Traverse City Record-Eagle

Elmwood Township

February 24, 2009

Elmwood substation closer to reality

By MELISSA DOMSIC

GREILICKVILLE -- Wolverine Power Cooperative is a couple steps closer to building its highly contentious electrical transmission substation in Elmwood Township.

Wolverine and its co-op member Cherryland Electric Cooperative await permission from the Michigan Public Service Commission to bypass township ordinances and build the facility near the corner of Bugai Road and M-72.

Cherryland and MPSC staff signed a settlement agreement last month in an effort to speed up the case, and a group of intervenors withdrew their official objections on Feb. 11.

Now it's up to the commission to approve or deny the deal.

"We're pleased to have a settlement agreement," said Craig Borr, Wolverine's executive vice president. "It's important to understand we are still awaiting commission action on that."

The developments culminate more than a year of disputes between Wolverine, Elmwood Township officials and residents, including lawsuits and a zoning ordinance amendment.

Mason and Lisa Argue, developers of adjacent Bahia Vista subdivision, and neighboring property owner Josephine Bargiel unsuccessfully sued to stop the project last March.

They continued fighting Wolverine, and the utility offered a $10,000 settlement if the neighbors stopped their legal pursuit and didn't bring it up to the MPSC, Mason Argue said.

Argue refused, and filed an official objection to the MPSC case.

But Argue said they were "railroaded" by MPSC staff and weren't given enough time to prepare for meeting dates. He and other opponents withdrew their objection this month.

"The people's concerns will never be heard through the MPSC, which means the health and well-being, the sound, the property values," Argue said. "Zoning is no concern of theirs; it's all about power."

MPSC spokeswoman Judy Palenau would not comment on Argue's allegations because she said it regards an ongoing case.

Argue said he hasn't given up.

"There'll definitely be more legal action," he said.

Power lines for Cherryland, Traverse City Light & Power, Consumers Energy and Michigan Electric Transmission Company would be connected to the station. Wolverine and Light & Power plan to share construction costs for the multi-million dollar project.

Light & Power's plans for running lines into the substation are still up in the air, but Director Ed Rice said they'll "absolutely" connect to the facility one way or another.

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