Greetings Sandia Heights Residents,
We have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we only have until this Friday, 4/17, at 5:00 to submit our emails to the County regarding the upcoming hearing on May 12, 2026.
The good news is that we are making it very easy for you to submit your email.
All you need to do is copy and paste kiverson@bernco.gov in the "To" field, copy and paste "Opposition to the Bernalillo County Planning Commission's recommendation to approve PNM's project applications (CSU2025-0009/SPR2025-0006) on the subject line, copy and paste the text below as the body of your text, sign it and hit send. We recommend you do it now. It will only take you 3-5 minutes max.
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Dear Bernalillo County Commissioners (submitted via Karen Iverson, BernCo Planning Department);
I respectfully request that you grant the Sandia Height's Homeowner's Association appeal of the BernCo Planning Commission's December 3rd recommendation to approve PNM's application for a Sector Plan Amendment and Special Use Permit to construct a large electric substation and install 90 ft. towers with 115kV transmission lines along Tramway Blvd.
The appeal is based on three main reasons:
1. PNM’s application presents information that is misleading or may misrepresent key project details.
2. There were procedural errors during the review and approval process.
3. The application itself lacks required information, making it incomplete.
Therefore, I urge you to firmly reject the Planning Commission's recommendation to approve PNM's project applications (CSU2025-0009/SPR2025-0006) to protect our community's interests.
I respectfully request that the County require three independent technical studies to be conducted by a qualified third-party engineering consultant as part of its review of PNM’s proposed project:
1. Substation siting study – A comprehensive evaluation of multiple potential locations for the proposed substation, focusing on areas of greatest need for additional electric power capacity.
2. Transmission corridor study – An analysis of potential transmission line routes that ensures full compliance with the requirements of the County’s Electrical Facilities Plan.
3. Undergrounding feasibility and cost study – A detailed assessment of the practicality, engineering considerations, and relative cost of placing transmission lines underground in connection with the proposed substation.
These independent analyses will provide an objective technical foundation for decision-making and help ensure the project aligns with community needs, environmental standards, and long-term infrastructure planning goals.
Please take immediate and decisive action on these requests when the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners meets on May 12th. Your leadership is crucial to ensuring the community’s voice is heard and acted upon.
Sincerely,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your email makes a real difference—the County Commissioners truly notice the volume of messages received. Whether you personalize your email or use our suggested draft, your support is essential. Every email counts in showing support for our appeal and sending a message to the Commission.
Thank you for being part of this effort!