Bobwhite-Manatee Transmission Line
FPL's proposed corridor for serving the future power needs of Manatee and Sarasota Counties
Study areas within Manatee and Sarasota Counties
The Project Area
FPL is embarking on construction on a new transmission line in order to better serve the current and future power needs of Manatee and Sarasota counties.
The placement of the transmission line was carefully planned in order to avoid environmentally sensitive lands, homes, and schools in addition to having the corridor being as short as possible to avoid unnecessary costs.
The construction of this transmission line ensures that FPL will be able to provide adequate and reliable service to the target counties now and in the future.
The GIS work for this project was done in the Albers projection which is ideal for the entire state of Florida.
Environmentally Sensitive Lands
Conserved lands and wetlands impacted by the proposed corridor's path
The proposed corridor for the transmission line takes into account both conserved lands and wetlands accounted for by the US Fish and Wildlife National Wetlands Inventory.
Of the conserved lands, 164 acres are impacted by the corridor.
Additionally, within the study area less than 5% of the wetlands are impacted by the corridor.
The proposed path of the corridor is designed as to impact environmentally sensitive lands as minimally as possible.
Chart demonstrating the extent of the impact of the corridor on the wetlands within the study area.
Transmission Line's Proximity to Homes
Homes within the corridor and within the 400 ft buffer have been identified. Additionally, the parcels that exist within 400 ft of the corridor have also been isolated.
Homes within the corridor itself and within 400 ft of the corridor's path were identified via aerial photography. Only 13 homes are within the corridor and 40 are within the buffer zone.
Of parcels within 400 ft of the corridor, there are 53 in Sarasota county and 202 in Manatee county. The corridor mostly travels through sparsely populated rural areas for minimal disruption of human activities.
Proximity to Schools and Daycares
Map demonstrating that there are no schools or daycare centers within the corridor or the 400ft buffer surrounding it.
The proposed corridor does not intersect with any schools or daycare centers. There are also no schools or daycare centers within the 400ft buffer surrounding the corridor.
The nearest school is Hope Presbyterian School and the nearest daycare is Sprouts Child Development Center. Both of these are about a third of a mile away from the corridor which is an adequately safe distance away.
Length of the Corridor
Map detailing the path of the centerline within the proposed corridor
A final factor to consider is the length of the corridor. The length influences factors such as construction cost and time. A shorter corridor also means a smaller area will need to be maintained during the life of the structure, further keeping down the cost of the transmission line.
The length is approximated by a centerline running through the proposed corridor.
The length of the corridor is approximately 25 miles.
Conclusions
- Minimal environmental impact
- Few homes within or near corridor
- Low disruption to human activity and communities
- No schools or daycare centers within or near corridor
- Good length for designated criteria
