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Genola amends land‑use table to restrict high‑voltage transmission and high‑pressure gas pipelines; utility representative raises routing concerns
Summary
Council approved changes to Title 20 Appendix A to make high‑voltage electrical transmission conditional or not permitted in certain zones and to disallow high‑pressure gas pipelines in residential and agricultural zones; a contractor representative said the changes could preclude any route across much of town without additional tailoring.
The Genola Town Council on Jan. 15 approved an amendment to the zoning land‑use table (Title 20, Appendix A) that restricts where high‑voltage electrical transmission lines and high‑pressure gas pipelines may be placed in town. Council members approved the changes after a discussion with a land‑use representative from Power Engineers and staff.
Under the adopted amendment, high‑voltage electrical transmission within the A‑1 (agricultural) zone will be a conditional use (requiring planning‑commission review); the same use is not permitted in the R‑1 (residential) zone. The council also classified high‑pressure gas pipelines as not permitted in the same zones. Councilmembers said they expect staff to add definitions (for example, a voltage threshold or a pressure threshold) and to clarify notice procedures before future conditional‑use permit hearings.
A representative identified in the meeting as a land‑use planner with Power Engineers — a contractor that works with Rocky Mountain Power — told the council the proposed "not permitted" classification would in practice preclude certain routing options because much of the town is zoned A‑1 or R‑1. The representative said the drafting appeared to be a broad restriction and asked the town to consider how notice, definitions, and exceptions would work for large‑scale transmission projects that must cross multiple zones. "This did cause some consternation today when we saw this because, specifically, this would have exempted being able or precluded being able to build a power line with the end there anywhere crossing, quite frankly, Genola," the representative said.
Councilmembers and staff agreed the amendment is intended to provide clearer policy direction before any formal transmission or pipeline application arrives. Planning staff and the council discussed adding a definition for "high voltage" (one participant suggested that utility practice commonly treats voltages over 46,000 volts as transmission) and specifying whether notice to property owners will be generated from the county recorder's ownership list. The council approved the land‑use table amendment with the change that electrical transmission in A‑1 be a conditional use and not permitted in R‑1.
Councilors said they will continue to coordinate with utility applicants and with Rocky Mountain Power about routing and permitting and will include clearer definitions and notice procedures in subsequent ordinance packets.
