CapX 2020 transmission is in the news again:
Power substation won’t eat up 20 acres of Holmen TIF district
By ADAM BISSEN Special to the Tribune | Posted: Saturday, May 22, 2010 12:00 am
HOLMEN – Holmen won’t lose 20 acres in the middle of its tax increment finance district to a power substation.
Xcel Energy officials have decided against using the site as part of its CapX2020 power line project, Village President Nancy Proctor told the village board.
The village is working on editing the master plan for the 7 Bridges Tax Increment District, 941 acres on the village’s north side surrounding Hwys. 53 and 35.
The board has assigned the village’s Economic Development Committee to shepherd development of the district. One of the committee’s first steps will be fine-tuning a $17,000 Schreiber/Anderson Associates market study village trustees consider unsatisfactory because of map errors and other issues.
The village plans to spend more than $20 million to bring sewers, roads and other infrastructure to the TIF district. Taxing jurisdictions, including the village, school district and county, will continue to collect taxes on the base value of the property in the TIF district. But as development occurs, taxes on the increased value of the property will be used to repay infrastructure costs.
Schreiber/Anderson’s master plan suggests native grasses be maintained and roads follow natural swales in the district, but private landowners are not obligated to follow those suggestions.
“We can’t dictate that that’s the way it would have to be, but it would look nice,” Proctor said.
From Pine Island, here’s their update:
CapX 2020 Scoping Process Update – May 17, 2010
And from the Zumbrota News Record:
May 20 deadline for submitting suggestions on CapX2020 project
CANNON FALLS – The Minnesota Office of Energy Security (MOES) is holding meetings to get public comment about the proposed CapX 2020 high voltage transmission line that may come down Highway 52 from a proposed new substation in Hampton to a proposed new substation in the Pine Island area before heading to Alma, Wisconsin.
The City of Zumbrota has asked that the power line be diverted to the west, off of Highway 52 from County Road 7 past Zumbrota, before it returns to the highway so that it does not intefere with future city development.
On May 5 there was a meeting in Pine Island. One woman asked if wind companies could hook onto the transmission line and she was told that they could. More information about the meeting can be found in the Pine Island EDA update in this edition of the paper.
On May 6 a meeting was held in Cannon Falls where there was discussion about diverting the line away from the Highway 52/19 interchange. That is because MnDot requests that power lines go around and not through interchanges.
To divert the line around the interchange would mean that it would come very close to businesses like Sandstrom Auto and Truck Repair, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School, and a number of residences. Those who would be affected by the change voiced their concerns and asked if an alternative route could be considered.
Matt Langan, permit manager with MOES said that MnDot sometimes grants hardship routing variances if the hardship can be proven. The result would be a change of the proposed route. He told those with concerns to write detailed comments about why they want the line diverted away from their property and to submit detailed alternative routes.
Comments and suggestions from all citizens who are affected by the Hampton to Alma portion of the CapX 2020 project will be accepted until May 20.
Detailed maps of the proposed preferred route and an alternative proposed route are available at capx2020.com and at energy facilities.puc.state.mn.us [click “Search Documents” and search for docket 09-1448 (admin comment)].
Comments can be submitted to matthew.langan@state.mn.us. or at 85 7th Place East, Suite 500, St. Paul, MN, 551010-2198.
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