JULY 14, 2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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MOORESVILLE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS THURSDAY mL Y 14, 2005 The Mooresville Board of Zoning Appeals met on Thursday, July 14, 2005 at 6:00 P.M. at the Mooresville Town Hall. Members present were Alan Kramer, Don Barry, and Charles McGuire. Jon Swisher and Mike Young were absent. Tim Currens, Town Attorney, was present. Motion to approve the minutes for June 9, 2005 was made by Don Barry, second by Charles McGuire. Motion carried 3-0. Next order of business was Randy Haymaker, Director of Public Affairs, for Hoosier Energy Rural Electric, requesting the Special Exception for a substation at 497 E. Bunker Hill Road, which was continued from June 9, 2005. Mr. Currens said there was a recommendation from the Plan Commission that the Special Exception would not adversely affect the Master Use Plan. Mr. Haymaker said they are owned by seventeen non-profit rural electric co-operatives which distribute electricity through out south central Indiana. This substation would send electricity to their customers and reduce the voltage for safety reasons. They had purchased the one acre site in the mid 1960's in anticipation of this need. The transmission line, which they own has been there for over forty years, goes diagonally across this property and it is on a tee road which makes it easy to find in inclement weather so their crews can get there quickly to repair lines. Because this land is under the line it can not be used by anything else, because of safety reasons. So having the substation under line would cause the least impact on the neighborhood. It will be built in the center ofthe property with landscaping of trees, but they cannot put large deciduous trees, especially on the windward side, for fear they will fall into the substation and put it out of service. They try to maintain the substation like the joining neighborhood and several are mowed by the joining property owners. The substation is prompted by growth ofthe area. This is the most efficient place for the station and the least costly to the co-op and the neighbors are the co-op. Mr. McGuire asked how long it would take to build the substation and Mr. Haymaker said they have built them in as little as eighteen (18) days. He said the landscaping would probably not been done in eighteen (18) days, but it would be done by fall. Mr. Brian Steincamp, representing Mr. Max Steward, 9452 Romine Road, stated the proposed site is directly across from his home. They acknowledge that Hoosier Energy has owned for thirty nine years. But they do not believe that this spot is the least costly and intrusive place for them to construct the substation. They submitted to the board other farmland that they could use where it would not lower the value of the land as it would the homes the neighbors have built in the area. They suggested that in place of a chain link fence they install a masonry wall equal in height as a chain link fence for aesthetic reasons and minimize the reduction in property value ofthe adjoining property owners. They would like for the razor wire to be placed so it cannot be seen.