Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0814.000 2002-2004LAW OFFICES OF JEANNE L. O'BRIEN 75-1000 Henry Street Suite 205 Kailua Kona, HI 96740 Tel(808)331-1208 Fax (808) 331-1248 ilolaw4verizon.net September 24, 2004 Public Utilities Commission 465 South King Street #103 Honolulu, HI 96813 RE: PUBLIC TESTIMONY for Public Hearing of HELCO'S application to construct overhead power lines through the Kailua Village Design District Docket #: 04-0186 Public Utilities Commission Hearing Date: October 19, 2004 4PM Kealakehe Intermediate School Cafeteria 74-5062 Onipa'a Street, Kailua-Kona Dear Members of the State of Hawaii Public Utilities Commission: I recently heard about the County of Hawaii's plan to widen and upgrade the Kuakini Highway between Palani Road and Hualalai Road in Kailua- Kona. This area has been a bottleneck due to the traffic, the lights just about every block, and because it a main road to Kailua Village parking areas and businesses. Kailua Village as you know is the main business and tourist center of West Hawaii. This week a notice was published in West Hawaii Today concerning HELCO's plans to upgrade their power lines as part of the road improvements. The plans, however, call for taller above ground poles and overhead wires. I wish to voice my strong opposition to HELCO's request and urge you and the County to require HELCO, VERIZON, and OCEANIC TIME WARNER CABLE to put its wires underground as part of the construction project. I know they will say it costs too much to do that, but if the County is tearing up the road already, the County can provide them with a trench which would be lined with sand at County expense, and then they each could run conduit [instead of power poles] and run their lines through them, and put access boxes every 150 feet where the power poles are now. The County could even put in an extra one for future utilities like fiber optic cable, for instance, and so we don't have to tear up the road later on. Then the County can cover them up with sand and do the resurfacing that it was going to do anyway. The cost to the County would be minimal since the manpower and machinery are already set to go, and the cost of the sand should not be that expensive. It's do -able and needs to be done right the first time so that we are not burdened in the future with tearing up the road over and over again, as has been the way its done in the past. The reasons I believe the utilities need to be underground are clear and overriding. Just look what the hurricanes did to the people of Florida over this past month. Millions of people were without power because of the downed power lines. The cost estimates of Comm. Na. 91(4 Ref. To: Ref. Date nCT 1 920 4 r� r_ �7 RE: PUBLIC TESTIMONY for Public Hearing of HELCO'S application to construct overhead power lines through the Kailua Village Design District Docket #: 04-0186 Public Utilities Commission Hearing Date: October 19, 2004 4PM Kealakehe Intermediate School Cafeteria 74-5062 Onipa'a Street, Kailua-Kona Dear Members of the State of Hawaii Public Utilities Commission: I recently heard about the County of Hawaii's plan to widen and upgrade the Kuakini Highway between Palani Road and Hualalai Road in Kailua- Kona. This area has been a bottleneck due to the traffic, the lights just about every block, and because it a main road to Kailua Village parking areas and businesses. Kailua Village as you know is the main business and tourist center of West Hawaii. This week a notice was published in West Hawaii Today concerning HELCO's plans to upgrade their power lines as part of the road improvements. The plans, however, call for taller above ground poles and overhead wires. I wish to voice my strong opposition to HELCO's request and urge you and the County to require HELCO, VERIZON, and OCEANIC TIME WARNER CABLE to put its wires underground as part of the construction project. I know they will say it costs too much to do that, but if the County is tearing up the road already, the County can provide them with a trench which would be lined with sand at County expense, and then they each could run conduit [instead of power poles] and run their lines through them, and put access boxes every 150 feet where the power poles are now. The County could even put in an extra one for future utilities like fiber optic cable, for instance, and so we don't have to tear up the road later on. Then the County can cover them up with sand and do the resurfacing that it was going to do anyway. The cost to the County would be minimal since the manpower and machinery are already set to go, and the cost of the sand should not be that expensive. It's do -able and needs to be done right the first time so that we are not burdened in the future with tearing up the road over and over again, as has been the way its done in the past. The reasons I believe the utilities need to be underground are clear and overriding. Just look what the hurricanes did to the people of Florida over this past month. Millions of people were without power because of the downed power lines. The cost estimates of Comm. Na. 91(4 Ref. To: Ref. Date nCT 1 920 4 the damage it caused are in the millions. So it is not right to only compare the cost of the installation of putting in underground utilities as opposed to above ground. The entire cost to the community and to HELCO and the other utilities must in added up in terms of lost money and productivity if the electricity or phones are down and businesses need to close, the potential safety [indeed lives] of the people who rely on electricity for lifelines and the roads not having downed power poles across them when we are on the way to the hospital or a fire or rescue truck need to pass, the cost to repair downed power poles every time the wind blows, the inconvenience to everyone when the power is down, and the eventual loss of money from tourism when people stop coming here because it is too urbanized and ugly. The planners saw fit to require underground utilities of the developers at Lanihau and on Henry Street, which connects with the area to be improved. The new road should likewise be improved in the same way. Otherwise how can we justify making the developers put in underground utilities when we are not requiring our own government projects to have them right next door? Another significant reason to require the utilities be underground in this area is because of the fact that it is in the Kailua Village Design District. This area was designated to be preserved in terms of its historic and cultural importance. This area is a main route for all of the tourists to Kona and it should be as esthetically pleasing as it can be. It seems that to allow ugly above ground utilities through this important area, would be just another example of how Hilo [or Honolulu] doesn't care what Kona turns into in terms of uglification. It would be counterproductive to allow one of our main tourist destinations to be visually cluttered with power lines. And how can we require the local businesses to adhere to the aesthetic rules of signage, for example, in this special design district, while allowing HELCO to put un-aesthetic power lines in front? I have enclosed some photos of what it looks like now and what it would look like with the lines gone. I trust you will agree that it makes a tremendous difference in the beauty and quality of the experience to have the lines underground. So, please exercise your judgment to do it right the first time and work with the utilities to get those lines underground where they belong. Please require the utilities to amend their application so that the lines are installed underground for this project and please do not approve the application as it is. The people are counting on you to do what is in their best interest. Thank you. Very truly yours, Jeanne L. O'Brien CC: Mayor Harry Kim, the County Counsel, the Hawaii County Planning Director, the Hawaii County Planning Commission, Kona Outdoor Circle, Rep. Cindy Evans, Gov. Linda Lingle, West Hawaii Today, HELCO, VERIZON, and OCEANIC TIME WARNER CABLE: 2 screening. , HI 96720. Fax: wn ca Is luaiten at 4444 Rue 61 me, Ka1191. I' Send or fax resume to: ,-,-7681 or call: 969- 1. .II PLANNING COMMISSION rn Carter Professional 9507 for further infor- Theodore Daligdig III, Chairperson Center E-21, 65-1230 mation. You may also By [an K. Costa, Planning Director Mamalahoa Hwy, apply in person at: Nate: Special accommodations for persons with disabilities are available n lob Kamuela, Hawaii 96743 74-5487 Kaiwi St., upon request five (5) days prior to the meeting date, to the Co. Planning or 887-8805 Kailua-Kona. Dept., 4444 Rim St., Lihue, HI 96766. TeL: 241-6677. trial r Hawa'i'i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer (Ne. 5032-Wast Hawaii Today: September 20, 2004) y11511. NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING �) IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF HAWAII ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY, INC. n a„ FOR APPROVAL TO CONSTRUCT AN OVERHEAD 69KV TRANSMISSION LINE PURSUANT TO HRS SECTION 269-27.5 nips: FOR ITEM H00000704, KUAKINI HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT DOCKET NO. 04-0188 ell al 0yr. The PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION of the STATE OF HAWAII ("Commission"), pursuant to section 269-27.5, Hawaii oye Revised Statutes ("HRS"), HEREBY GIVES NOTICE, that it will hold a public hearing on October 19,21104, at 9:00 p.m., at the Kealakehe Intermediate School Cafeteria, 74-5062 Ordpa'a Street, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, relating W the application of HAWAII ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY, INC. ("HELCO"), filed on Judy 28, 2004, for Commission approval of the proposed overhead unnstruction of a 69 kilovolt C kV'9 transmission line ("Proposed Project"), pursuant to section 269-27.6(x), HRS, The Proposed Project involves the proposed overhead and underground reeamstreation of: (1) an approximately one-half mile section of HELCO's 9500 69 kV transmission line; (2) the Kailua 11. 12 kV distribution line; and (3) secondary line in conjunction with the county of Hawan's ("County") roadway improvement pngect along Kuakud Highway. The County will be improving Kuakmi Highway, from Palani Road to Hualalai Road, in Kailas, Kona. The Kuakini Highway improvement requires HELCO W reconstruct a segment of 69 kV overhead transmission line, along a similar alignment, on (� eighteen (18) 80-toot tall steel transmission poles (seventy-nine (79) feet above ground). With input from a County representative '— and a member of the Outdoor Circle, HELCO will point the poles to minimize the visual impact to the area. The 12 kV overhead line work involves the: (1) installation of two (2) 60-foot tall steel distribution poles (fifty-nine (59) feet above grumtd); (2) the changeover of approximately five hundred (500) feet of conductors; and (3) the installation of approximately two thousand (2,000) circuit feet of new conductors unto all of the steel poles, including the transmission and distribution poles. The secondary overhead work involves the installation of.. ( I l four (4) three-phase pole-mounted transformer banks; (2) four (4) single-phase pole-mounted transformers; and (8) approximately two thousand five hundred (2,500) circuit feet of pre-assembled secondary aerial cable, which will be installed on all of the steel poles, including the transmission and distribution poles. The 12 kV secondary underground work will consist of the: CU installation of approximately two (2) manholes, fourteen (14) _ handholes; and (3) one thousand one hundred (1,100) feet of primary and four hundred fifty (4.50) feet oCsecondary duct fine. The County will build and turn over to HELCO the duct lines, manholes and handholes for the underground electrical facilities. HELCO will design and install the. overhead and underground electrical equipment and poles. The location of the new steel poles and associated overhead lines will be on the mauka side of Kuakini Highway, within the County's right-of-way. Currently, there is a wood pole line on each aide of the highway which include the 69 kV, 3.2 kV and secondary lines and telephone and cable teluviae n lines. All of the lines line proposed to he combined onto steel poles mi the mauka ,ideal Kuakini highway. From an existing pule bunted approximately 150 feet west of Palani Rend, the, overhead lines will run in an easterly direction and reconnect with an existing pole, located approximately 150 feet east of Flualalai Road. Once ell of the above-described work has bean installed and/or changed over and engergized, HELCO will remove its existing facilities. All interested persons are urged to attend the public hearing to state their views orally, in writing, or both, Written statements may he submitted prior to or at the public hearing. Statements may be mailed or delivered to the Puhhc Utilities Commission, 466 South King Street, #103, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813. Statements may also be sent by electronic mail to the Commission's e-mail address at HaybiL.EILCQhaWlllj agy. All written statements should reference Docket Nu. 04-0186 and must include the following achromatic¢ (1) name rf person submitting the written statement; (2) organization icprescoting (if any); and (3) address of the person submitting the written statement. Copies- of the application and supporting exhibits are available for public inspection during regular business hours at the l4dowing locations: 1. PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION 465 South King Street Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Phone: (808) 586-2020 2. PUBLIC U'fLL1'P1ES COMMISSION Hawaii District Office 688 Kimole Street, #106-A Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Phone: (80B) 974-4533 3. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE & CONSUMER AFFAIRS DIVISION OF CONSUMER ADVOCACY 335 Merchant Street Room 326 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Phone: (808) 586-2800 4. HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC. REGULATORY AFFAIRS DIVISION Central Pacific Plaza, Suite 1300 220 South King Street Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Phone:(808)543-4787 5. HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC LIGIRT COMPANY, INC. 1260 Kilauea Avenue Hilo, Hawaii 96720 lines, (808)e35-1171 Special arrangements to accommodate persmw with disabilities can be male, if requested rearenahly in advance by contacting the Commission in Hanehnhn at (808) 6862020. ( Hawaii refeidente may call tollGec at. 974-4000, extension 6-2020#,) C1arbw P. Caliboso (barman No 5(121 -Wast Hawoii'Cnday: Soptcmbor 20, Ocraucr 4, I1 and la, 2009f KALANI ST KALANI sT ,r 3 djt, 106t), �. .. �! ..�- .I. -��. . •' • ... . ,.ate to '• ,�Y .x• -_ , . a• •i6 A` {Wire lutl{