Shock and celebration across parts of lower Fairfield County as a power company's proposal to build towering structures was voted down by a count of 5-3.

The plan would have called for United Illuminating to build poles up to 200 feet tall in Fairfield and Bridgeport.

Local officials have asked the company to build the power lines underground, but UI has stood firm on its stance that doing that would drive costs up by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Thursday's vote followed months of controversy, including pushback from homeowners, businesses and churches.

Southport resident Jacquelyn Thunfors, 98, says her beloved house would have been negatively impacted by the proposed plan.

"Today was a magical day," Thunfors says. “Theres nothing more terrifying when you have something proposed like this on your property.”

State Sen. Tony Hwang says Thursday’s result was a win for the people who spoke out against the plan.

“It's not just the people of Fairfield and Southport," State Sen. Hwang says, "It's the people of Bridgeport and a bipartisan legislative body, as well as our town leaders, who have stepped up in unison during these divisive times."

Fairfield First Selectman Christine Vitale says she’s hopeful UI will ultimately bury the lines.

“If you had any doubt if a community can make a difference, just look at what happened today," First Selectman Vitale says. "I don’t know what the next step is going to be, but we remain open to having an open dialogue and advocating for the interest of our community now and for generations to come."

In a statement, United Illuminating says it was stunned by the decision.

"The public deserves to know what caused three members to change their votes and if they were improperly pressured," UI spokesperson Sarah Wall Fliotsos says. "We are exploring all legal options that can be taken in response to this arbitrary and capricious vote."

“It’s David vs. Goliath," state Sen. Hwang said. "And David won."