Story Created:
Apr 4, 2009 at 4:48 PM EST
Story Updated:
Apr 4, 2009 at 5:28 PM EST
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - New York Regional Interconnect's proposed project to build power lines through Central New York was a controversial one. People all over are relieved that they decided to withdraw their application on Friday.
Terry Dote of Clayville says, "after three years of fighting, getting organized having all of this stress kind of over our head, no pun intended with the lines, it's a big relief."
The NYRI power line would have gone up very close to his home, on it's approximate 200 miles long trek south to provide power to downstate. Dote became head Upstate Citizen's Alliance, one of the numerous citizens organizations formed over the past three years. The groups attended meeting after meeting across the state to voice their opinion against the project.
Dote says the reasons for being against the project, "it was everything, it was the health issues, it was the noise, it was the way it was going to look, it was listening to the sound of that every single day." But Dote says the property value of his home and homes all along the power line would have dropped considerably.
Politicians are thanking the citizens' groups for all of their efforts for getting their word across to them, so they can fight the fight. Congressman Michael Arcuri says these grass roots type efforts are what America is all about. But Arcuri says even though the project is dead, "we have to continue to be diligent because you know this could just be another ploy by NYRI to reorganize and come back in another direction so this is a big battle that we've won, but clearly it is not over."
Terry Dote says "we're hoping that they don't reorganize, because they were Pegasus to begin with, then organized as NYRI..." but he says if new investors do come forward with a different name, his old protest signs will have to be brought out once again, but for now, they're going in his attic, he hopes for good.
