Power line idea takes big bite from preserve

Tied to a proposed Progress Energy plant, the idea appalls officials and Brooker Creek fans.

By Theresa Blackwell, Times Staff Writer
Published February 16, 2008

EAST LAKE - To the list of projects proposed or discussed for the Brooker Creek Preserve, add this: an electrical transmission line corridor a half-mile wide.

That's one possibility a consultant for Progress Energy has outlined for Pinellas County officials, if the utility decides to build a nuclear power plant in Levy County.

Currently, towers up to 140 feet tall run through a 500-foot-wide power line corridor along the east side of the preserve near the Hillsborough County line.

But Progress Energy's consultants have told the county that one scenario would widen the 500-foot corridor to half a mile. The extra width could be needed for building a row of 165-foot-tall transmission towers to carry power from the new power plant.

At that width, the utility corridor would gobble up an additional 1,549 acres of the 8,300 acres in the preserve. That means trees would be cut down in the corridor, according to Progress Energy.

Not only that, county officials say, but gopher tortoises living there would need new homes at least during construction, and some wetlands and sand hill habitat would be affected.

County officials are appalled, as are the members of the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve.

"We certainly understand the increasing need to meet energy demands," said Bruce Rinker, director of the county's environmental lands division, "but destroying parks and preserves is unacceptable."

The corridor could even reach into the preserve's education center parking lot and would eviscerate the preserve, he said.

The corridor that could go through the Brooker Creek Preserve was not on an early map that Progress Energy provided to the Times two weeks ago.

The utility's first map showed a possible corridor clipping only the northeast corner of the county. On Thursday, the utility released a new map showing that a new transmission line also could extend the length of the preserve and cut across it diagonally.

The discussion of where the transmission lines would go is still preliminary, the utility said.

Progress Energy officials say the decision to build a nuclear plant in Levy County has not been made yet, and it's very early in the planning process. Construction of any new lines would not start until 2012 and would take until about 2016 to complete.

If Progress Energy does try to claim a half-mile passageway through the preserve, it might offer the county blandishments to soothe the loss.

That, at least, is the conclusion county officials drew after a visit from a Progress Energy consultant Feb. 7.

That day, Christy Stephenson, a water resource analyst/ecologist with Biological Research Associates of Riverview, visited the preserve to gather ecological information for Progress Energy Florida. She spoke with Lisa Baltus, preserve land manager, and asked questions about endangered species, wetlands, and other features of the land in question.

But one item in Stephenson's survey especially surprised Baltus and Rinker. It said:

"Identify suggested mitigation schemes for unavoidable impacts to regulated resources, including any unpublished or 'wish list' concepts for 'win-win' scenarios."

As Baltus recalls, the consultant said, "Pretend you are sitting on Santa's lap and can ask for anything."

"Our reaction was basically, 'Your bank account isn't big enough,' " Rinker said.

This is just the latest project pitched, proposed or discussed for the preserve.

Pinellas County once proposed an equestrian center, ballfields and a plan to reopen three wells in the preserve to water golf courses. Also, the county will build a water-blending plant in the northern part of the preserve.

Contact Theresa Blackwell at tblackwell@sptimes.com or 727 445-4170.

Public meetings on possible nuclear plant

Progress Energy Florida officials will hold public information open houses in counties that could be affected if a new nuclear power plant is built in Levy County. Pasco County meetings will be held the week of March 10, but dates have not been finalized. Here are the rest:

Pinellas

- Crescent Oaks Country Club, 3300 Crescent Oaks Blvd., 4 to 8 p.m. Feb. 25.

Hillsborough

- Alfano Conference & Banquet Center, 11606 N McKinley Drive, Tampa, 4 to 8 p.m. Feb. 26.

- Tampa Marriott Westshore, 1001 N. West Shore Blvd., 4 to 8 p.m. Feb. 27.

Hernando

- Silverthorn Country Club, 4550 Golf Club Lane, Spring Hill, 3 to 7 p.m. March 3.

- Silverthorn Country Club, 4550 Golf Club Lane, Spring Hill, 3 to 7 p.m. March 4.

Polk

- The Lakeland Center, Lake Hollingsworth Meeting Room, 701 W Lime St., Lakeland, 4 to 8 p.m. Feb. 28.

More information

E-mail energyplanning@pgnmail.com or leave a message toll-free at 1-888-238-0373 .

In coming weeks, the Web site progress-energy.com/energyplanning will have updated project and meeting information.

[Last modified February 16, 2008, 00:15:55]