Dominion seeks to build underground power line between Arlington and Alexandria

[PotomacCyclist]

According to a June 2 letter from the Alexandria City Manager to Dominion, the plan does include work at the parking lot on Slaters Lane.

http://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/special/dominion/CityLetterToDVP.pdf

Dominion might expand the existing switching station to cover half of the parking lot at Slaters and E. Abingdon. That by itself shouldn’t affect MVT users, I think. Dominion is also proposing to relocate the North Potomac Yard substation to the Arlington substation on Four Mile Run. (The relocation had been brought up in previous proposals.)

The substation relocation would allow for the construction of the waterside park in North Potomac Yard, Alexandria, connecting with a new park on the former rail bridge and a new park on the north bank of FMR (which is partly in Alexandria and in Arlington). As many know already, another of the former rail bridges crossing FMR was demolished this year.

Alexandria is concerned about the construction and also whether the underground power lines could hamper the planned redevelopment projects in Potomac Yard. The City Manager says that the Potomac Yard projects were more complicated because of the need to plan around an existing underground line.

[PotomacCyclist]

http://alextimes.com/2014/09/dominion-virginia-keeps-mum-on-preferred-transmission-line-route/

Still no updates on the preferred route for the transmission power line through Potomac Yard-Alexandria. Some of the possible routes will run close to the Mount Vernon Trail. Perhaps even across the MVT. Something to keep an eye on. Members of a resident-led work group are frustrated by the lack of details from Dominion Virginia. There was another meeting last night. Dominion will also host an open house on Oct. 1, from 5 to 8 pm, at Mount Vernon Community School (2601 Commonwealth Ave., I think).

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[PotomacCyclist]

I found this post about the open house from someone’s website. The author indicates that he/she is a resident of Potomac Yard.

http://www.potomacyardhoa.com/2014/10/230000-volt-power-line-community.html

Good questions about the failure of Dominion to coordinate its planning with the new developments in Potomac Yard. Why didn’t Dominion or Pepco arrange to bury the transmission line under Main Line Blvd. or Potomac Ave. when those roads were being built? Potomac Ave. was only created a few years ago. I don’t think Main Line Blvd. is even finished yet. The fact that large-scale development was happening in Potomac Yard was no secret to anyone. Dominion and Pepco should have known about all this many years ago.

Since the new development along Main Line Blvd. isn’t complete, that might be the best option for minimizing disruption to local residents and businesses. There are some residents in those townhouses, but the large apartment buildings haven’t opened yet. (Some of them will be open soon, though.)

If Dominion chooses the rail route, they need to coordinate their plans with Alexandria and WMATA, because Alexandria wants to add a Potomac Yard Metro station in the coming years.

The Potomac Ave. options could cause issues for the many cyclists who now use the bike trail along that road.

I’m adding more links to the first post in the thread. They include the project website from Dominion Power, a Google Maps satellite view overlaid with the possible transmission line routes, and the City of Alexandria webpage for the transmission line project. I will also add the Potomac Yard resident site, because that person is following the news closely. It could be someone on this forum, for all I know.

[chris_s]

An interesting side note – I have been told (by someone who really should know) that this new line would eliminate the overhead lines in 4 mile run between the Glebe Substation and the Potomac Yard Shopping Center. The other overhead lines in 4 mile run would remain.

T’would definitely make that eastern-most section of the 4 mile run trail prettier.

[PotomacCyclist]

I think Dominion confirmed that those overhead lines would be placed underground. The removal of the transformers just to the north of the shopping center will clear the way for the new park along the south bank and atop the remaining unused bridge.

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