Riverside area residents skeptical of Evergy listening & information session on power lines
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Residents in the Riverside area wonder if there will be more large power poles in the future as Evergy looks to replace transmission lines between substations at 17th and Emporia to 11th and Jefferson.
“So we’re here to share preliminary plans with landowners. Get their feedback, and then before construction begins, we will present a more final design,” said Kaley Bolen, with Evergy Communications, on Tuesday.
Tuesday night, residents from Riverside and other areas gathered at the listening and information session at the Minisa shelter building in north Wichita.
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“I think Evergy listens, like anyone who is a good opponent listens,” said Riverside resident Meg Mathewson. “They listen. They’re cunning, they are playing strategies all the time. To see how they can best sell things. I’m very cynical about this corporation.”
Mathweson wonders what options are available for the area other than new power poles that could include steel poles.
“There are some other things that were on our minds in Riverside that they could do that we never go answers to,” said Mathewson. “I would have liked to have known what the underground possibilities might have been. I would have liked to have known what linking transmission and distribution pole operations could have been.”
Bohlen says Evergy is genuinely listening.
“We’ve actually been listening to the community for a while now, and we’ve taken their concerns into consideration already,” said Bohlen. “Again, we are doing whatever we can to use wood poles wherever possible along this stretch of line.”
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Paul Pfannenstiel lives in the 12th and Topeka area and came to the session to have a say and learn more.
“I’m hoping they’re going to do the right thing,” said Pfannenstiel. “I would say look at it as if you were living here. And what you would expect to be done on your property.”
Evergy says it continues to listen and take public comment. You can offer Evergy your thoughts at www.evergy.com/riverside.
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