Sinking Spring says 69,000-volt line will clash with development plans

Please see my new blog, "News about Southwestern Berks County."

By Steve Reinbrecht

Here is a small town with big plans to fix up its business district versus a utility giant that wants to hang a new 69,000-volt line through it – which could snarl plans to improve some of the worst traffic in Berks County.

PP&L Electrical Utilities plans to build a new electrical line through the borough. Sinking Spring-area residents are invited to a council meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday night. I couldn't find an agenda on the borough website, but I expect the topic to come up.

Sinking Spring officials say the line would disrupt plans to redevelop the downtown, plans in the works for a long time and already at considerable taxpayer investment.

The line’s 100-foot right-of-way will go through downtown and affect revitalization and hundreds of residents, eliminating a wide path of development, Borough Manager Michael Hart said at a meeting in June, according to the Reading Eagle.

Poles that carry 69 kilovolts are typically wooden and 50 to 70 feet tall. The cleared right-of-way is typically 70-100 feet wide, according to Minnesota Electric Transmission Planning.

The line would cross Penn Avenue between Autozone and Paparone’s pizza shop, according to a map from PP&L.

In all, the transmission line will stretch about two miles from an existing line in Spring Township to an existing line near the Berkshire Mall substation in Wyomissing, according to company spokesman Joe Nixon.

Building such alternate lines lets the company reduce the number and duration of outages, he wrote in response to my questions.

The company has been in regular contact with the borough throughout the project, he wrote.

“We will continue to work with them to the extent practical, but it is too early to speculate on potential solutions.”

On Reedy Road near Whitfield Road, north of Sinking Spring.

The company thoroughly evaluated other routes for the line and concluded this route has the least impact on the “natural and human environment” and lowest financial impact on ratepayers, according to Nixon.

Company officials plan to continue to discuss the project with representatives from the borough, Nixon wrote.

Of course puny mortals need to step aside when giant infrastructure has to go through their property. But through a whole town’s detailed plans for development?

I hope the utility officials continue to be open about how they are meeting their needs while keeping the project progressing.

A public meeting is a good place to start.

Also, you can send comments to Doug Grossman, a PP&L supervisor, at DJGrossman@pplweb.com.

And state Rep. Jim Cox has supported the project and should hear about this.

You can call his local office at 610-670-0139.