LONDONDERRY — Residents of the Springwood Hills neighborhood aren't taking the news of Public Service of New Hampshire's proposed power line sitting down.

They're fighting back to save what one resident calls "a piece of paradise."

PSNH's plan is to clear a 100-foot wide corridor through a 45-year-old easement that abuts the property of Bruce Connell at 12 Seasons Lane and may possibly run right through his neighbor's home across the road at 11 Seasons Lane.

Connell purchased his home in 1996. Part of the two acres surrounding his house sit on the easement owned by PSNH, and Connell pays taxes on this land.

"The town approved building on my property," Connell said.

"No one thought at the time that the easement would ever be used. The realtor told me about the easement and that everyone ignored it — that there are dormant easements everywhere."

Connell and his neighbors learned of the project, called the Shields Brook Substation, in a letter dated March 30 from James Mayo, a supervisor of engineering with PSNH. The letter stated that a boundary survey would begin in 2009 that would determine and stake the edges of the PSNH right-of-way. After the survey, which has begun, work would begin in 2009 to clear trees and brush in the 100-foot wide corridor and the project of installing poles and electrical lines would be completed by June 1, 2011.

The proposed corridor is 60 feet from the side of Connell's home — a home he just rebuilt after an electrical fire in August of 2008.

"I don't want to move, but I may have to if we can't stop this and have PSNH find an alternate route."

Connell said he loves the wildlife and plants that are part of the easement. He even constructed a natural pond and waterfall on the easement.

"There are cottontail rabbits here and lady slippers — both endangered," he said.

On May 18, about two dozen Springwood Hills residents came before the Town Council to ask if the town could do anything to stop PSNH from plowing through the easement. The neighborhood consists of about 80 homes in a cul-de-sac.

Although not all of the homes would be affected by the proposed corridor, Connell said the neighborhood would be cut off if a power line came down at its entrance.

"We have a limited roll (in this matter,)" said Town Manager Dave Caron.

"We make sure they get the proper pole permits and don't impede traffic."

A community relations spokeswoman for PSNH, Elizabeth LaRocca was also at the meeting.

A Londonderry resident herself, LaRocca said that the company did notify the abutters, and said she would be open to a meeting to listen to concerns the residents had about an alternate route for the corridor. Caron said the town would provide meeting space.

Connell also told the council that he consulted a realtor and found out that his home would decrease in value by at least 20 percent if the power lines go next to his home.

Across the road, Seasons Lane resident Bill Puddicombe said that he is waiting for the final surveying by PSNH to be done. Right now, there are survey stakes in front of his home.

"The people who sold the land in 1965 stated in the deed that there should be no building on the easement," Puddicombe said.

"But my home appears to be on the easement and if it is after the survey, someone is buying it — the developer, the town or PSNH."

Puddicombe said he can't get a straight answer about who will be responsible for paying taxes on the land.

"I still have a lot of questions," he said.

"If someone owns a property owned by a utility company, do they still pay taxes?"

Martin Murray, a senior corporate news representative for PSNH, said that he couldn't answer the tax question, but said that the survey is not complete and that PSNH has not, as of yet, told anyone that their home is on the easement. "I guess my message would be for people not to jump to conclusions," he said.

"We are close to wrapping up the field work and we are committed to communicating our findings with direct abutters."

Murray said there has been a 6 percent load growth — or demand for power — over the last several years in the area of the proposed substation.

"Basically, the current system has to be beefed up," he said.

"The proposed new power line would basically break the current system into smaller pieces, which would lessen the chances of large power outages and have greater reliability."

Murray said the easement crossing Seasons Lane was purchased in 1965 for exactly the purpose that is now being planned.

"There are many such easements that we own," he said.

"The company never promised that they would not be developed."

Connell said he is in the process of getting petitions signed by the Springwood Hills' residents and appealing to state representatives and Sen. Sharon Carson for help in stopping the corridor from going through his neighborhood.