Piedmont Natural Gas seeks operations buildings at Duke CT site; neighbors ask about noise and turbines

Piedmont Natural Gas presented a proposed amendment to a 2018 planned‑development industrial master plan at the Duke combustion turbine site that would add five operations buildings and a pad for a future electrical substation.

Planning staff explained the 637‑acre site is already home to combustion‑turbine operations and is bounded by industrial and residential uses; staff recommended approval and said the applicant provided a community‑involvement meeting summary. Commissioners asked for clarity on noise and light impacts at nearby Trilogy at Lake Norman residents.

Project details: Project manager Adam Pollock said Piedmont’s facilities would be sited on Duke’s parcel for pipeline convenience, would not serve Duke’s power plant, and would not alter operations at the combustion‑turbine plant. Pollock said the buildings are “quiet” and would not increase noise from the existing combustion turbines. Piedmont’s engineering manager, Patrick Simpson, said the company designs to maintain noise levels below 55 dBA at the nearest noise‑sensitive area and, in this case, aims for less than 55 dBA at the property boundary.

Neighborhood concerns: Multiple residents and neighborhood representatives asked whether the new equipment would be a step toward adding turbines or increasing Duke’s generation capacity, or whether the new equipment might enable “noise creep.” George Arena (Trilogy) said his group’s concern is whether the project could be used to expand Duke’s operations in the future; Piedmont responded that their equipment is electrically powered and unrelated to turbine power generation, and that the pipeline does not serve the Duke plant.

Lighting and visibility: Commissioners also asked about light pollution; staff noted non‑residential projects are subject to UDO article 3 lighting standards that limit light at property lines. Piedmont said final exterior colors and finishes had not been selected, but noted the new equipment would be lower in height than Duke’s most recent unit on site and partially obscured by existing topography.

Outcome and next steps: The public hearing was held and closed during the meeting; the record indicates staff recommended approval and the applicant provided noise‑study commitments, but no formal vote was recorded in the transcript for this item.