Problem Solvers: SE Bend neighborhood pushing back against PacifiCorp’s proposed transmission line route

'Anywhere is better than this,' homeowner says; utility says route not finalized

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A southeast Bend neighborhood is pushing back against PacifiCorp’s proposed plan to build a transmission line from Prineville to Chiloquin that would potentially in part parallel their neighborhood. 

Several neighbors we spoke to are staunchly against the proposed power line, for multiple reasons.

Sundance neighborhood resident Jim Moran said, “Overall, it's a crisis."

A resident who wished to remain anonymous said, "It's an infringement on us."

Another resident, Brian Levering, said, "We think about it every day. We think about it when we wake up."

A newer resident to the neighborhood, Kristen Boone, said, "All these people have moved out here to live in peace in this wonderful landscape. Putting power lines out here can't be the answer."

Longtime resident Gary Dalski said, "Anywhere is better than this."

PacifiCorp is considering four possible routes for a new 180 mile transmission line between Powell Butte near Redmond to southern Klamath County.

Senior Communications Specialist Simon Gutierrez said, "Customer load demands in Oregon are steadily increasing, and they're eventually going to surpass the capacity of our current transmission system in that area."

"Adding an additional line at this voltage allows us to provide safe, reliable power with greater redundancy well into the future," he added,

According to Gutierrez, the transmission line "will upgrade the existing transmission backbone and will allow the company to integrate new renewable energy sources in central and southern Oregon."

Route B would run through southeast Bend parallel to the Sundance neighborhood, where residents like Janell Boone say it would disturb the essence of the area.

"These 180-foot-tall towers would be within 750 yards of our property line. This is where we access the BLM and the Deschutes National Forest on horseback, on our mountain bikes. We hike here daily, all of our neighborhood. We came here for this very reason.”

"Those towers are 16 to 18 stories high. That is taller than any structure in Central Oregon. These are massive. They're absolutely going to loom over the landscape and loom over homeowners."

Additional concerns include environmental impacts and access to public lands.

A resident of Bend since 1980, Cleme Rinehart, pointed to the neighborhood being on "a mule deer migration path that would be hugely disrupted. We're on a bird migration pattern. We have lots of animals, from antler deer to foxes, you name it. All these would be terribly disrupted."

In regards to public lands, Rinehart said, "I think we need to leave them (as) untouched as possible (for) future generations, for our kids and our grandkids." Janelle Boone added, "Encroaching upon more of Central Oregon's public lands needs to be avoided."

Kristin Boone, the daughter of Janell Boone and a new homeowner in the neighborhood, added, "It's BLM land, and a private company coming in and destroying that just doesn't sit right with me at all."

Aside from visual impacts, environmental concerns and accessibility, homeowners and residents of the rural Bend community are primarily concerned about increased fire risk with the installation of a transmission line and how that could impact already-increasing insurance rates.

A homeowner who wished to remain anonymous said, "We are already in a very high fire zone and pay high insurance premiums already. And this would increase the risk for fire.”

Rinehart added to this concern, saying, "If this goes down, it would be lucky if you'd be able to get insurance at all."

Janell Boone expressed fear saying, "We're nervous every, every summer. We're all on watch. We're cleaning up our properties. We're doing everything we can to avoid fire risk."

KTVZ spoke with two property owners who were part of the Sundance neighborhood during the 1996 Skeleton Fire.

Gary Dalski, a longtime Sundance resident who moved to rural southeast Bend in the '80s, said his experiences with the Skeleton Fire that destroyed 19 homes in 1996 has him opposed to the proposed transmission line.

"Just being one of the original residents out here, it's disappointing."

Jerry Brown, another longtime resident, reflected on recovering from that fire: "I lost my house once in the Skeleton Fire. It took a long, long time to rebuild and establish again. Everything that was in our home was lost."

Brown pondered over what it could mean for him if another fire were to happen in the area: "At this age, I'd have to go. I don't think I could rebuild and start over. I'm too old for that."

PacifiCorp argues wildfire risk is taken very seriously.

Gutierrez said, "It's one of our top priorities to preserve the safety of the communities that we serve. And we do everything in our power through operational practices, situational awareness, constantly monitoring weather. We have a team of in-house meteorologists. So we are on the cutting edge of wildfire mitigation and prevention, and doing everything that we can to protect the communities that we serve."

Homeowners and residents are also concerned their property values would go down due to visual impairments, fire risk and high insurance rates.

Jim Moran, a real estate broker and Sundance property owner for the last 20 years, estimates property values will "drop 30 to 40 percent because of this." He argues it's a property rights issue and explained the impact a drop in property value would have on the 200 residents.

New to the neighborhood, homeowner Kristin Boone added, "Home value is so important. We're all trying to make it in this world and in this economy. So absolutely, it's a concern for all of us."

Moran continued, "A lot of these folks have had these properties for years, as most people have. They buy property for an investment, and to have this kind of impact is huge...it's part of their retirement going forward...they want to pass this on to their families. It's just not fair."

Cleme Rinehart added to this, saying, "Home is the greatest investment that most families make in their lifetime. If you lose value in your home or if you lose your home, you pretty much lost the nest egg of your life. So it's pretty significant for us."

PacifiCorp emphasizes that no plans have been finalized.

Gutierrez highlighted this, saying, "We can look at each of those routes and adjust them in various directions, to try to mitigate any concerns that the customers have or part of the residents in the area might have."

He added, "We're out here in these communities. Our project planners are out there listening to concerns that folks have. We will be doing everything we can to minimize the impact on communities and ensure that this line goes in in the safest manner possible."

Gutierrez said a more refined, finalized decision won't come until late summer. Until then, their goal is to continue receiving feedback from the community.

He says, "Right now, we're in the early planning stages of this project. We're gathering information."

PacifiCorp has hosted five public meetings in Bend, Prineville, Chiloquin and Klamath Falls, in addition to a virtual open house. They will be hosting two more open public forums as an opportunity for community members to give feedback and express their concerns.

The first will be held in Redmond next Wednesday, April 23 and the second on Wednesday, April 24th.