🚀 go-pugleaf

Just when you thought "Hey, I've closed on the house, now I can relax..."

First, some background.  We closed Friday on a house that is perfect 
for us.  Good house, lot, location, school, etc, etc.  The neighborhood
has about 60 units, all on wooded acre lots.   All utilities are
currently buried.  It is one of the prettiest neighborhoods in the
Rockledge - if I do say so myself :-) .

Saturday, in the midst of our cleaning, the homeowner's association
people came by and gave us the wonderful news that Florida Power and
Light (FPL) has decided to put high tension lines along an easement on
the lot next to us.  These lines are designed to carry 140,000 volts
on six lines strung on 100 foot high concrete poles.  These poles will
be about 100 feet from our house.  FPL has been asked to bury the
lines, and has refused on economic reasons.  Obviously we are
concerned about the damage to our property value from these unsightly
poles, and the possible (yes, I know it hasn't been <proven> yet)
health risks to ourselves and our two pre-schoolers. 

Based on the circumstances, I don't think the previous owners knew
about the lines coming in. Even if they did, they are not in 
a position for us to get damages from them. (long story)
So going back against the seller for concealed damages is not an
option. (Besides, we really like the house and want to stay here;
we just don't want to look like a power substation)

FPL can't show a good reason for why the lines are coming through
here.  Lines of this size will carry enough power for aprox. 10,000
homes.  The whole city is probably less than 10,000 homes now, and not
growing anywhere near fast enought to justify power for another
10,000.  However, there is one of those "planned communities" a few
miles away of us that will begin construction in the next few years. 
Current speculation is that the developer of that community wants
power, but doesn't want it running through his nice new community, so
he is going to  stick us with it.  Unfortunately, he has $$$$ to spare
on lawyers and lobbiests (sp?) to get FPL to put the line where
he wants it.

No legal action has been started to take the easement property yet,
but we know it is coming.  The homeowner's assocation had a meeting
last night.  We are starting petitions, phone and letter campaigns.  We
are contacting all of our elected officials and the local papers.

My question is, has anyone else gone through this?  Does anyone have 
any experience in stopping the power company juggernaut from
destroying property values?  What current sources of information is
available on the effects of EMF?  Has there been any recent rulings on
things of this nature that we could use for ammunition?

Please post or mail replies. Thanks for taking the time to read all 
this, and I hope you can help.

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 | Lloyd G. Robbins           | Harris Space Systems, Rockledge, Florida   |
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 | lloyd-robbins@ksc.nasa.gov | Managing programmers is like herding cats. |
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Lloyd Robbins
lloyd-robbins@ksc.nasa.gov
"Managing programmers is like herding cats."