Pike says no Route A

WESTFALL — Before you ever got in the door at PPL’s Monday power line information session, you knew where the local feeling was ... put it anywhere other than northern Pike, anywhere other than what was called Route A. Route A is one of three proposed routes for the proposed Susquehanna-Roseland power transmission line, which within the next 10 years, is expected to carry 500Kv of power from the Berwick nuclear plant east to New Jersey. Demonstrating strength in uniformity, opponents were garbed in T-shirts, adorned with “protect Shohola” on the front, and the international stop symbol over the Route A text on the back. Route A is the northernmost possible route, of two in Pike County, cutting a swath east from Hawley, through Lackawaxen, Shohola, Westfall and crossing the Delaware over Mashipacong Island. Reinforcing the folks in T-shirts was Fred Buchholz of Phillips Lane in Westfall, which would become ground-zero for the new crossing. Buchholz displayed an oil painting of the same crossing area, by John Newton Howitt (1885-1958), which he borrowed from the Fauchere Hotel collection. Some altered sketches showed the scene with transmission towers . Inside, Shohola resident and T-shirt provider Amy Litzenberger was encouraging attendees to fill out comment cards about the project. She said the many PPL employees on hand had not been emphatic about informing people in the crowd about the availability of the comment cards. She said the utility also had not been forthcoming about “200-foot, humungous towers,” earlier in a “fact sheet” letter to adjoining property owners. Charlotte Gietz doesn’t live in Shohola anymore but has fond remembers her parent’s property there. In addition to possible heath issues, she worried about the impact of the power project on their property’s value. Shohola Elementary School Principal, Dr. Margaret Schaffer said she’s fielded many calls and e-mails from parents concerned about health impacts at the school. “I’m very concerned that it’s so close to the school,” she said. Milford businessman and Enhancement Committee activist, Dick Snyder noted that the local economy is based on its rural character. “This is completely inconsistent with rural character.” Snyder said he can’t understand why the medial strips of the interstate highways are not used for these kinds of projects. “Why do they have to diminish a whole new area?” he asked. Pike County Commissioner Harry Forbes said energy companies are pushing area projects to serve cities on the coast. “They’re all racing to get their first, but none of them benefit Pike County. No one talks about service along the route,” he said. Commissioner Karl Wagner said he expected the power line would probably go along Route B, which crosses southeasterly from Hawley, along an existing power line route, to an existing river crossing near Bushkill. PPL spokesman Paul Wirth said the distance of the routes from Hawley to the Delaware varies. Route A is 24.5 miles. While Route B is 29.1 miles. Route C reaches the river through southerly Northhampton County and does not touch Pike. Wirth said PPL estimates, “ball park” costs of $300 to $500 million for the project, no matter which route was chosen. He admitted that the Route A plan would involve more land and right-of-way purchases, but property acquisitions would be needed along all the routes. He said eminent domain would be invoked for land only, not homes; and then only when normal purchase efforts failed. Wirth noted that the Westfall session was the last of nine informational programs along the possible routes. “We’ve had a fair amount of opposition to all of the routes... no T-shirts,” he added looking around, “but people have been very vocal. Wirth said PPL will continue to gather comments about the project, by e-mail at reliablepower@pplweb.com and through toll-free phone messages at 800291-5403. He said a route decision would be made by Aug. 1, done in conjunction with New Jersey utilities construction plans, . Pike Planner Mike Mrozinski pondered the project cost and commented, “You sure could replace a lot of non-high efficiency light bulbs with $500 million.”