A group of Frisco residents won the first round of a fight to keep an Oncor substation away from their schools and neighborhoods Tuesday.
Frisco needs a new electric substation to power its "$5 billion mile," anchored by the Dallas Cowboys' new facility, The Star.
Oncor wants to build a two-acre substation along Legacy Drive, directly across the street from two schools, Legacy Christian Academy and Allen Elementary.
"We want it somewhere else, away from our kids, away from our neighborhoods," said LCA parent Charlyn Plunk.
More than 1,700 people signed a petition against the substation. It was started by Jamie Heit who created the Facebook group "Frisco Families Against Oncor Substation," which has more than 1,000 members.
"We're not just saying we don't want it in our backyard. We also know that there is other land in our area I think that would be a much more suitable option," Heit said.
Geoff Bailey, director of communications for Oncor, says the location on Legacy is the company's first pick because it has already has high-voltage power lines on the property and it isn't on a flood plain. Building it elsewhere, Bailey said, will require more money.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"This location on Legacy Drive is ideal and it's ideal for one main reason: because it saves customers money," Bailey said.
After months of discussions, the Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission voted Tuesday against Oncor's request for a special use permit. The permit is needed since the property is zoned for commercial use.
"I'm feeling very relieved," Heit said.
Oncor has 14 days from Tuesday to appeal the decision. It would send the issue to the Frisco City Council for a final vote.
Bailey said Tuesday night there had been no decision on whether Oncor will appeal.
