Fruita council affirms requirement to underground Xcel transmission line in Riverfront Park

The Fruita City Council on Jan. 7 voted 6-0 to affirm the Planning Commission's confirmation of an administrative decision that the portion of Xcel Energy's 69-kilovolt transmission-line rebuild passing through the city's Riverfront Park (Community Services and Recreation, or CSR, zone) must be placed underground to be compatible with park uses.

City planner Henry Hempel told the council the decision grew from the compatibility standards in Fruita's land-use code and the city's comprehensive and parks plans, and noted the park's riparian character, trails and a disc-golf course in the area under review. "The Riverfront Park is approximately 37 acres in size. This park provides a high-quality open-space resource and is an important riparian location," Hempel said in his presentation.

Why it matters: The council's action requires the applicant to remove above-ground transmission structures from a stretch of the Riverfront Park and to place the line below grade inside the CSR zone, a decision that Xcel and its counsel warned could carry large engineering, construction and funding implications and invite review by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

Background and Planning action: Xcel submitted an application to rebuild a nearly 70-year-old transmission line that runs near Kingsview Estates and across public lands and BLM property. The company proposed a revised overhead route through portions of Fruita that avoid a residential subdivision; the application required conditional use approvals in industrial and residential zones and…