A revised proposal for a substation used to power the Cobbs Creek Reservoir was recommended to the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors by the Cumberland County Planning Commission during its meeting Monday.

The revised proposal moves the location of the proposed substation by 200 feet. The substation is proposed to be located in the area of 1617 Cartersville Road.

“Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) has applied to build a 115-(Kilovolts) KV transmission tap line that would be around 2,100 feet long, and lie within a 100 foot easement provided by Henrico County,” the board packet for a past commission meeting cited. “They are also proposing to construct an electric substation on a 110’ by 150’ (foot) site owned by Henrico County. The substation would serve the Cobbs Creek Reservoir pump station as well as 475 customers of CVEC.”

Commission members voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the revised substation proposal, Planning and Zoning Director J.P. Duncan said. Vice Chair Randy Bryan was absent, Duncan said.

The initial application for the substation was recommended by the commission in July and approved by the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors during the board’s August meeting.

The commission also discussed and voted 6-0 to recommend allowing electrical substations and wireless telecommunications facilities in Residential-2 and Residential-3 zoning districts.

Electrical substations, distribution centers and transformer stations, according to the commission board packet, “mean premises which may or may not contain buildings, where the interconnection and usual transformation of electrical service takes place between systems. An electrical substation shall be secondary, supplementary, subordinate, and auxiliary to the main system.”

Wireless telecommunications facilities, according to the board packet, is defined as meaning “all infrastructure and equipment including but not limited to antenna support structures, antennas, transmission cables, equipment shelters, equipment cabinets, utility pedestals, ground systems, fencing, signage and other ancillary equipment associated with the transmission or reception of wireless communications.”

Commission members voted to table proposed reductions in the county’s setback allowances, reducing the distance between buildings or residential properties and roads.

Setbacks between properties and designated primary highways for Agricultural-2 are proposed to be reduced from 130 to 100 feet, with all other public roads proposed to be at 75 feet. The minimum side requirements would remain at 25 feet for principal structure and 5 feet for accessory structures.

For Residential-1 properties, setbacks between properties and designated primary highways are similarly proposed to be reduced from 130 to 100 feet, with all other roads remaining the same at 75 feet.

Duncan said the proposed setback allowances are set to fall more in line with the measurements of setback allowances in surrounding counties.