By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff
The Ponderay City Council held its regular meeting May 18, during which the board heard Avista Utilities’ application for a special use permit to build a public utility complex near the intersection of East Bronx Road and U.S. Highway 95. The council unanimously approved the application, paving the way for the development of a substation and office building over the next decade.
The 22-acre parcel is zoned commercial and is surrounded by a variety of commercial, residential and agricultural land uses. Avista purchased the property in 2018 near Northern Lights’ existing substation to account for population growth — and the increasing need for power — in the area. From 2020 to 2023, the surrounding population increased by 15.8%.
Avista will develop the facility over the next decade, beginning with the construction of a six-acre substation to convert high-voltage electricity to lower voltage and distribute it throughout the area. The facility will increase electrical reliability in the area and limit the geographical spread of power outages when they occur.
To mitigate the impact on adjacent properties, Avista will also consistently spray water and magnesium chloride to help with dust abatement on the gravel road until the company can lay asphalt along East Bronx Road from the highway to the intersection with Craig Court.
Within the next 10 years, developers also plan to build a large service center on the site with offices for billing, account management and other customer support services.
Approximately 73% of the property will remain undeveloped, retaining its current use as pasture for nearby cattle. A mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees, along with a nine-foot noise-absorptive wall, will obscure the facility’s infrastructure from neighboring properties’ views. Avista also plans to landscape parts of the parcel, adding decorative boulders and a large detention pond, which will catch and drain stormwater runoff.
For more information, or to read the complete application, visit bit.ly/BronxAvista.
