By Rachel Drinkard
Turnagain Times Correspondent
Chugach Electric is back with a new multi-phase substation expansion proposal after being diverted by disgruntled Old Girdwood residents ten years ago when the availability of natural gas reduced the demand on the current substation.
Chugach Electric’s proposal and request for a conditional use permit was first presented to the Girdwood Board of Supervisors at the September meeting and most recently again at the October meeting. The plan would, in its first stage, allow for much needed replacement of the existing overhead switchgear and add a 14 foot stone fence around the entire six-lot property in the prominent Old Girdwood location.
Chugach hopes to have these immediate improvements completed by 2010 with more expansive improvements finished by 2015-2020. This phase calls for a second transformer and supporting equipment to meet the demands of growth in the valley, as well as a much needed second lead line which would help prevent major black-outs throughout the valley.
Some residents, however, remain skeptical though not denying the fact that obvious improvements are needed at the substation.
Despite efforts to find a pleasing design for the fence and substation, including noise dampening technology and natural stone-work for the 300 by 120 foot site fence, doubts and questions primarily revolve around the problem of location. Residents and property holders in Old Girdwood lament a long list of complaints about the current status of the substation. Concerns include noise pollution, health concerns, and the aesthetic impression it leaves on tourists.
While Chugach representatives cite cost as the primary factor for not relocating the existing substation, they admit that if Girdwood as a whole got together to subsidize the considerable cost of moving the site, they would be willing to try to figure out a plan.
If the substation was moved, selling the valuable land where it is currently located could help off-set some of the costs. The larger question is where the new proposed site for the substation would be located. Tidewater Slew, the wetland area East of Alyeska Highway between the Seward Highway and the railroad, is one such site, but it too holds its challenges. The permitting and foundation work required to build above flood level add both time and expense to a project, which is already short on funds and a long time at hand
The Tidewater Slew location also raises the question of aesthetics. The substation would add a decidedly unattractive component to a location with perhaps even higher visibility than that of the existing one.
Chugach Electric will present their proposal for the conditional use permit at next week’s Land Use Committee meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Girdwood Community Center. If the committee approves the language in the permit request, they will then send a letter of non-objection to the GBOS to follow-up on at the board’s Monday night meeting when they can approve or reject the recommendation of the LUC.
Fortunately for Chugach Electric, several months remain to get it right and garner a workable solution to present to the Municipal Planning and Zoning Commission.