NORWICH – Studies vary on the impact of power lines on nearby property values, according to local experts and a report in New York Regional Interconnect’s latest application filing.
While some studies cited in the NYRI report claim that transmission lines have little to no effect on home sales, which drive property values, others in that same report indicate there could be a significant decrease – in some cases between 2 and 10 percent – depending on how close the house is.
The filing is currently being reviewed by the state’s Public Service Commission under what’s known as Article VII, the power line permit review process. In one section, it claims the nearby Marcy-South power line did not have a “significant” impact on property values.
Prepared by an engineering firm hired by NYRI, the report eventually concludes that, “In short, most studies conclude proximity to a HVTL (High Voltage Transmission Line) per se does not necessarily lead to a drop in the value of surrounding properties.”
David Adams, one of three assessors for the Town of Norwich, believes that a high voltage line like NYRI’s could negatively impact home values in certain instances.
“It depends what kind of line it is. A high voltage line like that, if it runs down the middle of your property, typically knocks off about 30 percent,” said Adams, basing that assertion on information he’s gathered from state assessor classes.
In the Town of Norwich, properties in the Warner Road housing development off Polkville Hill, which borders the NYRI right of way, could be hit the hardest, Adams said.
“Those people have some concerns,” he said. “Theirs are the most legitimate concerns.”
On the other hand, Town of Sherburne assessor Rochelle Harris said she hasn’t been able to find any concrete data on a power line’s impact.
“It’s hard to say,” Harris said. “What I have seen is there in nothing set in stone as to what it truly does to property values.”
Harris said she’s heard that in some places, power lines could lower values in the first year or two they’re built, and that prices return or level out once the facilities become a permanent part of the landscape. If built, the impact NYRI would have on a home would depend on how sales of similar homes in that vicinity have been affected, she said.
A spokesman for the New York State Association of Realtors said there’s no hard data on how power lines affect home sales.
“Generally, the market price is set by the location and desirability of the property. The effect of an outside influence would depend on the individual,” said Salvatore I. Prividera Jr. “Certainly I would suppose you would have a segment of buyers who would not find that desirable ... There is no hard data.”
NYRI’s report claims that homes near transmission right of ways appreciate at the same value as homes located further away. It also acknowledges that agricultural land could be adversely impacted, if irrigation and farm operations are affected.
NYRI’s consultant, from the firm “CH2M HILL,” cited findings from his own studies and others conducted over the last 30-plus years.
“A study by the respected engineering firm, CH2M HILL, shows that significant adverse impacts on property values are unlikely,” said NYRI President Chris Thompson in a statement provided by the company’s spokesman Tuesday.
One study offered in the filing even claims that in some instances in Canada, there’s been a rise in the value of properties near power lines in neighborhoods where they’ve been viewed as aesthetically pleasing.
NYRI is proposing to build a $2.1 billion power line from Utica to Orange County. It would run through 44.5 miles of Chenango County, which includes the towns of Sherburne, North Norwich, Norwich, Guilford, Bainbridge and Afton.
Company officials say the 1,200 megawatt line, looking to be built by 2011, will relieve energy constraints downstate. However, the state grid operator has reported that NYRI’s power line “need not be implemented” to meet energy needs through 2016.