Manassas Park authorizes temporary license for Dominion to proceed with pole relocation pending easement hearing

Manassas Park, Va. — City Manager Dean told the governing body May 6 that Dominion's transmission-line upgrade requires shifting one pole closer to the railroad tracks in Blooms Park and that the company planned a switch-over May 15. Because the city must hold a public hearing to approve the easement (scheduled for May 20), Dominion requested a way to continue work before the hearing.

Dean said the only practical option appeared to be a temporary license authorizing Dominion to do the necessary work with the stipulation that if the governing body later denies the easement, Dominion must remove any installed infrastructure. "They asked me if there's any way that we could allow them to continue their project, before the twentieth," Dean said, and asked the council for authorization to sign such a license.

Council members asked about the precise location (the roundabout at the VRE parking area), whether a pole would end up in the center of the roundabout and whether undergrounding was feasible; staff and members noted undergrounding high-voltage lines is expensive and technically complicated. Dean said moving the pole would align the line closer to the railroad tracks and could allow future development flexibility on the site.

The governing body moved, seconded and approved authorizing the city manager to sign the temporary license subject to later easement approval; one abstention was recorded. Staff said the easement will be taken up at the May 20 public hearing and that the license would require removal of infrastructure if the easement is not granted.