“Who wouldn’t stand up and protect their home?” Fenn Church asked after a confrontation with Alabama Power crews on his property in Calera, Alabama. The property owner reported that crews entered his land without his knowledge and cut down dozens of oak trees during a dispute over a planned transmission line.
Church, who owns more than 400 acres of heavily wooded land, said crews cleared approximately 200 yards of his property in a matter of hours on Thursday. When he realized the crews had crossed onto his land, he stood on his property line and refused to move. “I’m not stepping back. You’re not coming on my property. You’ve already done enough damage for one day,” Church told WVTM 13. When a worker asked if a court order would be required to move him, Church replied, “Yes, sir, it sure is.”
Power seeks restraining order against Church
Alabama Power has filed a complaint and a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in Shelby County. The utility is asking a judge to bar Church and his company, GF Church Properties II, LLC, from interfering with work on the property. The company is also requesting that Church and others stay at least 300 feet away from tree and vegetation clearing operations to maintain a safe work zone for heavy equipment.
The utility claims that on November 3, a representative asked Church to move away from the work area, but he refused, preventing crews from starting clearing work. Alabama Power stated it halted work on Thursday due to safety concerns after individuals entered the work zone. The company described the request for a restraining order as a “last resort” to allow work to continue following an Alabama Supreme Court ruling.
The transmission line project
The dispute involves the Autaugaville-East Pelham transmission line, a 74-mile, $248 million project intended to relieve overloading on the existing electric grid. Alabama Power says the project is scheduled for completion in May 2027, noting that further delays could put that timeline at risk.
Church has challenged the plans through the courts, citing concerns regarding his privacy, his home, and the use of eminent domain. He stated he is prepared to go to jail to protect his property and his old-growth trees. ABC 33/40 reports that the current legal filings follow an October 21 Alabama Supreme Court ruling that stayed a previous order which had barred Alabama Power from entering the property while a condemnation case was pending.
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