20150521-5039 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 5/21/2015 8:39:07 AM

Scott D. and Mona L. Bartholomew

Bartholomew Farms
4 Bartholomew Road
Millville, PA 17846
bartholomewfarms@frontiernet.net

May 21,2015
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N .E. D
Washington, D.C. 20426
Attention: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary
Reference:

Atlantic Sunrise Project, FERC Docket No. CP15-138

Proposed route change on lands of Scott D. Bartholomew and Mona L. Bartholomew
CPL South Pipeline, RIW # PA-C0-175.000, Tax Map# 27,01-014-00,000
Orange Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The purpose of this letter is to file comments and request a change of the location of the
referenced pipeline as it crosses our referenced property. The original pipeline route, as
proposed in the summer of2014, was recently changed due to the selection of the C.S. #610
compressor station site on lands of Irvin Martenas which adjoins our farm in Orange Township,
Columbia County, P A. The revised pipeline route will have a devastating effect on the future
use of our property for continued agricultural operations, future poultry/egg production building
sites, and future development of residential building sites. Attached are two plats. Exhibit "A"
depicts our farm, the original pipeline route, the revised pipeline route, two options for
alternative pipeline routes and future building lots that would be impacted by the pipeline.
Exhibit "B" is an aerial view of our farm which depicts the layout of our farming operation, crop
fields, the poultry/egg production building and the revised pipeline route.
In May, 2014, we were contacted by Universal Field Services, as agent for Williams j
Transcontinental Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) to request permission to conduct
surveys for the proposed Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Project.
The original route is labeled "Original Route" on attached Exhibit "A". The Original Route
crosses about six hundred (600) feet of wooded land at the northwest corner of our farm.
The Original Route avoided all high value farm fields, poultry/egg production building sites
and road frontage with future real estate development potential. We felt the Original
Pipeline route was in a good location and we granted permission to conduct surveys for
pipeline.

20150521-5039 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 5/21/2015 8:39:07 AM

Transco selected a compressor station site (C.S. 610 Site) on the neighboring Martenas
property and negotiated an option to purchase the compressor station site in September,
2014.
Transco made no further contact with us to discuss any revised pipeline route location or
to secure permission to survey a revised route to connect the pipeline with the compressor
station site on the neighboring Martenas property.
On April 20, 2015, a Right of Way Agent for Universal Field Services met with us to discuss
granting an easement for the proposed pipeline. The agent provided the proposed
easement agreements with a plat depicting a totally revised pipeline route. The pipeline
route is depicted on Exhibit "A" as "Revised Route". This was the first time we became
aware of a revised pipeline route.
We were shocked to learn the original pipeline route that initially crossed a six hundred
foot long wooded strip in the northwest corner of the farm was revised to bisect the farm
and adversely affect over 2,600 feet of prime farm land with at least three future
poultry /egg production building sites; two future building lots, one on each side of the
pipeline crossing of Bartholomew Road; another two future building lots, one on each side
of the pipeline crossing of Welliversville Road; as well as up to ten future building lots with
one hundred (100) feet of frontage each, on the south side ofWelliversville Road where the
Revised Route extends parallel to and within three hundred feet ofWelliversville Road.
Based on the location of the Revised Route, as depicted on the attached Exhibit "A" it is
obvious that the pipeline route will seriously damage the value of the real estate's best and
highest use, which is future poultry jegg production building sites or prime residential
building lots along Bartholomew and Welliversville Roads.
The Landowner's Family has owned and farmed the property since 1952 and the farm has
been sold to the next generation for the past three generations. Each generation selling to
the next generation so the former owner could receive fair market value for the farm and
enjoy retirement. Siting the proposed pipeline at the Revised Route location will damage
the real estate development value of the farm; which, in turn, will adversely impact our
retirement plans.
It is unfortunate that Transco did not attempt to discuss the revised route with us prior to
the FERC Filing. The agent explained the route and the consideration are both nonnegotiable because the route has been submitted to FERC. During the second meeting with
the right of way agent on May 5, 2015, the agent was advised that the revised route and
offered consideration for the easement were unacceptable and the agent was requested to
ask Transco to reconsider the route location to follow the north and west property lines, or
to increase the offer consideration to account for the excessive damage to the value of
future building lots.

20150521-5039 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 5/21/2015 8:39:07 AM

Option 1 Route
By paralleling our north property line from the northwest corner of the compressor station
site, at MP112.6, to a point that intercepts the original route, labeled "Option 1 Route" on
Exhibit ''A'', then continuing southwest to the Diltz property on the original route, there
would be less damage to both agricultural land and future building lots as would occur with
the Revised Route pipeline location.
Option 2 Route
If Transco is unable to justify the reconnection to the Original Route required by Option 1,
then a reasonable alternative would be to depart from the Original Route at our west
property line, then continue southward along and parallel to our west property line
crossing Welliversville Road, then intercepting the Revised Route where it enters the Diltz
property south ofWelliversville Road. The alternative route is labeled "Option 2 Route"
and depicted on Exhibit "A". There would be damage to the value of an additional two road
frontage lots on Welliversville Road. Again, there would be less damage to both
agricultural land and future building lots as would occur with the Revised Route pipeline
location.
Further, we were astonished when the agent discussed the financial terms of the offer and
advised that the $6,000.00 per acre early signing incentive, being thirty percent (30%) of
the permanent easement offer, would be withdrawn if the easement was not signed within
sixty days of the initial meeting on April 20, 2015. This deadline places additional stress on
our decision making process and leaves us with the impression that neither the route nor
the consideration will be changed to accommodate our concerns. Due to the June 20, 2015
deadline, we will be faced with considering a substantially lesser amount if we delay the
decision.
During the abovementioned meetings, we were in the midst of our busiest time of year,
being the corn and soybean planting season. It was difficult to set appointments, but the
agent was able to meet with us during a rain day when we took a break while maintaining
the planting equipment.
On May 13, the agent contacted us to follow up on the questions raised during the May 5
meeting regarding the request to change the pipeline route or increase the consideration to
account for the value of the future building lots. The agent advised that Transco would not
change the pipeline route nor increase the consideration to account for damage to the value
of the future building lots. Furthermore, the agent adamantly insisted that Transco only
considers the current land use, rather than the best and highest value land use. It is
unfortunate that Trans co will not consider the best and highest value of the property, being
for future building lots.
As we tried to understand the rationale behind Transco's reluctance to change the pipeline
route and refusal to increase the consideration, we asked the agent ifTransco is paying any
greater amounts for easements on building lots or commercial properties in other areas of
the pipeline project, such as the crossing location of US Route 11 south of Bloomsburg. The
agent explained the same values are applied to all properties, and Transco is not changing

20150521-5039 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 5/21/2015 8:39:07 AM

the value of any offers. It is unsettling to know that Transco's opinion of the value of our
property, being high value agricultural property with future development potential, is no
different than low value waste land. If this is the case, then we will need to secure legal
assistance, at considerable expense, to argue that our farm land with future residential
development sites has a higher value than waste land. This seems unfair.
In an effort to reach an acceptable compromise, we hereby propose an alternate pipeline
route, depicted as "Option 1" on Exhibit "A". Option 1 connects the compressor station site
to the original route. Option 1 is entirely on our property.
In the event that Transco is unable to justify reconsidering the original pipeline route, then
we hereby propose a second alternate pipeline route, depicted as "Option 2" on Exhibit "A".
Option 2 connects the original route at the northwest corner of our property to the point
where the revised route enters the Diltz property on the south side ofWelliversville Road.
Both Options 1 and 2 involve damage to the value of road frontage building lots and it
would be expected that Transco would be able to justify an increased offer to account for
the damage to the value of future subdivided building lots.
The Option 1 and Option 2 pipeline routes would have less impact on our agricultural
property and less impact on future building lots.
Thank you for considering our concerns.
Respectfully submitted,

~~br---. Scott D. Bartholomew

Mona L. Bartholomew

20150521-5039 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 5/21/2015 8:39:07 AM

EXHIBIT "A"

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ORIGINAL ROUTE
REVISED ROUTE
OPTION 1 ROUTE

-----

600

1,200

- - OPTION 2 ROUTE

1,800

SCALE IN FEET

William~

r:-;-::r..; V/000 GROUP

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Transcontinental Gils Plpo Line Company LLC

LEGEND
PIPELINE

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PROPERTY BOUNDARY

2635 FEET

ATLANTIC SUNRISE PROJECT

149.94 ACRES

c=.-=:.J

AREA OF PERMANENT RIGHT OF WAY

3.02 ACRES

L~

AREA OF TEMPORARY WORKSPACE

3.09 ACRES

AREA OF ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY WORKSPACE

1.27 ACRES

PROPOSED ~2" CPL SOUTH

ORANGE TOWNSHIP
COLUMBIA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Uol e: (1) Propeny lloundari!S shown t~r o b:&t;cd on county <ISst'ssor's mJp s ;'Jnd plpclmc Ct'nhulmt' location is ba S(Id on GPS d.1t:.. (2) Acccso:; fOild S
m3y be required on rhi s tract in lhtr lutul t'.

a_nd_ad~i!io~l t~mpor-ary worksp~ce are subjcct to c h.:tnge. Access ro ads and .ad d ition.:~ lt empor3ry work sp :. cc

PROPERTY OF :
SCOlT D BARTHOLOMEW AND
MONA L BARTHOLOMEW

SCALE:

1" GOO'

DATE:

01123120 IS

AFFECTED TRACT II UMBER: PAC0175.000

DRAWING NO. ZI IG00.701flo\ I P,\.C0.175.000

20150521-5039 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 5/21/2015 8:39:07 AM

Williams Atlantic Sunrise

Printed 4/16/15

1 : 7122
400m
lOOOft
AND 2010 NAVTEQ 2015 Microsoft Corporation Earthstar Geographies
SIO Image courtesy of USGS

20150521-5039 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 5/21/2015 8:39:07 AM

Document Content(s)
FERC Letter.5.21.15.PDF...............................................1-6