ST9302-CS 940912 (3)MEMORANDUM
To:
From:
Mayor and City Council
Kenneth M. Griffin, P.E., Assistant City Manager/City Engineer ~:~
TU Transmission Lines/Sandy Lake Road (ST 93-02)
D ate:
September 12, 1994
On September 9, 1994, Candy Sheehan, Kirk King, Jim Witt and myself met to discuss the
relocation of the existing Texas Utilities transmission lines in Sandy Lake Road. To get a better
understanding of what the transmission poles might look like with landscaping, we drove to
Forest Lane in Garland. Garland has landscaped various parts of the median around the
transmission poles. During the course of the drive, there was much discussion about the
problems associated with the existing transmission lines and any possible relocation. Several
alternate routes were discussed during the drive. The attached map shows the various routes that
have currently been discussed. Two new proposed routes were the direct result of our meeting.
Those include: 1) relocating the lines to the S.H. 121 right-of-way and then south along 1-35
to the TU switching station; 2) relocating the lines to the DART right-of-way then north along
Freeport Parkway to Thweatt Road and back to the substation.
The attached map is not intended to be comprised of every available route to relocate the TU
transmission lines. It is only provided as an indication that the City and TU Electric are
exploring alternate routes. However, it should be noted that the changing of the route would
require PUC approval, according to Kirk King, and the PUC approval could take upwards of
a year or longer. The bottom line impact of seeking alternate routes for the current
transmission lines along Sandy Lake is a realization that the construction of Sandy Lake Road
will be delayed anywhere from twelve to twenty-four months from the current timetable. The
delay of Sandy Lake Road also means that it is very likely that the County section of Sandy
Lake Road in Coppell will also be delayed. The County has about 1700 feet of the existing
transmission lines along their section of Sandy Lake Road and if the transmission lines are in
conflict with the County section of Sandy Lake, TU will probably be unwilling to relocate them
until they can relocate them to a permanent place and upgrade them at the same time. I am
unsure of what the impact of delaying the County section of Sandy Lake will have on the
available funding for the roadway. The County has recently started the design of Beltline Road
from Denton Tap to MacArthur and because funds were sold for both Beltline and Sandy Lake
it is possible that the City could speak with the County about constructing Beltline Road while
we are still deciding what to do with the transmission lines in Sandy Lake Road. The timetable
for the start of construction of Beltline Road, according to the County, is November, 1995.
In conclusion, while several options may appear to be available for the relocation of the TU
transmission lines, each option has positives and negatives and affects the project either
financially or time wise.
DENTON '!
," THWEAT
.......... ~,.. BETHEL
T.U,
~ITON COUNTY
COUNTY
RELOCATION
OPTIONS
Existing Brazos Electric R/W or
Coppell RD., S.H. 121, I.H.-:~SE
$1500 Ff.
Existing Brazos Electric R/W
on Coppell Rd., Denton Creek
or levee, Gun Club, City of
Carrollton
28500 Ft.
Existing T.U. R/W route fo be
located in the median / or
eouthside of Sandy Lake Rd.
25000 Ft.
Existing T.U. R/W route
along Sandy Lake Rd.
with lines underground
25000 Ft.
Coppell Rd., DART railroad,
existing T.U. R/W
56000 F't.
Future Freeport Pkwy., DART
railroad, existing T.U. R/W
$8500 Ft.