AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – Stop the power lines. That is the message some Arapahoe County citizens had hoped would stop county commissioners from approving a new Xcel Energy power station in southeast Aurora.
Neighbors say they will now have two substations around their homes.
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The latest substation will go in near East Quincy Avenue and Gun Club Road, just southeast of that intersection and north of the Tollgate Crossing community in Aurora.
Meredeth Latak lives in Tollgate Crossing.
“This is now two extremely large and ugly utility stations,” Latak said.
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Homeowner after homeowner voiced their disdain at a public meeting Tuesday morning, concerned about environmental impacts, aesthetics and prairie dogs.
“Installing these new power lines will spread prairie dogs and noxious weeds throughout our metro district landscaping,” resident resident Brian Mattise said.
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County commissioners unanimously approved the substation with a brief explanation by Commissioner Jeff Baker.
“If we were to deny this and ask Xcel to move it and make it someone else’s problem. We’ve been accused of kicking the can down the road,” Baker said.
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Homeowners now just hope Xcel will build with best practices in mind, cutting down on how much they are affected by a cluster of power lines above.
Xcel hopes to begin construction soon with the substation operating October of 2018.
Jennifer Brice is a reporter with CBS4 focusing on crime and courts. Follow her on Facebook or on Twitter @CBS4Jenn.
