Concord Township trustee Bart Johnson on Dec. 19 asked Liberty Township trustees to help residents influence what path a power line might take.

FirstEnergy, an electric power company, is developing plans to run a new 138-kilovolt electrical transmission line from a substation in London to one on Bunty Station Road.

Johnson said the power line will hurt property values.

The 40-mile transmission line, which would run above ground on wooden poles, would supply current and future customers of Ohio Edison, an affiliate of FirstEnergy, Mark Durbin, FirstEnergy spokesperson, told ThisWeek.

Durbin said the company at present has only a general idea of where the lines would run because it must survey and study the land before presenting two routes to the Ohio Power Siting Board.

The goal of the company is to present paths that would have overall the least amount of impact, he said.

“When you look at impacts, you have to consider (such things as) are there wetlands, schools, hospitals and homeowners that would be impacted by this,” Durbin said. “(The decision) is based on the criteria that the siting board has.”

The company anticipates submitting a filing to the siting board in February or March.

Matt Butler, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio spokesperson, said that information on the proposed transmission line, called the East-Springfield Tangy project, can be found at www.opsb. ohio.gov by searching the case number 11-4884. Contact information for the board is available on that site.

Johnson said residents would like to see a path that does not enter Liberty Township and that goes north of residences.

On a map of potential routes provided by FirstEnergy, one route would take the line along the north side of U.S. Route 42 as it enters Liberty Township, the other along the south side.

Liberty trustees on Dec. 5 approved a resolution opposing taking the power line south of U.S. Route 42.

Concord Township residents prefer the route that travels north of U.S. Route 42, Johnson said, because it would have the least impact and FirstEnergy already owns a good deal of right of way in that area. He also said it would be better for the wooden poles and power lines to run along the road rather than through people’s property.

Durbin said FirstEnergy proposes installing the line to provide electricity to its residential and commercial customers.

“Everybody is served by a power line that crosses somebody’s property at some point,” Durbin said. “We try to limit those impacts that people might have, but we haven’t eliminated any potential routes ....”

Johnson encouraged trustees and residents to visit www.no newwires.org.

Durbin said after the siting board accepts the application, FirstEnergy will hold public meetings.