North Shore Substation Design Meeting Archive

May 25, 2022 Final Design    

We continue to coordinate with private property owners on off-site landscaping, but will likely only make additions to the landscaping presented in the April 13 design. So, with some potential additions, this iteration will represent the final landscaping design.


April 13, 2022 Design Public Meeting Recap

Chelan PUD held a Design Public Meeting on on April 13, 2022 to present an updated design concept to stakeholders, based on feedback received at the February 16, 2022 public meeting. You can view the slideshow from the meeting here.

Key points from the meeting:

  • PUD staff presented revised design drawings based on the feedback received during the February 16, 2022 Design Public Meeting (recap below). 
  • The site grading plan has been finalized (slide 6).
  • Updated design iteration for landscaping on PUD property (slide 8)
    • This design will be used for Conditional Use Permit application
  • Updated design concept for landscaping off PUD property (slide 9)
    • Coordination with private property owners continues, and off-site landscaping may change to meet agreements
    • We will return to stakeholders if there are significant changes to the design as a result of this coordination and will pursue alternative design concepts as needed
  • Details about proposed plant species in landscaping plan (starts at slide 10)
  • Overview of long-term maintenance plan 
  • Preview of construction -- construction outreach will begin this summer
Drawing of North Shore Substation Landscaping and Aesthetic Design
Updated landscaping and aesthetic design includes proposed improvements on private property. Any landscaping outside of PUD property is subject to private property owner coordination. 

Click image to view full size. 

February 16, 2022 Design Public Meeting Recap

Chelan PUD held a Design Public Meeting on February 16, 2022 to present preliminary design concepts to stakeholders. You can view the slideshow from the meeting here.


Key points from the meeting:

  • The PUD identified a need for a new substation on the north shore of Lake Chelan to maintain reliable electrical service for existing customers and continue to serve growth and demand in the area.
  • The site on Henderson Road was selected in 2017 with community input.
  • All new distribution lines (feeders) coming out of the substation will be placed underground.
  • The only new overhead power lines will be a short transmission tap that brings power into and out of the substation from the existing transmission line.
  • The substation will not use lighting at night, except in the instance of an emergency requiring immediate repairs. Crews will perform routine maintenance during daylight hours.
  • To mitigate for noise, we have procured a quieter transformer for use in the substation (66 dB maximum) and will also use vegetation and landscaping to further dull the sound.
  • The PUD hired a landscape architect, Chris Overdorf from SCJ Alliance, who presented information about Visual Resource Management principles, the visual impact assessment for surrounding properties near the substation, and a proposed design concept for discussion.
  • The design concept focuses on shielding using native vegetation species that blend into the existing environment. It also proposes using different gradients of granite inside the substation to help break up the visual mass of the site footprint.
  • The proposal includes landscaping for shielding both adjacent to the substation, and in the middle-ground between the substation site and the neighborhood. The middle-ground proposal would include landscaping on private property (not owned by the PUD), and would require private property owner approval before implementation.
  • The proposal concluded by showing cross-sections of several lines of sight toward the substation, and how on-site and middle-ground landscaping would help shield the substation from view while blending with the existing environment.
  • We closed out the meeting with Q&A and stakeholder feedback. Generally, stakeholders were in support of the proposed design approach, including pursuing the middle-ground landscaping option.

 

 

North Shore Viewshed Impact
View Impact Assessment for the North Shore Substation Site. The assessment takes into account topography, but not existing vegetation or structures (like homes or fences). Pink areas have more potential impact, and blue have less potential impact. 

Click image to view full size. 


North Shore Design Concept
Preliminary design concept shows landscaping adjacent to the substation, and in the middle-ground between the substation site and the Pinnacle Place neighborhood. 

Middle-ground landscaping will be dependent on private-property owner approval.

Click image to view full size. 

Questions?

Email customeroutreach@chelanpud.org.