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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 4 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Environmental Consequences PAGE 4-242 equipment in the vicinity of the immediately affected area. A new transmission line also has the potential to affect farm operations that employ pivot irrigation systems (see Section 4.4 - Land Use and Section and Section 4.16 - Public Health and Safety). Pacific Power would work with individual landowners to coordinate the timing of construction so as to minimize short-term impacts to agriculture. The placement of a transmission line across a property also affects the visual quality. Each individual landowner has their own perception of what is visually acceptable or unacceptable (see Section 4.8 - Visual Resources). These factors, as well as any other elements unique to the property, are generally taken into consideration during the easement acquisition process. 4.9.8.2 Property Value Impacts Research into the relationship between electric transmission facilities and local property values has employed research methods that can, for the most part, be divided into surveys and opinion-based studies or quantitative studies which are largely based on comparisons of market data. These studies have resulted in a wide range of findings that reflect the different study approaches employed, as well as the unique characteristics of the particular case or cases being evaluated. From the 1950s to the late 1980s, almost all reported research concluded that transmission lines have little or no effect on property values. More recently, the popular press and academic and professional literature have tended to support the idea that proximity to transmission lines may affect the desirability and, therefore, the value of residential property (Colwell 1990; Delaney and Timmons 1992; Hamilton and Schwann 1995; Cowger et al. 1996). Some observers linked this general change in perspective to increased concerns regarding potential electric and magnetic field-related health effects, but a nationwide survey of real estate appraisers suggest that, for the most part, potential negative effects on property values tend to be related to the visual impact of transmission line facilities. This nationwide survey found that 84 percent of the surveyed appraisers believed that property values are negatively affected by transmission facilities, with an average decrease in value of 10 percent. Ten percent of those surveyed felt transmission lines did not affect property values, while the remaining six percent felt they had a positive impact (Delaney and Timmons 1992). A study “Power Lines and Property Values Revisited” (Pitts and Jackson 2007) concluded that impacts of high voltage transmission lines on the value of residential property has been studied extensively and the impacts are not easily measureable. The study states that research shows the effects of high voltage transmission lines on residential properties are varied and are determined by five interplaying factors: proximity to towers and lines; the view of towers and lines; the type of structures; the size of structures; and the appearance of easement landscaping and surrounding topography. Many studies indicate that transmission lines have no significant effect on residential property values. Other studies, however, have shown a small diminution in value attributable to the close proximity of the transmission line. Studies report an average discount of between one and ten percent of property value. Reasons cited for the diminution in value include: visual unattractiveness of the lines; potential health hazards; disturbing sounds; and safety concerns. The impacts diminish as the distance from the line increases and disappear at a distance of approximately 200 feet from the lines (Pitts and Jackson 2007). Pitts and Jackson (2007) also interviewed realtors and appraisers in several central California communities. Approximately half of the realtors and appraisers interviewed said they had not observed negative impacts on either residential sale prices or days on the market due to the presence of power lines. The remaining realtors and appraisers had observed negative impacts on homes adjacent to a power line ROW, with price discounts ranging on average between two and seven percent. Many realtors and appraisers indicated that some buyers may consider power lines an eyesore and a nuisance, but that other buyers did not. One realtor stated that “external factors such as power lines have less of an effect on lower-end homes than on luxury properties.” The Pitts and Jackson study (2007) concluded that the impacts from power lines, as well as other negative externalities, depend on many factors, including market condition, location, and personal preference.