Status:

In review

Type:

Pre-Application

Address:

1602 N VINE AV

Apply Date:

06/09/2025

Applicant:

Jared

Description:

Special Exception Land Use Pre-Application Conference: Vine 138 Kilovolt Substation Project Description Tucson Electric Power (TEP) is proposing the construction of the Vine 138 Kilovolt (kV) Substation. This project will replace older, lower-voltage equipment that cannot keep pace with the increasing energy use in central Tucson, an area that includes historic neighborhoods, popular business districts and the University of Arizona campus. Peak power demand in the area has nearly reached the capacity of that older system, reducing electric reliability and leading to longer power outages on some circuits. The Vine Substation will interconnect with the Kino Substation, located at the southeast corner of South Kino Parkway and East 36th Street, and the DeMoss-Petrie Substation, located near Interstate 10 and West Grant Road. The transmission line route used to connect these three substations was approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) in September 2024 (see attached). TEP plans to move forward with the construction of Route B4. The Vine Substation will be located immediately north of the existing UA MED 46 kV Substation (east of North Vine Street and west of the Banner - University Medical Center Tucson staff parking garage, see attached). The Vine Substation will be a 138 kV-13.8 kV substation with three (3) 75 megavolt-amperes (MVA) transformers and gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) equipment. GIS equipment significantly reduces the area footprint of a substation. GIS substations are considered industry standard alternatives to standard air-insulated switchgear substations in locations where large land parcels are not available. TEP currently operates the Tucson Substation, located north of downtown Tucson, with GIS equipment. This equipment has been in service for over 15 years. Background The Project is located on the east side of N. Vine Avenue where it intersects N. Ring Road on the Banner University Medical Center Campus, just west of the Banner staff parking garage (see attached). The Property is zoned R-2 and is surrounded by R-2 zoning on 3 sides (east, west and south). The east boundary is adjacent to N. Ring Rd., which is a private driveway serving Banner, the west boundary is adjacent to N. Vine Ave., and the south boundary is adjacent to a 46 kV electric substation. The property to the north is zoned NR-1, and its existing use is a UA-owned salvaging and recycling operation. Project Requests The Property is zoned R-2, and a Special Exception Land Use Permit (SELUP) is required to establish the Distribution System use under the Utility Land Use Group in R-2 zone. In its SELUP application, TEP will request conditions regarding the following standards. 1. Setbacks A 20-foot setback will be provided along the western boundary adjacent to N. Vine Ave. Where adjacent to a residential zone, a 20-foot setback is required per applicable use-specific standard (UDC § 4.9.11.1). The Property is surrounded on three sides (north, south and east) by residential zoning but no residential uses. Because there is no building proposed with this Project and the perimeter wall is over 10 feet in height (see below), the Project’s screen wall will serve as the building wall for purposes of setbacks (UDC § 4.9.11.2). TEP intends to construct the perimeter wall on the property line for safety purposes. TEP will request relief from the 20-foot setback adjacent to residential zones on three of the Project’s boundaries (north, south and east) to place the perimeter wall on the property line. 2. Walls Applicable use-specific standards for Distribution Systems specify that the height of the perimeter wall must be 10 feet in height where contiguous to a residential zone (UDC § 4.9.11.9 & 10). In accordance with federal critical infrastructure standards, TEP must ensure the protection of its electric infrastructure. TEP has conducted an in-depth review of these CIP standards, specifically related to the prevention of physical breaches of their substation facilities. TEP has developed security standards that include the use of minimum 12-foot-high masonry security walls around its electric power substations. Further, TEP has agreed with the UA to match the perimeter wall height and design of the existing UA substation perimeter wall to the south. That wall is 13.5 feet in height. Contact Information: Brian Pugh, AICP Consulting Project Manager, Sonoran Land Resources bpugh@sonoranlandresources.com (520) 349-4029 Jared Dickenson Environmental Land Use Planner, Tucson Electric Power Jared.dickenson@tep.com (520)-240-7137

Architects:

Sonoran Land Resources

Tucson Electric Power

Contractors: