Duke Energy seeks easement at Draughn High School; county to move item to decision after school review

Wendy McCrane, oversight land agent for Duke Energy, asked the board for approval and signature on a utility easement at Draughn High School to install facilities from an existing pad-mounted transformer to serve a customer, Natural Land Alliance.

"We are here today to request approval and signature on an easement giving us permission to install our facilities from an existing pad mount transformer located on Draughn High School, Burke County property to serve our customer Natural Land Alliance," Wendy McCrane said. She was joined by Colby Landrum, the project engineer, and Stacy Watkins, a land agent.

McCrane and commissioners clarified the scope: one easement covers Duke Energy work on county-owned school property, and staff later identified a separate, narrow strip of land (owned by the Board of Education) that Duke must cross to reach the customer. Commissioners said the Board of Education must review and sign the second easement; the county manager and school staff were asked to coordinate.

Board action and next steps

Because the additional crossing involved Board of Education property and required further review, commissioners agreed to move the easement request from consent to the decision docket so the county and school system could resolve the second easement and legal counsel could review it. The item will return for the regular meeting once the school board and county counsel have had an opportunity to review the additional easement.