress Energy. Duke Energy representatives said the company has a deadline of December 2021.
The nearest residences to the New River substation are within the Meadow Pointe and Ashley Homes communities. Residents receive their power from Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative, not Duke Energy.
Access to the substation is off Satin Leaf, which is a private road. Additional access will be off Smith Road, a county-maintained roadway.
The expansion wouldn’t provide additional power, but would increase the capacity and reliability of Duke’s electrical grid, said attorney Manuel Vilaret, who represented Duke Energy.
Buffering of the site would include a fence, a berm and trees.
Sara Guntrum, Duke’s lead substation permitting specialist, said additional landscaping would provide “less (negative) visual impact than there is today.”
But, David Goldstein, Pasco’s chief assistant county attorney, said there were too few details on the buffering.
“It’s not clear to me,” he said. “You need to fix this condition.”
Goldstein said more details are needed on the heights of the berm and the trees, and the spacing distance between trees.
Planning Commissioner Michael Cox wondered if Duke had scouted other sites for a substation.
Guntrum said the nearly 30-day delay would give the company time to address concerns, and provide additional details on the project.
By Kathy Steele
Published August 29, 2018
