Real Estate & Property Law

ITC Thumb Loop: We Got It Wrong, Sorta

By Alan Ackerman

In a March 29, 2011 post, this blog chastised ITC for its letter to landowners in the path of the Thumb Loop Project. ITC wrote owners letting them know the company planed to begin surveying for a right-of-way.

This blog chided ITC for failing to inform landowners that it planned to construct a double 345 kilovolt line—that is two power line towers running side-by-side through these owners' properties.

ITC wrote and reminded this writer that the letter contains the words 'double circuit project.' As you can see in the letter, however, the phrase 'double circuit' appears in a separate sentence from '345 kV transmission line,' and even then there is no explanation of what 'double circuit' means. Does the average Michigan property owner know that 'double circuit' implies dual power line towers? More poignantly, does this letter tell owners anything about what sort of impact construction of these lines will have on their properties?

It appears ITC's definition of 'informing property owners' differs greatly from that of this blog.

Full post as published by National Eminent Domain Blog on March 30, 2011 (boomark / email).