A group of Anmore residents is fighting an upgrade to BC Hydro transmission lines near their homes to avoid the construction of tall monopoles they say will block views and are a seismic risk.
Marcus Schmieder, who is organizing the petition and who has a Facebook page "Anmore Residents against the BC Hydro Line Upgrades," says 34 residents living near the BC Hydro right-of-way are against a proposal to construct newer, taller poles replacing older but shorter wooden structures, and adding to the the poles that are currently in the neighbourhood.
If BC Hydro wants to upgrade its power lines along 1.5 km of residential neighbourhood, Schmieder said, the company should bury them for safety and aesthetic reasons.
"It would make a really big difference for the property owners and for everybody who goes through Anmore," said Schmieder, who added that he believes BC Hydro chose the Anmore route over one through Coquitlam to avoid a large outcry.
STILL UNDER STUDY
"We know Vancouver needs the power but we know BC Hydro is going to generate a lot of cash from this project," he said, asking: "How difficult is it to dig a trench and bury the lines?"
A Hydro spokesperson said the Anmore route for a new 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line is still under study, with consultation currently underway to minimize impacts on on home owners.
Judy Dobrowolski said the right-of-way has been in existence since the 1960s, with the current monopoles dating back to the 1970s, and while the plan would see the construction of three new monopoles that would be 6 m taller than the current poles, there would be fewer structures altogether.
Burying the cables would be "much more expensive" than erecting towers, she said.
"We have an existing overhead right-of-way to accommodate overhead infrastructure that's been in place since the 1960s," she said. "It's our intention to use it."
MORE POWER NEEDED
The goal of the project is to bring more power from the Meridian substation in Coquitlam to the new Mount Pleasant substation in Vancouver to meet growing demand. Once past Anmore, the cables would go through Burrard Inlet to Burnaby, and once in Burnaby, the power lines would be underground because Hydro doesn't have an overhead right-of-way.
The Anmore route is preferable to a route through Coquitlam because it adds more capacity with fewer construction and seismic concerns, and wouldn't require a second phase, Dobrowolski said.
Still, the project requires BC Utilities Commission approval and while it's not slated to be operational until 2020, Anmore residents say they will continue to oppose it. Schmieder said his group would likely be intervenors in the project and might consider court action.
