CARROLL COUNTY, Md. — It's not the news landowners were hoping to hear from federal court.
"Obviously, we were very disappointed," executive director of River Valley Ranch Jon Bisset said.
WATCH: Unclear when court-granted surveys begin in power line project
Last Friday, a judge ruled in favor of the Public Service Enterprise Group, granting them temporary access to more than 100 properties across Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties to conduct surveys required as part of their proposed Piedmont Reliability project.
PSEG intends to build 67 miles of high voltage powerlines through the properties and RVR, a nature haven for kids, is one of them.
"All of this gets in the way of the very thing we are trying to do here, which is impact children and the experience of coming out in the country and experiencing undisturbed nature is central to the product that we give," he said.
The company does have to provide 24 hour notice. But Bisset says that's not enough.
"When are they going to show up, when are they going to be here? Where are they going to post this notice? They don't have to call us. They don't have to let us know. They don't have to coordinate with us," Bisset said.
He says that they are accredited through the American Camping Association, which has requirements that any staff on property are properly vetted, and this latest development is of concern.
It's not clear when the company will begin the surveys.
A PSEG representative shared the following statement with WMAR-2 News:
"We appreciate the Court's careful consideration of the facts and application of the law in this matter. We are currently reviewing the decision for the next steps in the process.”
Though, during court hearings, attorneys indicated they were on a short timeline to have everything built and be fully operational by June 2027.
Although they may have lost the battle, vested parties and landowners are hoping they may yet win the war.
"We're really focused on the upcoming hearing with the Public Service Commission where really they're going to decide whether this is in the public interest or not," Bisset said. "Our hope is that we can go before them and make the same case that you know this is not a good fit for a place like this."
The latest ruling does not grant construction rights to the company to begin building the power lines.
