Power Of The People Versus The Power of ONCOR
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FRISCO (CBSDFW.COM) – The Frisco city council was supposed to decide on a controversial proposal for an Oncor substation. Homeowners were expecting a final resolution of an issue they've been fighting for months, but were disappointed when the council put off a vote until December.
A substation Oncor wants to build would benefit The Star complex being built for the Cowboys and businesses along what's called the five-billion-dollar mile. The 11-acre site off Legacy Road would be directly across from Allen Elementary School.
Homeowners like Tracy and Kelly Free would see it from their house and don't want to look at it, especially if they won't benefit from it. They already live near a water tower and power lines and like a lot of their neighbors, they say they were told the land was zoned for business development.
"We did look at what the zoning was going to be allowed to be here and that was definitely not part of it the zoning. There's other things here that we did take into consideration, but with all the other growth and construction there's also health risks," says Free.
Oncor has other sites under consideration if homeowners win this battle. "We look forward to continuing our work with city staff, elected officials and local residents to determine the most feasible location for this proposed substation. Such critical infrastructure like this is needed to continue attracting new businesses and residents to the city of Frisco." - Geoff Bailey, Oncor Spokesman
The planning and zoning commission has already rejected the proposal. The Frisco council will vote on December 6th.
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