Woodway residents have reached an agreement with Oncor Electric Delivery that will allow a power-line project to proceed without another court fight.

Under the terms of the deal, the company will clear trees and vegetation only within 25 feet of each side of the transmission line in question, rather than the full 70 feet of the company’s easement, at least in most cases.

Also, within that 50-foot swath, Oncor has agreed to let some trees and structures remain on a case-by-case basis, said Rick Bostwick, a Waco attorney representing the residents.

In addition, the company will allow homeowners to replant smaller trees and shrubs in a portion of the easement, Bostwick said.

While some of the 153 people who live along the easement will still have a large number of trees cut down, Bostwick said he is pleased with the deal.

The fact that Oncor temporarily halted work on the project, agreed to reduce the area it would clear and consented to additional exceptions is extraordinary, he said.

“While there is no question that (the agreement) will not satisfy everyone . . . we think that is significantly better than what normally occurs and represents a better outcome than even what probably would have occurred in the courtroom,” Bostwick said.

Oncor spokesman Chris Schein said the company would not comment until the deal is finalized.

But Oncor feels good about the progress that has been made, he said, and is glad it had the opportunity to work with residents.

Once the agreement is official, the company will resume work as quickly as possible, Schein said.

Oncor officials have said they want the line upgraded before peak summer usage. The new line will have 2 1/2 to three times as much carrying capacity, which the company said is needed to accommodate growth in the area.

“We’ve said all along that these lines are important not just for Oncor but for the whole state,” Schein said.

In January, Woodway residents learned Oncor planned to remove all trees and other vegetation from the easement. The company said that was necessary to get heavy equipment in for construction and ensure access to the line in the future.

The residents protested, and last month, they persuaded a judge to issue a temporary restraining order against Oncor. The next step would have been a hearing at which residents would have had to provide substantially more evidence supporting their claim that the company’s plans weren’t reasonable.

That hearing never happened, however, because both sides agreed to enter settlement talks in hopes of reaching an out-of-court agreement.

As part of that, Oncor halted work and sent a team of officials to meet with home-owners individually.

If the majority of affected residents had wanted to continue the fight after those talks, the hearing would have been held. But last week, the homeowners were polled, and a large majority voted to accept the offered compromises, Bostwick said.

Individual homeowners still can challenge Oncor in court if they choose, he said.

Doug Scoggins, one of the homeowners who helped lead the fight, said the agreement is likely the best residents could get.

He still questions whether Oncor needs to cut down so many trees. But if the matter had gone back to court, residents stood to lose a lot more.

“They could have come back in and clear-cut the whole thing if we had lost,” Scoggins said. “I think we have done the best we can. Some trees were saved, so it was certainly worth the time doing what we did.”

Of all the residents, Julia Khoury said she is losing the most trees — 131 of about 140. Her property is in a “construction zone,” meaning a pole for the line is set to be placed there. In such zones, the agreement specifies that the company can clear the entire easement.

Khoury said she wishes something more could be done. But neither she nor the other residents have the financial resources to continue a legal fight, she said.

“Oncor’s a big company,” Khoury said. “I’m just a small person down here. I’m just going to try to make the best of it.”

cculp@wacotrib.com

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