Dominion Virginia Power wants to create new power line routes in Prince William County and many residents are pushing back.
"I’ve had residents come up to me practically in tears over the thought of having their property value diminished by upwards of 35, 40 percent,” Gainesville resident Jim Napoli said.
About 100 people attended a community meeting Wednesday night on the issue.
Residents wore red this week to show their frustration with the proposal they say could destroy wetlands behind nearly 1,000 homes in their neighborhood, from Gainesville to Haymarket. Residents held signs reading “Stop Dominion Power Towers,” and took to social media with the hashtag #FightThePowerLine.
Haymarket resident Kristine Denholm said above-ground lines would devastate her property value.
"We are going to be very negatively impacted. My home right backs up to what would be 230,000 volts of power," she said. "It would be right there in my backyard."
"It’s very difficult to come up with any routing scenario that's going to make everybody happy," a Dominion Virginia Power representative said. "Which is why we’re doing everything we can to come up with the least impactful route."
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Dominion is considering five different power line routes in western Prince William County. Four options would place the lines above-ground and one would be underground.
Haymarket Councilman Joe Pasanello still didn’t like the company's approach.
"I think they wanted to steamroll us here. Frankly, I don't think they're listening to us at all," he said.
The project has been in the works for about a year. Dominion is expected to submit an application to the Viginia State Corporation Commission on the lines by the end of the year.
