Glenwood Springs Sends Xcel Back To Drawing Board

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - The Glenwood Springs City Council has voted to overturn the city planning commission's after-the-fact approval of electric towers that Xcel Energy Inc. installed.

At issue are four towers Xcel put up in October as part of a transmission line upgrade project. City leaders say Xcel didn't get a special use permit for the work. The towers are at least 50 feet tall, but the city's hillside preservation zone has a 27-foot height restriction.

Xcel's siting and land rights supervisor Michael Diehl says the utility wrongly assumed a permit wasn't required.

Council members voted 6-1 Thursday to require Xcel to file an application for a new tower design by Oct. 31.

The Post Independent reports that likely means the towers could be removed next year.

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