A citizen expressed her opposition to the project.
Frederick, Md (KM) The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project came up for discussion during the Frederick County Council’s meeting on Tuesday. The nearly 70-mile long power line would extend from northern Baltimore County through Carroll County to southern Frederick County.
During the public comment portion of the meeting,, the Council heard from Betsy McFarland from Adamstown. She’s opposed to the project,, and said it would negatively affect the county’s scenic beauty. “Also in recent years, there’s been significant time and attention given to protecting the beautiful Sugarloaf region, and these proposed power lines are really contrary to that effort, and undermine such important community planning processes,” she said.
One of her biggest concerns is that company planning to build the lines, the Public Service Enterprise Group, or PSEG, had not informed affected property owners in the areas which will be affected by these power lines until recently. . “And we also really disturbed by reading on their website of their stated proposed use of eminent domain to acquire property rights if that becomes necessary,” McFarland said. “Obviously, we have a fundamental right to our land, and this project really threatens to infringe upon those rights.”
PSEG says it was awarded a contract to build the line by PJM, which manages the region’s electrical grid. The company says the purpose of the line is to meet the growing electricity demand in the region. But Councilman Steve McKay said the power will not be used in Frederick County. “When the need it’s servicing is the primarily the Northern Virginia data center alley, and they’re running it through are county primarily–as well as Carroll and out to Baltimore County–that doesn’t sit well with me,” he said.
During her testimony, McFarland said the Carroll County Commissioners have come out against the project,. and McKay urged his colleagues to do the same. “So I really appreciated the fact that the Carroll County Board of County Commissioners came out with a very strident statement against this project. I’d like to see us do the same–whether it’s the administration, whether this Council as a body—because I think it’s called for, “he said.
The Council took no action on that suggestion.
First Readings:
Two bills were formally introduced during the County Council meeting on Tuesday. One would give the county the authority to establish a temporary moratorium on residential growth in areas where schools are overcrowded, It would provide some time for the School System to build additional classroom space to handle the increasing number of students. That legislation is sponsored by Councilman McKay.
The second bill, sponsored by Councilwoman Renee Knapp, would set up a property tax credit for the rehabilitation of historic properties in the county.
Public hearings will be scheduled for these two bills at a later date.
By Kevin McManus