Elected leaders from Fairfield and Bridgeport on Monday called on the Connecticut Siting Council to dismiss its recent straw-vote approval of United Illuminating's monopole plan and have the utility company submit a new application.

The appeal came after the regulatory group on Thursday reversed its prior straw-vote from June that rejected the project, signaling it will support UI when the final vote occurs Sept. 18.

“There has been no new information, no new finding of facts, and yet, two commissioners flipped their votes, so of course it leaves us with a lot of suspicion on sort of the pressure campaign UI has taken under to get that result,” said State Rep. Jennifer Leeper (D-Fairfield) at a bipartisan news conference held in front of the Pequot Library in Southport.

“We will get to the bottom of this. We will figure out who tainted this process,” vowed State Rep. Steve Stafstrom (D-Bridgeport).

Fairfield First Selectman Christine Vitale (D) said she’s heard from a lot of community members asking what they can do. Vitale suggested writing to the CSC, the governor and the attorney general.

“This is, unfortunately, a big blip in the process but it is by no means the end. We are continuing to fight together for our property owners, for our environment, for our small business here in Fairfield and Southport and Bridgeport,” Vitale explained.

The development is just the latest in what’s been an on-going fight since 2023, when UI applied for the project. The company intends to install more than 100 massive monopoles across seven miles in Fairfield and Bridgeport to rebuild its transmission line along the railroad tracks and make its electric grid more reliable. But the construction plan includes property easements.

“This is the unprecedented taking by a private company of 19 ¼ acres of people's yards, homes, and our local businesses,” Leeper stated.

Elected officials were joined by local community members, including Fairfield residents Stephen and Andrea Ozyck, who live along the train line. They formed the Sasco Creek Neighbors Environmental Trust to take a stand against UI.

“Our opposition to this project has always been about property rights,” Andrea Ozyck said. “We don't want people taking land from our neighbors, from our friends, from our churches, from our libraries, from our businesses. This is going to be devastating to our communities, and it's going to have generational impact.”

Residents and local officials said they were never consulted about the construction, raising big questions about transparency and due process. State Sen. Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield) said the only way to fix that is throw out the case and start the process over.

“The goal of that request is to restore public trust, to follow the law and to evaluate solutions, particularly undergrounding these wires, through a fair and evidence-based process,” Hwang said. “Let's do this right—with facts, sunlight and a public trust.”

“We know this project does have to get built. The question is where and how and in the least intrusive manner for our communities,” Stafstrom stated.

“We are not here in an anti-infrastructure way,” State Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D-Fairfield) told reporters. “We are here to be smart, to be thoughtful and to be partners, and we are asking UI, ‘Yes, partner with us. Work together with us.’ We know there is a solution that can work for everyone, a compromise.”

McCarthy Vahey also asked for support from people outside of Fairfield and Bridgeport.

“While it may be our communities today, it could be your communities tomorrow,” McCarthy Vahey stated.

UI spokesperson Sarah Wall Fliotsos did not have a comment on the news conference but released the following statement regarding the straw vote.

“We appreciate the Connecticut Siting Council’s thoughtful consideration of the Fairfield to Congress transmission project last week. Over two years ago, UI submitted our application for this project with the same design criteria as the first four phases across 7 municipalities, all of which were approved. That is because our proposed overhead design best achieves all the necessary objectives: protecting the environment and reining in costs that are borne by all Connecticut customers, while ensuring UI can serve the present and future electric capacity needed for the New England region and the customers, we have proudly served for more than 125 years. We look forward to continuing to work with the Council, municipal leaders, and residents and businesses across Connecticut both prior to and after the Council’s final decision.”