Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Energy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press North Hempstead to press state on Propel transmission cables and renew battery moratorium
Summary
Public commenters at a Town of North Hempstead meeting urged the board to seek representation and stronger local action on the Propel transmission cable routes that would cross the town and to extend a moratorium on large lithium battery storage, citing traffic, business disruption and fire-safety concerns.
John Fabio, a civic association leader, told the Town of North Hempstead board he is ‘‘concerned about the Propel Energy cable project’’ and warned that two proposed cable routes would cross the town and ‘‘traverse 11 villages within this town.’’ Fabio described one route running from the Garden City substation up Glen Cove Road to Glenwood Landing and another running along Willis Avenue and Mineola Boulevard to Northern Boulevard en route to Queens, and he urged the board to convene mayors, civic leaders and the business community to coordinate a response to the state process.
Other residents echoed Fabio’s worry about local impacts. George Pombar said simply ‘‘you have to assign yourself as a party’’ in settlement meetings and urged elected officials to ‘‘speak up and object’’ during the Thursday settlement calls. He also warned that ripping up Northern Boulevard could affect emergency access to two nearby hospitals and hurt businesses along commercial corridors.
Several speakers connected the transmission project to an increased likelihood of battery storage facilities in the town. One commenter asked the board to ‘‘please renew your moratorium’’ on large lithium battery installations and to consider a rezoning approach like neighboring Oyster Bay, citing high-profile battery fires that can take hours or days to extinguish and potential proximity to schools and neighborhoods.
A town representative responded that the town ‘‘did submit comments’’ on related state initiatives and ‘‘absolutely [has] every intention of submitting comments’’ on the Propel project as well. The official acknowledged they have not attended every weekly settlement call but said they will ‘‘redouble’’ efforts to ensure representation and to press concerns about routes affecting Northern Boulevard, Glen Cove Road and Willis Avenue.
The board did not take a formal vote on an action to join settlement negotiations during the meeting. Town staff told residents a public hearing on the transmission project is scheduled for Nov. 18 and encouraged speakers to return to provide further comment at that hearing.
What’s next: Town officials said they will increase participation in settlement discussions and provide information packets to the board; residents asked the town to convene local leaders, chambers of commerce and civic associations to coordinate outreach to the state.
