| Preface: The electric company has a new, and what may be considered aggressive, program to manage vegetation around electric lines and poles. This is a report from the HOA meeting with representatives from the company. |
SANGRE DE CRISTO ELECTRIC CO-OP MEETING
August 17, 2020
The meeting opened with an explanation that no clearing around power lines has been done for many years. Clearing is necessary for fire mitigation and to allow access to power lines. This Vegetation Management Initiative will be done for all areas covered by Sangre de Cristo Electric (SDCE). They anticipate starting in the Westcliffe area in 1-2 years.
There is no way to estimate the cost to bury lines due to varying accessibility in different locations. The difficult terrain makes it way more expensive to bury lines in Tanglewood. Electric lines have to be buried 4’ deep. SDCE has to do the work to ensure that it’s done correctly.
SDCE will work with each homeowner to determine what is done with the downed trees. They can leave the logs for firewood, mulch the logs or remove them.
There are three types of electrical lines in Tanglewood. A primary line carries 7,200 volts of electricity and these lines have to be cleared of trees for 15’ on each side. An example of a primary line is the one going up Pine Cone Lane (the road going uphill past the covered bridge). A tap line carries power from a primary line to a group of cabins. These lines also have to be cleared 15’ on each side. Unfortunately, Tanglewood has quite a few of these lines and they may go across property, rather than being located on a pole near a road. Both a primary line and a tap line carry 7,200 volts of electricity and therefore must be treated the same. A secondary line carries 120-240 volts of electricity and it takes power from the tap line to the individual cabin. The electric company does NOT maintain secondary lines. It is the responsibility of the home owner to maintain the line.
SDCE representatives also mentioned that many meters are located on cabins. The preference is to have meters moved to the nearest pole.
These changes will have a dramatic affect on the aesthetics of Tanglewood. We all need to work together for our common good. We are actively in contact with SDCE to determine the cost to develop a MASTER PLAN for Tanglewood. This would likely involve moving or adding some electric poles so that Tap lines will be near a road, rather than crossing private property. At this time, we are looking at every option to reduce the loss of trees. Our recommendation is to NOT request a site visit from SDCE to determine the cost to bury your lines. The cost is $275 and we feel that a Master Plan needs to be determined first. In addition, the line to your cabin is a secondary line, and the electric company is not clearing trees around any secondary lines.
Please feel free to contact any one of us if you have any ideas, recommendations or questions.
PAUL MCGRADY
SHARI COPELAND
LINDA WITTER