High voltalge line over baseball park

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Hey:

I searched in the forums, the NEC, and NESC, and nothing. I work at a government power utility and may be providing power to a bare aerial line for a new service. The potentially problematic situation is that the line goes over a school's baseball park, is there anything that I may have overlooked regarding a power line over a recreational area?
 

ggunn

PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Occupation
Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
Hey:

I searched in the forums, the NEC, and NESC, and nothing. I work at a government power utility and may be providing power to a bare aerial line for a new service. The potentially problematic situation is that the line goes over a school's baseball park, is there anything that I may have overlooked regarding a power line over a recreational area?
It calls to mind the finale scene of "The Natural".
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
It calls to mind the finale scene of "The Natural".

Wow, that's a blast (literally) from the past!

I'd think as a matter of common sense you'd want to avoid the ball park if possible. Just in case the area might be subject to hurricanes and the like. ;)
 

fmtjfw

Senior Member
Can they reach it holding a bat up in the air and jumping?

Seriously look it up in the NESC (if you a considered a utility) or NEC 225.60 or .61 taking into account vehicles that may run on the field (if you are not).
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
Hey:

I searched in the forums, the NEC, and NESC, and nothing. I work at a government power utility and may be providing power to a bare aerial line for a new service. The potentially problematic situation is that the line goes over a school's baseball park, is there anything that I may have overlooked regarding a power line over a recreational area?

If you have an easement, it means there's a baseball field under your power line.

If you have no easement, you need one, assuming it's done in PR as it's done in the US. Exception being if the baseball field is the customer for whom the new service is for, in which case it would be an easement by consent.

Around here it's common to have apartment parking lots but not buildings under power lines in the utility transmission easements.

An easement provides for a limited right of use; not ownership.
 

wbdvt

Senior Member
Location
Rutland, VT, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer, PE
I have also seen a 46kV line running over a Par 3 golf course. My ball did hit the line........

I would look at NESC for clearances and it would probably be the worst case for clearance over a road, unless you want to use for a sailboat on water.
 
It's interesting that these codes, with the exception of pools and beaches, don't include parks or recreational areas (playgrounds). It seems they rely on common sense, which is fine when every party is conscious about things like...children's life. Government is usually careful with public areas, but when it's a private property and service, the owners may disregard safety parameters not specified in the codes.

And so, although, as government agency, we may have authority to enforce a security issue, the owner and other parties may influence a decisition because of expenses and...other matters (I'm sure you all know what I mean). Then we are left with the option of just asking for a written exoneration of responsability and that's it.

It feels bad.

I think parks should be considered more by the codes, just as pools, beaches, and racetracks.
 
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