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landowners, and governmental units. On December 14, 2010, the Applicant filed an <br /> Affidavit of Publication of the Notice of Public Hearing.12 <br /> Summary of Public Testimony <br /> Michael and Leena Kallivayalil, residents of the Huntington Farm neighborhood, <br /> assert that the Applicant's proposal for substation expansion relies too heavily on the <br /> fact that it already owns the underlying property, when, other nearby properties would <br /> be better suited to host the larger, upgraded station. Further, the Kallivayalils argue that <br /> the shielding techniques proposed by the Applicants are not adequate to address the <br /> visual and other impacts from an expanded substation.13 <br /> Melissa Fogelberg, a resident of the Huntington Farm neighborhood, joins the <br /> Kallivayalils in arguing that the substation expansion should not occur at the existing <br /> substation site. Specifically, Ms. Fogelberg argues that the applicant's proposal is at <br /> odds with both the City of Orono's land use plans as well as the efforts of the Minnesota <br /> Department of Transportations to improve the aesthetics of the Highway 12 corridor. <br /> Further, she submitted that any uncertainty as to the impacts to human health from <br /> electromagnetic field emissions from such facilities should be resolved in favor of <br /> homeowners by siting such stations as far away as possible from residential areas. She <br /> urges the Commission to withhold approval until the Applicant "has adequately, <br /> vigorously and diligently pursued other locations for the substation."14 Joining the <br /> Kallivayalils in asserting the mitigation measures proposed by the Applicants are <br /> inadequate to shield a facility of the proposed substation's size and dimension, in the <br /> alternative, she urges the Commission to consider the type of shielding methods used <br /> for substations in Britain and Japan.15 <br /> Kelly Grissman, Senior Manager of Planning for the Three Rivers Park District, <br /> testified as to the impacts that one of the transmission line routing alternatives would <br /> have to the Baker Regional Park Reserve. The Reserve is a 3,000 acre set of parcels <br /> that provide natural habitat, recreation and a trail system in Orono, Minnesota. Ms. <br /> Grissman asserted that the proposed routing would not benefit the reserve. Moreover, <br /> she argued that because the buffer zones which separate habitat and recreational areas <br /> in the reserve from Highway 12, would be narrowed under the routing alternative, that <br /> alternative would degrade the Reserve's plans and uses.16 <br /> Paul Fraser, a resident of the Huntington Farm neighborhood, concurred with Ms. <br /> Fogelberg's assessment that more could be done to shield and reduce the visual <br /> impacts from an expanded substation. Mr. Fraser argued that because the uses that <br /> 12 Affidavit of Publication, OAH 8-2500-22429-2 (E-Docket No. 201112-69250-01). <br /> 13 See, Hearing Transcript, OAH 8-2500-22429-2 at 18 -28 (E-Docket No. 20121-69850-01). <br /> 14 Id., at 40. <br /> 15 Id., at 39. <br /> 16 Id., at 41 -47. <br /> 3 <br />