Neighbors have appealed an Elmwood Township decision that essentially clears the way for an electrical substation they say will lower property values and should be placed elsewhere.

A COMPUTER IMAGE of the transmission station design shows
the view looking east from Bugai Road. An existing windmill sits
just north of the proposed substation site.
(Image provided by Wolverine Power)

The township zoning ordinance allows "essential services" such as the substation in all zoning districts without requiring a public hearing. Two petitions submitted by nearby property owners — but signed by the same person — may at least allow residents to register their opinions in an open forum prior to a decision.

Wolverine Power Cooperative is working with Consumers Energy, Cherryland Electric Cooperative and Traverse City Light and Power to construct an electrical substation on property it plans to purchase from Elmwood trustee Terry Lautner just east of Bugai Road and north of M-72. Neighbors have complained that Lautner has a conflict of interest because of his position with the township, and because he is a member of the board of directors for Cherryland and a former director with Wolverine.

Lisa Argue, who with her husband, Mason, are developing the adjacent Bahia Vista subdivision, submitted a petition appealing a decision by retiring Elmwood zoning administrator Donald Witkowski officially interpreting the substation as an "essential service." Witkowski's interpretation was based upon an opinion from township attorney Jim Young provided in an email date Aug. 10, 2007, and copied to supervisor Derith Smith.

A second appeal was submitted by Argue on behalf of Josephine Bargiel, whose home neighbors the proposed site, according to clerk Connie Preston.

The request will likely be placed on the ZBA meeting set for Dec. 15.

Regardless of the ZBA ruling, attorney Young has already responded to a request approved at the Nov. 13 Township Board meeting that he again review the substation project.

Young's opinion has not changed, and there is little the township can do to allow more public input, he wrote. A letter provided by Wolverine Power Cooperative to the township states that the substation is needed to "correct electrical reliability concerns in Leelanau and Grand Traverse counties.”

A public hearing is not required by the ordinance.

Still, Mason Argue said, he and other neighbors will press their case. He said he has hired an attorney, but would not divulge the attorney's name.

He's had time to study what the substation, which he said would come within 100 feet of one of Bahai's lots, might mean to his development — and doesn't like its effect.

"We've just lost a sale because of the substation. There is the first indication of the property value (depreciation)," said Argue, who resides in nearby Solon Township.

Of the 28 lots in the Bahai development, 11 have been sold and three contain homes. The development is located adjacent to the TV 7&4 station at the top of Morgan Hill.

Argue is concerned about a failure to inform neighbors of the substation by Wolverine and the township. "It's kind of a good old boy system here," he said.

Argue said he did not author and did not know who sent a letter stating that "concerned neighbors" would hold Terry and Kathy Lautner "personally and financially responsible" for the substation should it be built.

"I really didn't think it was that threatening," Argue said.

The substation is proposed on 9 acres now farmed by the Lautners with frontage on Bugai Road, according to Craig Borr of Wolverine. He said packets were going out to neighbors of the substation this week — which is as fast as possible because plans were being finalized.

He defended the decision not to inform neighbors of the plant sooner. "Our sense was, 'let's get the preliminary design work completed, and then send it out,’” said Borr. "We want to provide a good, visual picture of what this facility will look like."

The packets explain that the transmissions station will "interconnect the existing transmission lines owned and operated" by four utility companies, and will be the "result of years of joint planning."

It continues: "This station will improve the reliability of each transmission system, provide for future electric load growth, and allow the utilities to rely on each other's systems for backup…"

The substation will be 760 feet wide and 200 feet deep when viewed from M-72, Argue added, and occupy most of the nine acres Wolverine plans to purchase. Plans call for vegetative screening of the facility.