ELLISBURG — A proposed local law to require new electric transmission lines to be buried will have a public hearing at 8 p.m. Oct. 2, the next Town Council meeting.
The council did not vote on the measure at its meeting Thursday night because the proposed zoning law amendment has not yet had a public hearing.
"I hope you realize how serious we are on this proposal," said Daniel L. Rossiter, an Ellisburg farmer and proponent of the proposed law. "The proposal provides outs for the town — it's easily revocable. A transmission line isn't."
A group of farmers from the prime agricultural land in the town presented the zoning law amendment at the August meeting, and the council said it would investigate. The farmers say that if a transmission line is above ground, it will interfere with their farming practices and be an eyesore.
The amendment would require lines above 125 kilovolts to be placed underground, but would allow for variances. The proposal is a response to the proposed 230-kilovolt transmission line from the Galloo Island Wind Farm.
While placing transmission lines underground is up to 10 times as expensive as running them overhead, there are reduced maintenance and repair costs. In the United States, it is becoming more common for 230- and 345-kv lines to be placed underground, especially in large cities.
Supervisor William H. Fulkerson said the Association of Towns would not give the town guidance on the measure.
Councilman Kurt E. Gehrke asked whether the landowners could negotiate more with the Galloo Island developer, Upstate NY Power Corp.
Some landowners said their phone calls have not been returned. Others said they wanted to wait until after the council voted on the proposal before contacting the company.
None of the five landowners proposing the legislation has been contacted by Upstate NY Power since the developer's attorney, Robert W. Burgdorf, visited the town in June, they said. He showed an eighth proposed route, which included the five landowners' properties, and said they would be contacted within 60 days.
The Public Service Commission takes applications to connect to the state's electric grid. The Article VII Process Guide published by the commission said developers are not required to provide copies of the application to individual owners of property in which any portion of the facility is proposed to be located.
"However, in an effort to foster public involvement, an applicant is encouraged to volunteer to provide notice of the filing of its application to individual property owners of land in which any portion of the facility is proposed to be located, for both the primary route proposed and any alternative locations listed," it said.
Some council members said they were concerned what effect approving the amendment would have on negotiations for a tax break agreement with the developer.
"We could lose benefits for the entire township," Councilman Douglas W. Shelmidine said.
The nine easements that already have been filed at the Jefferson County clerk's office contain provisions by which the developer would pay taxes on the poles and lines, while the landowner pays taxes on the land.
The town would be part of any payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement for the developer.
"We've been negotiating community benefits," Mr. Fulkerson said. "It's too early to tell what they're going to be."
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