Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 28, 1994 TAG: 9412010062
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CLOVERDALE LENGTH: Medium
It seemed to happen overnight. One day, earlier this month, there was Read Mountain, just as it always was. And the next, there was Read Mountain, with a string of shiny new steel power poles skirting the bottom.
The old "H-frame" poles were wood, and stood about 60 feet tall, pretty much out of sight below the tree tops.
The new ones are a sleek, modern design, made of steel and averaging 85-feet tall, poking up well above the trees.
"They don't seem to have much regard for aesthetics when they're putting these lines in," said Cindy Huber, who lives on Hunters Trail at the foot of the mountain.
"Here you have a nice mountain you could see from the whole valley," said her husband, Fred Huber. It was one of the last, uncluttered ridges in the Roanoke Valley, he said, and now the poles are visible from Interstate 81.
"Couldn't they have designed them so they could blend in better?" asked Huber.
Appalachian Power Co. says it's the best they could do and still meet national safety standards.
As part of a three-year, $15 million program to beef up electricity distribution throughout the valley, Apco is doubling the voltage of that six-mile stretch of line - from the Cloverdale substation to one near Singer Furniture, said division manager Toby Eaton. That means taller poles and, for many reasons, wood poles aren't practical or safe, he said.
It also meant a wider right of way, from 60 to 100 feet.
Two years ago, the company met with the Cloverdale Community Civic League about the bigger power line, which cuts through three subdivisions and near several others. People were concerned mostly about where Apco wanted to acquire the extra right of way, said league president Randolph Richardson.
They also talked about aesthetics, says Apco engineering manager, Ron Poff. Apco at first considered a lattice type tower, but, after the meetings, decided on the single pole structure with three crossbars, which cost about $1 million more, Poff said.
The poles are coated with a special substance to dull the shine, he said. And the gray color, a natural, neutral tone, best accommodates all four seasons.
"The appearance of these new poles, and from what I can see, doesn't ... make it any more unsightly," Richardson said. "They are nice poles."
He hasn't heard any complaints since the meetings.
But not everyone in the Cloverdale area knew about the meetings.
"It seemed to have happened overnight," said Sally Jack, who lives across the street from the Hubers.
"I was driving up one day," her husband, Rod, said. "And, holy mackerel, look at that. Look what they did. It does, it looks bad."
But, the Jacks said, there's nothing they could have done about it because it's like fighting city hall.
Several homeowners in Highland Manor said they hadn't even noticed the new poles. Or if they had, they weren't bothered.
"If it were in my back yard, that would be one thing," said Debbie Thomas. "It's far enough away from me that I don't notice."
One neighbor, Kim Kimberlin, definitely noticed. Her house was built with a bay window in the kitchen overlooking Read Mountain.
"So now we look out and see power poles," she said. "It sort of takes away from the view, but what are you going to do? They're going to put them up."
Eaton said the local overhaul is not connected to Apco's proposed 765,000-volt line, which has caused an uproar in West Virginia and Virginia and a public relations nightmare for the power company.
"You just don't build projects of this nature without public reaction," Poff said.
But they consider the local reinforcement a public relations success. They had to negotiate with 88 landowners where the line crossed, and only one case is headed for condemnation court - a near perfect outcome. In most right-of-way projects, willing landowners account for about 85 percent, Eaton said
And, he noted, there hasn't been any negative reaction to the project since it began in 1992. Until now. He's anticipating some calls because of the publicity. Whereas much of the project took place along streets and in highly developed areas, this is the only line being upgraded and being switched from wood to steel poles.
"It's one thing when you're in town," Fred Huber said. "But when you're on the side of a mountain. ..."
by CNB