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Ingham County commissioners oppose ITC transmission line route through Burchfield County Park
Summary
The Ingham County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution opposing any route of the proposed ITC Oneida–Sabine Lake transmission line that would pass through Burchfield County Park and Riverbend Natural Area, citing risks to DNR‑encumbered land and future grant eligibility.
The Ingham County Board of Commissioners on June 23 unanimously adopted a resolution opposing any route of the International Transmission Company’s proposed Oneida‑to‑Sabine Lake transmission line that would cross Burchfield County Park and Riverbend Natural Area.
The board’s Human Services Committee introduced the resolution, which says the park and natural area contain wetlands, wildlife habitat, river areas and trails and that routing a high‑voltage transmission corridor there could permanently damage those resources. The resolution notes that much of the parkland is encumbered by Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grants and warns that a corridor through the park would be treated as a conversion that could reduce the county’s competitiveness for future DNR funding.
Public commenters raised opposition before the vote. Delhi Township resident Troy Albert said he used the park “nearly every day” and added, “I did not think anything good would come from a power line cutting through the park.” Commissioners discussed technical edits to the resolution; one friendly amendment narrowed language to say one (rather than four) of the seven proposed routes would pass through the park. Parks Director Tim Morgan provided additional detail on grant encumbrances and potential impacts to future DNR grant scores.
Commissioner Cahill moved to adopt the amended resolution; Commissioner Morgan supported the motion. The board approved it unanimously, with Commissioners Lawrence, Polsdofer and Trubac recorded as absent.
The resolution asks ITC and relevant state and federal agencies, including the Michigan Public Service Commission, to remove the park and natural area from consideration and to pursue alternative routing that avoids public parkland. The board also pledged support for energy planning that balances reliability and protection of local parks and natural resources.
Next steps identified in the minutes include distributing copies of the resolution to ITC Transmission, the Michigan Public Service Commission and local elected officials for consideration in the project review process.
