Tuesday, July 22, 2008; Posted: 5:25 p.m. (CDT)
Piedmont, Okla. -- OG&E plans to build power poles from Woodward to the metro. The lines will transfer wind power being generated in Woodward. The mayor of Piedmont says the lines will cut his town in half. He's worried what the poles will do to property value. KSBI-TV's Kealey McIntire has more.
Coyoteee Springs is one of Piedmont's elite neighborhoods with nice homes and a pretty skyline, but that view could soon change.
"They'll be cutting the city in half," says Piedmont Mayor Mike Fina.
Power poles transferring wind energy from northwest Oklahoma to the metro are set to be built near the development. Fina worries the monopoles will be too visible causing property value and growth to eventually suffer.
"The one thing Piedmont has going for it is our tremendous growth and we want to keep that going. We haven't seen much of a drop-off this year and I'd like to see that continue," says Fina.
Each pole would be 115 feet tall and would be 1,000 feet apart.
Coyoteee Springs resident Billy Gaines doesn't mind power poles in general, but does mind where they're placed.
"It depends on where they are. Obviously I don't want it in my front yard or backyard," says Gaines.
Gil Broyles, an OGE Corporation spokesperson, says, "There is a 'not in my backyard' sentiment that I think all of us can relate to. That's why we try to work very sensitively and make sure we're as fair as we can be that we have the right route identified."
Broyles says they take several factors into consideration when mapping out routes. Going through Piedmont is currently the better route, but Broyles says they are open to alternatives.
Fina says the city is not against wind power, and he hopes a solution can be reached.
"We want to see this power get from northwest Oklahoma to the metro, we just want to be better community partners with OG&E to figure out where that power line should go," says Fina.
Fina has a meeting Wednesday with OG&E officials to discuss his concerns. He would like the poles to be constructed further north.
The poles will span 115 miles from Woodward to the metro. It costs about $1.5 million per mile to construct. Officials say they can't just alter the route because that could add to the cost of the project.
