Lexington leaders, Kentucky Utlities reach agreement on tree removal plan

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) -After months of protests and heated council conferences, Lexington leaders have authorized a memorandum of understanding with Kentucky Utilities relating to the controversial line clearing plan.

The difficulty included tree trimming, removing and substitute practices. KU says the work is designed to take care of and shield the utility’s infrastructure and improve the protection and reliability of the system by conserving timber from coming involved with overhead, high-voltage electrical transmission strains.

In response to outcry from neighbors, Mayor Linda Gorton requested KU contemplate six requests associated to the vegetation program, and paused litigation filed by the town to halt the work.

“We requested KU for an settlement that will protect our electrical grid and shield our timber and the fantastic thing about our neighborhoods. I began engaged on this with KU lengthy earlier than the chopping started final yr, and laid the muse for this settlement,” Gorton mentioned. “KU listened. We labored collectively and now have a superb plan that’s applicable for our metropolis.”

“Whereas we take a considerate method to the vegetation administration efforts required to take care of our system, after evaluating our present processes, we’ve made some modifications to handle considerations raised by Mayor Gorton and neighborhood members,” mentioned Beth McFarland, vp of Transmission at KU and sister utility LG&E. “We respect the town’s willingness to work collectively to achieve the very best decision for the town and our clients.”

“This has been a tough course of,” neighbor Matt Harrison mentioned to council Thursday. “Actually we notice you (KU) had the authorized proper to do nothing totally different than you had deliberate. I do know I communicate on behalf of a few of my neighbors, we hoped you’d do some bit extra.”

Among the many updates to KU’s vegetation administration program:

• KU is modifying the evaluation used to find out which timber, inside or on the borders of its transmission rights-of-way, have to be trimmed or eliminated;

• Financial compensation for personal property homeowners with timber impacted by the work will enhance by 20%, in the course of the preliminary reclaim cycle;

• And the utility will proceed its coordination with the town on replantings on public property.

Gorton’s six requests, met by KU, have been:

• Think about potential for adjustments and compromise to scale back the quantity of tree chopping

• Extra strong revegetation on personal and public property easements

• Higher notification to neighborhoods and neighbors

• Permit LFUCG to supply enter on the stormwater examine KU intends to conduct within the Lakeside space

• Examine the Kentucky geological survey maps for potential sinkhole impacts

• Implement at the very least a minimal 30-day moratorium to contemplate the above requests.

With the ultimate approval of the settlement, the town will dismiss its beforehand suspended authorized motion and KU will resume its vegetation administration work beneath the brand new settlement.

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