There are now very tall thick rusty poles along Arbor Lane at the Cottonwood Mall redevelopment site. They sit on top of five-foot steel mesh cylinders that have been thrust into the ground. Large round shiny heavy metal covers connect them.
These poles have destroyed open views of the mountains and the sky for anyone going along the lane. Three vertically stacked high voltage lines are now being attached to them and will further degrade views and the character of what was a lovely country like neighborhood lane. Rocky Mountain Power had no reason to relocate the lines. The developer chose the least expensive option of those given by the utility. The lines could have been buried.
We paid the cost to bury lines on our property to safeguard mature trees. The developer chose the opposite. The poles are on the corners of the developer’s property. They are on the banks of Big Cottonwood Creek and standing across from existing homes. This benefits people who might purchase these properties to the harm of residents and people who already enjoy the area.
The high voltage lines will hum due to alternating electrical current. Neither Rocky Mountain Power nor the developer have provided information about the actual voltage levels. An electric fields representative from Utah’s Environmental Health Department indicated that, “the science is uncertain about long-term exposure effects on health.” He added that, “an electromagnetic field can go 100 feet, depending on voltage.” A Rocky Mountain Power website states that “electric fields near outdoor transmission lines are typically stronger than in homes. Distance from lines makes a difference but magnetic fields are not reduced by buildings or trees.”
Holladay’s mayor indicates that this outcome was a private interaction between the developer and the utility. The city’s tree ordinance or anything else the city could have done apparently didn’t protect the trees or our quality of life. Now everyone can see for themselves what has happened to make our area more of an industrial park than a residential neighborhood.
Camille Pierce, Holladay
from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/KMTaVhe
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