CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Neighbors are still on edge in one Upper Allen Township neighborhood as the process continues to determine whether Veolia Water will be able to build a 3-million-gallon water tank off of residents’ backyards.

During a Thursday meeting, the Pennsylvania Utility Commission announced it would consider a petition filed by the township that asks the PUC to reconsider an order granting “conditional approval” that would allow the water company to purchase an acre of wooded land to build the water tower.

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Veolia is looking to build the 100-foot-tall water tower off Appalachian Avenue in the Whitney Ridge neighborhood. One neighbor, Carol Risalti, has said the project would build an access road between her and her neighbor’s home, just 20 feet from their side yard. She said the site of the tower would begin just 40 feet from her backyard.

“Consider all the people in Whitney Ridge,” said Lorraine Blough, who has lived in the neighborhood 14 years and attended Thursday’s meeting. She said she’s worried about the project lowering property values.

“I mean, it’s not fair. I mean, when they sell their houses… it’s like robbing us of what we bought for. We keep our neighborhood nice. We’re decent people. It’s just not right.”

On Oct. 7, Upper Allen Township signed an agreement with Veolia, asking it to meet several conditions, involving aesthetics and communication with neighbors.

However, on Thursday, neighbors said they still haven’t been contacted by Veolia.

“They’ve lied to us,” Lorraine Blaugh said. “They’re just impossible to work with.”

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“They have reached out to the township,” said concerned resident Ronald Blaugh, who was also at Thursday’s meeting, “but there was absolutely no discussion, no outreach directly with the residents ourselves.”

Veolia told CBS 21 that it plans to reach out to impacted residents once the project is approved, but the company said it did reach out to some concerned residents back in July.

The water company issued the following statement in response to the PUC’s vote Thursday:

Veolia looks forward to continued work with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) and Upper Allen Township regarding the company’s proposed acquisition of land, which will provide enhanced water service and fire protection for the township. We hope to address any outstanding questions and obtain PUC approval as soon as possible. We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Upper Allen Township for this project, and we remain committed to being good neighbors and meeting with adjacent landowners to continue discussions about how best to mitigate construction impacts as the project moves forward.

On Oct. 15, a letter signed by 26 residents was submitted to the PUC, claiming that Veolia has not held up its end of the agreement with the township.

The letter, which can be found here, raises concerns about transparency and a lack of communication with residents, along with environmental and safety concerns.

In their letter, residents asked the PUC for a public hearing where their concerns could be heard before any decision was made.

“We certainly don’t object to having clean, pure water,” Ronald Blaugh said. “That’s not the issue at all. We know that’s important, but we believe there are other places that are far more appropriate and far less intrusive to the neighboring communities, and that’s what we seek as a result.”

The PUC said there’s no timeline for when commissioners might return their verdict on the township’s petition, but the next PUC meeting is scheduled for Nov. 5.