News

Hoopers Creek homeowners blast power line

James Bruggeman makes a point during a meeting of the Fletcher Town Council on Monday, Aug. 24.

By Bill Moss, Published: August 25, 2015

FLETCHER — An overflow crowd of residents stood and applauded raucously after the Fletcher Town Council adopted a resolution Monday night that opposed a 45-mile high-power transmission line in the community, describing it as a threat to property values, mountain views, farms, camps and wildlife.

Fletcher joined the Polk County Board of Commissioners and the towns of Saluda, Laurel Park and Mills River in adopting a resolution that expresses the community’s strong opposition to the power line, which would be strung on 140-foot towers 1,000 feet apart from Campobello, S.C., to Arden. Duke has identified about 40 segments of various routes, drawing broad and intense opposition from landowners on or near the corridors. Fletcher residents strongly oppose the segment, labeled 17B, that runs through Hoopers Creek as it connects Fruitland and the Lake Julian power plant.
“I think the last time I spoke to this big a crowd was when we were raising taxes in Fletcher,” Mayor Bill Moore said. “We’re on your side.”
Barbara King said health concerns, weedkiller and property depreciation were all threats.
“I live close enough that that herbicide is going to affect my property,” she said. “As the people get their valuations reduced, taxes will decrease, which ultimately everyone will have to make up.”
Craig Harris, president of the 400-member Livingston Farms Homeowners Association, thanked the board for drafting the resolution and giving residents a forum.
“We moved here 10 years ago and we could never see moving anywhere else,” he said, adding that he grew up in a big city in California with industry and power lines. “We moved here for the beauty of what Fletcher is. To allow something like this transmission line to come through here and destroy a way of life would be a tragedy.”
Several speakers said Duke should bury the 230-kilovolt line underground.

Although Duke says the cost is too great, anti-power line activists have said newer technology has made underground lines less expensive.
“If it costs more, frankly, so be it,” said Donnie Parks, the former Hendersonville police chief, who was speaking for the Cove at Livingston Farms. “We all know Duke is going to pass along the cost to us anyway.”
Council member Bob Davy said after the meeting that he hopes Duke will more fully explore the underground option. One speaker, Alan O’Donnell, said the utility could run the line underground for less than it has been forecasting.
“I’d like to know about that underground option,” Davy said. “I’ve got a feeling it was somewhere between what Duke is saying — that it’s cost prohibitive — and what that guy was saying tonight — that it would not cost much more at all.”
Davy told the audience that he was disappointed that the state Legislature would allow a utility to run a transmission line and only compensate landowners in the 150-foot right of way.
“In my mind that right of way should go way farther than 75 feet” from the center line, he said.
“I’m majorly disappointed in the (Henderson County) commissioners,” council member Shelia Franklin said. “I think they should take a stand before the 31st.”
The Board of Commissioners heard from residents on Aug. 3 but took no action.
The resolution said that the power line would:

• Run through an area that the council had recently rezoned to a lower density in a 20-year land-use plan that preserves its “rural nature.”
• Affect camps, farming and steep mountain views.
• Negatively affect wildlife including bats and bears in caves, red tail hawks and migratory birds.

The resolution urged Duke Energy to consider other routes or other options “that may not require upgraded transmission lines."