Holly Dean urges Orange County School Board to oppose ValleyLink transmission corridor near Locust Grove Elementary
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Summary
Holly Dean, a lifelong Orange County resident and county schools employee, urged the board March 2 to oppose the proposed ValleyLink Joshua Falls–Yeats 765 kV transmission Corridor 2, which she said would run roughly 1,100–1,200 feet from Locust Grove campus and raise safety and health concerns for nearly 1,000 students.
Holly Dean, a lifelong Orange County resident and an employee of Orange County Public Schools, told the board at its March 2 meeting she opposes the ValleyLink Joshua Falls–Yeats 765 kV transmission-line proposal and asked the board to coordinate with the Board of Supervisors to oppose lines near school property.
"The proposed Joshua Falls, Yeats, 765 kV transmission line corridors, specifically Corridor 2, would pass in close proximity to the Locust Grove campuses," Dean said, saying the route would be roughly 1,100 to 1,200 feet from school buildings. "We have almost 1,000 students on that campus and over 100 staff members, including our Head Start kiddos." She said the lines could be as tall as "up to 160 feet."
Dean asked the board — and the county — to adopt a resolution affirming protection of the county's rural character and the safety of educational environments, to oppose ultra-high transmission lines near public school campuses, and to urge the State Corporation Commission to explore alternatives. She said no formal application had yet been filed with the State Corporation Commission but that an application is expected later this year.
Chair (Speaker 4) closed public comment after Dean and moved the meeting forward; Miss Arrington (Speaker 6), during board-member remarks, encouraged public attendance at a ValleyLink presentation scheduled for Monday, March 9, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Lafayette Station and noted that the Board of Supervisors will discuss the project, with Dominion Energy invited to the supervisors' March 24 meeting.
The board did not take formal action on Dean’s request during the March 2 meeting. The transcript record notes Dean asked the school board to coordinate with the Board of Supervisors and to communicate concerns to the State Corporation Commission, the governor, the General Assembly, and project applicants.