Jerry Zelenka, a homeowner in Fredonia, Wisconsin, has refused a $131,000 offer from American Transmission Company (ATC). The payment was meant to secure access for a proposed power line that would cross his land and carry electricity to a planned data centre in nearby Port Washington. Zelenka says the latest plan would mean clearing mature trees, tearing down six buildings and erecting a 130-foot transmission tower close to his driveway.
ATC is offering $81,000 to compensate for the impact on the property, plus a one-time $50,000 bonus if he signs immediately. Zelenka, 75, bought the land with his wife in 1990 and says the changes would leave the house standing while stripping away much of what they have built and cared for over the decades.
Power line would take trees and buildings
According to Zelenka, ATC’s current proposal follows an earlier application that the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin reportedly found incomplete. The company has since filed a new application with updated plans and routes.
Under the present plan, he says, a strip roughly 1,000 feet long and 75 feet wide would be stripped of trees and vegetation, including cedar, oak, ash, elm and black walnut. The project would also require removing a shed, chicken coop, hog barn, antique barn, garage and machine shed.
“Everything from that fence to the road would be clear-cut,” Zelenka said, adding that the company then intends to apply herbicide to kill off all remaining growth between his house and the highway.
He also noted that the tower and high-voltage lines would alter the look of the surrounding land and could reduce the property’s value. “The house is the only thing left standing,” he said.
Homeowner disputes the compensation
Zelenka argues the money would not cover the cost of replacing the buildings, nor fairly reflect the loss in property value. He also objected to the $50,000 extra being tied to signing right away, calling it a kind of bribe.
He said moving away is not realistic for him and his 73-year-old wife, who has advanced Parkinson’s disease. The couple built their home after purchasing the land in the winter of 1990, spending nine months working on it while living in a shed.
Zelenka said he will not accept the offer voluntarily and fears ATC could turn to eminent domain if talks fail. In that case, he explained, the property could be condemned and the company would set its own price. His only recourse would be to fight in court for a higher payment, without any power to stop the seizure.
Data centre line dispute goes on
Zelenka questions whether the line should qualify for eminent domain at all, since it would mainly serve a private data centre rather than the general public. He said two neighbouring landowners, both attorneys, are contesting the matter in federal court. The legal outcome and the final route are still undecided.
He also found ATC’s shifting plans confusing, describing a cycle of offers being made and withdrawn, rumours of a different route, and then fresh offers appearing. “Getting accurate information is the really frustrating part,” he said.
Zelenka says he will keep opposing the route rather than take the money and fight it in court.
