NORWICH – Chenango County planners hope to assess the recent impact that power line fears have had on land prices and are counting on local realtors to provide some data.

The proposed New York Regional Interconnection power line would erect 115-foot tall towers spaced along 44 miles of the county and permanently alter its many scenic vistas. A Town of Guilford resident attending an Aug. 8 meeting of the Chenango County Planning Board suggested that every realtor in the county be asked “to come forth, to testify about how land values and taxes will change.”

“If every realtor in the county is not incensed that a deal for land in picturesque Guilford is negated because of ruination of land and views, then there is something with the realtors,” said Earl Callahan.

Planning board member and Norwich realtor Bruce Beadle said he and other realtors have written letters and been active in opposing <a href="http://www.evesun.com/topics/news/NYRI/">NYRI</a> since its plans were announced in April.

“If that power line were to go in, very definitely you would see a diminished amount of activity of people from downstate coming up to build high-end homes. It is definitely going to be a negative thing,” he said. Beadle added that he could show that land and home values that were spiraling up over the last few years have leveled out and now may be going down.