Landowner Requests for Conditional Right-of-Way Use Approval

A landowner’s first step in seeking a conditional right-of-way use approval is to contact a VELCO ROW Department Representative and discuss preliminary plans. VELCO’s ROW Department may be reached by calling 802.770.6357 or by email at row@velco.com.

After the informal consultation has taken place, the landowner should submit a Request for Conditional Right-of-Way Use Approval as detailed below, along with formal design drawings and other necessary documents. The request should be sent to:

Attn: Christine Carr
Right-of-Way Department
Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc.
366 Pinnacle Ridge Road
Rutland, VT 05701

The request should include:

1. A letter of request with a brief narrative of the proposed use and plans or or complete and submit the downloadable application form.
   
2. A surveyed plot plan with elevations drawn to scale and stamped by a Vermont Registered Land Surveyor. Existing VELCO transmission line profile sections should have an exaggerated vertical scale ten times that of the horizontal scale (at V: 1" = 20’ & H: 1" = 200’) showing existing and proposed ground elevations. The plan must show all pertinent dimensions referenced to the edge of right-of-way and numbered transmission structures within.
   
3. Electrical grounding and other design plans should be prepared by and stamped by a Vermont Professional Engineer or a licensed professional.
   
4. For proposed uses that require permits, licenses, or other authorizations from someone other than VELCO, a list of same, indicating the status of those applications (e.g., approved or pending, etc.) or permits shall be included in the submittal package, except for storm water permits. A complete copy of the storm water permit (or pending application) is required, since it may involve grading within VELCO’s right-of-way.

Proposals that include driveways or parking areas near VELCO structures may require protective barriers to prevent vehicular contact with towers and other utility equipment. Parking within or adjacent to the right-of-way may induce an electric charge on the vehicle. Induced charges may also be imposed on objects such as fences, signs, or any other conductive object. An engineering firm should be consulted to provide a proper grounding system to prevent induced shock. Construction vehicles operating near transmission lines should be properly grounded.

The submittal must include a proposed construction schedule that identifies the earliest and latest start and completion dates. A properly submitted proposal will be reviewed by VELCO’s Engineering Department and associated manager and considered for conditional approval if the request, in VELCO’s sole opinion, does not interfere with the operating needs of VELCO (including regulatory requirements) or compromise public safety.  For more complex requests, VELCO may require that a deposit to cover estimated additional engineering costs be paid in advance of the review.

Within 45 days of construction completion, all applicants with a conditionally approved project are required to provide VELCO with an "as-built" set of drawings stamped by a Vermont Professional Engineer, a Vermont Registered Land Surveyor, or a licensed professional showing concurrence with, or minor deviations from, the VELCO approved plan.