YOUNGSTOWN — A FirstEnergy subsidiary will hold an open house next week to answer questions about a proposed 6-mile power line that would largely be on wooden poles at much lower heights than a plan rejected in May 2022 by the Ohio Power Siting Board for a high-tension line through downtown Youngstown.

American Transmission Systems Inc., the FirstEnergy subsidiary, redesigned and proposed a relocation of the power line after vocal opposition from local residents and elected officials to the initial project led the state board to turn down the initial project.

The 138-kilovolt project would still connect the Riverbend and Lincoln Park substations, going through sections of Youngstown and Campbell, and expand the Riverbend substation to install new equipment.

FirstEnergy officials provided information about the project to Youngstown in April 2023.

There will be an open house for the public to look at the proposal and provide feedback 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Tyler History Center, 325 W. Federal St. There will be no formal presentation, but the public can learn more about the project, said Will Boye, a FirstEnergy spokesman.

“The updated project reflects the community feedback we previously received and includes new routes that avoid potentially sensitive areas and minimize impacts to property owners and the community as much as possible,” Boye said.

The main objection to the first proposal was the 5.2-mile line, which would have included high-tension power lines, was because it would have been parallel to the north side of the Mahoning River, going behind the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, through Wean Park, over the Market Street bridge and behind the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown. There were going to be five to seven utility towers with the two tallest being 140 feet and adjacent to the Market Street bridge. The others would have been about 100 to 115 feet tall.

The updated proposal would still need one metal power line pole on either side of the Peace Officers Memorial Bridge on South Avenue that crosses the Mahoning River. Those two poles would be about 100 feet high, a FirstEnergy official said in April 2023.

The rest of the project would be on wooden poles, about 70 to 80 feet high, along roads including Woodland and Poland avenues and Center Street before ending at the Lincoln Park substation in Campbell, according to the FirstEnergy proposal last year.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said Thursday he’s pleased FirstEnergy listened to the concerns and redesigned the project.

“We’re looking forward to them explaining their thoughts and ideas,” he said. “We want to see what it looks like, what’s the impact and make sure it doesn’t impede what we’re doing downtown as it relates to Covelli and improvements we’re making. If it doesn’t impede it, we’ll be fine.”

Charles Shasho, the city’s deputy director of public works, said he hasn’t heard from FirstEnergy in a year.

“Our concern was they were going to put power lines behind the amphitheater,” he said. “We didn’t like that. They worked with us and looked at Woodland Avenue.”

Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward and chairman of the utilities committee, said, “The public has been very vocal about this project and expressed concerns about the initial route. I’d encourage community stakeholders to attend this meeting and ask questions.”

FirstEnergy doesn’t have a timeline for filing an application with the siting board, Boye said.

“The information gathered from the public meeting will help determine that timing,” he said.

The project would provide a backup electric source for the two substations, which serve 15,000 customers, Boye said.

“The backup feed would provide power to those customers in the event of a service interruption on the transmission lines that currently serve the substations,” he said. “The benefits of another electric source include improved performance, quicker and safer restoration options and more flexibility to conduct regular maintenance while minimizing service interruptions.”