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Johnston County approves conditional zoning for Duke Energy substation on Angie Road
Summary
The Johnston County Board of Commissioners approved a conditional zoning request (case 25-10) allowing Duke Energy to site a substation on about 25 acres of a 66‑acre tract on Angie Road. The board accepted conditions that add a supplemental 20‑foot evergreen buffer; the motion passed by voice vote.
The Johnston County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a conditional‑zoning request from Duke Energy for a new electrical substation on a portion of a 66‑acre tract on Angie Road in Cleveland Township.
Planning director Braston Newton told the board the application (case 25‑10) seeks to rezone about 25 acres from Mobile Home Park District to an Agriculture‑Residential conditional zoning district with a package of staff‑recommended conditions. Attorney Toby Coleman, representing Duke Energy, said the site was selected because an existing transmission line crosses the parcel and the site is largely clear, explaining the company’s siting study balanced functional and design requirements with potential impacts.
"This site came out ahead because it balanced overall functional and design requirements with potential impacts," said Toby Coleman (attorney for the applicant). Duke representatives said the project is scheduled for construction in 2029 and that plantings — including a 20‑foot buffer plus an additional 20 feet of evergreens adjacent to the Jones Farm subdivision — are required by condition and intended to be installed as soon as the next planting season.
Coleman and Duke experts also addressed noise, electromagnetic fields and fire safety. The applicant cited decibel readings in the mid‑40s (comparable to a household refrigerator) and presented a small paired appraisal review that found no measurable impact on nearby property valuations in three comparative sites. Robbie Hyer, a Duke transmission director, described remote monitoring, equipment health alarms and design features intended to contain oil and reduce the risk of an equipment fire spreading off site.
A nearby homeowner, Lauren Kornosky, who said her property directly borders the proposed site, urged the board to consider potential impacts on home values. "In the real world, had I known, I wouldn't have bought my home," Kornosky said, describing a perceived unfair financial burden.
The planning board recommended approval with conditions; commissioners moved to adopt the planning board's statement of consistency and approve the rezoning with condition number 7 deleted (leaving ten conditions). The motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote.
The approval allows Duke Energy to proceed under the recorded conditions; any future development on the parcel will remain subject to the site‑plan, Technical Review Committee and permitting processes outlined in county procedures.
