Hundreds of Frisco residents have signed a petition against a proposed Oncor Electric Delivery Company substation on Legacy Drive across from Allen Elementary School.

The Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing in May regarding Oncor seeking a special-use permit, or SUP, for a substation on Legacy. Residents expressed concerns about the zoning of the property and what they called potential health risks of the substation. No decision was made and the issue will appear again at a future meeting.

Oncor would like to begin construction by November and have the substation ready by June 2017.

The substation would power the $5 billion mile which includes The Star, The Dallas Cowboys’ new headquarters, other developments and existing Oncor customers throughout the city.

The new proposed substation is needed to keep up with the power demand in Frisco, according to Oncor. Oncor serves Frisco with four substations and half of those are within city limits.

“As new [developments] come in, in the next couple of years, they will demand electricity that we would be unable to serve because the substations will have reached their full capacity,” said Jaren Taylor, an attorney with law firm Vinson and Elkins, which is working with Oncor.

Some residents, such as Jamie Heit, who lives in the nearby Estates of Legacy, are upset about the potential change in zoning.

“We know as residents that the substation needs to go somewhere, but we bought our homes knowing that area was zoned for commercial, not utility,” said Heit, who heads the Frisco Families Against Oncor Substation protest group. “If I had known it was going to be used for utility, I would have bought my home elsewhere.”

Some City Council members and P&Z commissioners have already voiced opposition to the proposed location, including Council Member Will Sowell.

“My main concern is zoning, because when you bought a house in that area you believed that location was zoned for commercial use, not utility,” Sowell said. “I don’t think it’s fair to do that to the homeowners.”

Although Oncor has looked at other locations for the substation, the location on Legacy is the most feasible, Taylor said.

Taylor said advantages of the location on Legacy are that it is directly adjacent to existing transmission lines, it is the closest site to the delivery points, it is out of a flood plain and the land is available.

Another location Oncor considered was south of the Brazos Electric substation on 4th Army Drive. However, because the area has underground utilities and is in a flood plain it would require more work and added costs to relocate the utilities.

Oncor spokesperson Kris Spears said the electric company has done a substantial amount of work to strike a balance between the obligation to offer a safe and reliable service while being cost-effective.

“There’s many factors we have to balance in situations like this when it comes to building new facilities or being able to service a large load area,” Spears said.

Former P&Z Chairman Bill Woodard, who took office as a City Council member July 1, said he believes the 4th Army Drive location is a better solution.

“I understand there are some engineering issues to work through, but I would like to work with Oncor to come to a solution that works for everyone,” Woodard said.

Oncor submitted the application for the SUP to the city March 14, Director of Development Services John Lettelleir said. City staff then began their investigative work.

If the P&Z commission turns down the SUP, Oncor could appeal to City Council.

If council turns down the SUP, Oncor could find another location and restart the SUP process. Oncor could also appeal to the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

“In order to maintain power quality and service to the Greater Frisco area, a new station will absolutely be required, and potentially more than one,” Taylor said.