Seeking flexibility for farmers
County OKs easements
BY ALYSSA MEIER
BHG News Service
Farmers on the northern end of the county will have a little more breathing room than anticipated after commissioners gave the go-ahead on powerline placement easements.
Eric Popinga, of Central Power, approached McLean County Commissioners at last week’s meeting to request some wiggle room when it came to installing power lines between Max and Benedict this year.
“We’re running into some issues where farmers are concerned about having more obstructions on their land,” Popinga said of the project, which will run power lines along County Road 6 from Max and then north up 27th Avenue.
Popinga said power lines are typically installed 78 feet from the center of the road, but that meant placing poles about thirty feet into land being farmed.
“About 40 feet out is where they start farming, so we’re looking for the OK to be able to install poles closer to that range,” Popinga said.
Popinga said he hoped this would make the impact of the power lines less significant for the farmers in the area, and create consistency for installation.
