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Frederick County tightens rules for electrical substations, requires berms for large transmission sites
Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved a zoning amendment that splits substations into transmission and distribution types, adds screening and setback standards and requires an 8-foot berm (removing fence/wall options) for transmission-voltage substations after public concern about visibility and long-term impacts.
Frederick County supervisors on Jan. 28 adopted a revision to the county’s zoning ordinance that separates electrical substations into transmission- and distribution-voltage categories and adds specific performance standards for setbacks, screening and buffers.
Planning staff presented the amendment as a way to add clear, enforceable requirements for landscaping, opaque screening and minimum setbacks. The draft ordinance reflected feedback from local utilities including Shenandoah Valley Electric and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative and sought to balance utility needs with landscape and…
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