Frisco Families Continue Oncor Electrical Substation Fight
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COLLIN COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - 'Not near our school' is the rally cry being heard in Frisco, where families are taking their fight against an electrical substation to city officials tonight.
Even before the Dallas Cowboys moved their headquarters and practice facility to the area, Frisco was one of the fastest growing cities in the country. The new power plant is needed to service The Star, a 91-acre multi-use development, and the surrounding area. So, it's not a matter of if Oncor Electric Delivery will build a substation – but where.
Oncor has their eyes on a location along Legacy Drive, but the location that would be home to a 5-acre substation sits directly across the street from Allen Elementary School and near 100s of homes. One of the reasons the company chose the site is because the easy access to transmission lines would drastically cut construction time.
As it stands, the land along Legacy isn't zoned for a substation, so Oncor is asking the Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission to change that. But not so fast… more than 1,700 people have signed to petition to fight the build and are also asking the power company to choose a different location, away from homes and schools.
On the change.org petition families say they're "greatly concerned about the health and welfare of our families, particularly our children who may be at a greater risk for diseases, particularly childhood leukemia from magnetic fields from overhead lines."
The petitioners also point out that the area where the Oncor substation is being proposed isn't even an area where the energy company provides service. They say it isn't fair that customers actually getting their energy from Oncor will not be subjected to the substation's "dangers, unsightly appearance, and 70' towers that will undeniably cause a drop in our property values."
Last month Oncor asked that the Planning and Zoning Commission delay their vote on the permit to build until tonight. The company wanted to gather information on alternative sites.
Even if planning and zoning officials side with homeowners, Oncor could appeal to the Frisco City Council or even to the Texas Public Utility Commission.
The Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission meeting will be held in council chambers, at 6101 Frisco Square Boulevard and begins at 6:30 p.m.
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