BELFAST, Maine — Landowners who will be affected by the city’s proposed rail trail along the Passagassawakeag River asked questions and spoke their minds Wednesday night during a meeting held at Belfast City Hall.
The question-and-answer session was part of city officials’ continued efforts to persuade the people who own property along the three miles of the old Belfast & Moosehead Lake rail corridor to go along with Belfast’s plan to build a trail there.
In 2010, the city purchased the right-of-way along the railroad tracks, but there is a national dispute over whether a rail corridor is the same as a trail, City Manager Joe Slocum has said. Last fall, the city offered property owners a small monetary payment in exchange for an easement. So far, about half of the affected 18 landowners have signed the easements that give the city an unqualified right to build the trail along a 100-foot-wide rail corridor, he said.
If some will not sign, the city is prepared to use eminent domain to seize the easements, he said.
“We’re hoping hard not to be in that situation,” Slocum said Thursday morning. “We’re trying to be a good neighbor.”
One landowner, Tara Demere, said that she is excited about the city’s plan to add a greenway along the rail corridor, as other communities in the country have done.
“Even though I’m going to lose some privacy because people will be traveling here, it’s worth it,” she said Thursday.
Demere said that she was impressed by the city council, which has a broad vision for the corridor.
“Even if they don’t know exactly what it will look like,” she said.
According to Slocum, no one involved in the process has a lot of firm answers. One question that came up at the meeting included whether or not the trail will be fenced off from adjacent properties or from the railroad tracks, which are used occasionally by an excursion train. Another was how will the trail be laid out.
“Everybody’s frustrated, even the council, that we don’t know that,” he said.
Demere said that the land is beautiful, and home to many birds and animals even though it’s relatively close to the center of town.
“I think it will be amazing for folks to have a way to walk or bike into town,” she said.
Slocum said he encouraged meeting attendees who raised concerns over the long-term future of the trail to have some faith in the city, which purchased the rail right-of-way only after a private entity began looking to buy it.
“There’s public accountability,” he said. “We’re hoping that because it’s a municipal ownership, people will realize they can come forward to their elected officials.”
He said that the project’s next steps include continuing talking to neighbors about signing the easements. By September, the council hopes to have a report from a project designer about what the trail might look like, Slocum said.
I’d love to see a multi use trail that connected with the Pittsfield area. The ability to hike, bike, atv, horseback ride, etc from here to Pittsfield and on to Dover-Foxcroft would be amazing. I think it would generate a ton of money for the communities in between…namely those gas stations/stores close to the trail along the way. During the winter people from all around could ride their snowmobiles into Belfast…maybe they wouldn’t buy a whole lot while on snowmobiles but it would get them into town to see stuff so they may possibly return at a later time. The multiuse trail that created from Ellsworth to Ayers Junction seems to be working well. On the flip side I completely understand land owners along the trail having reservations. Noise, littering, privacy and other issues will arise. I don’t know a lot about the current train system between say Belfast and Pittsfield, but I don’t imagine it is being used much if at all? I know in Unity they were doing rides during Common Ground Fair time and a handfull of other times.
So much for no AVT and snowmobiles HoleMinded.
From what I understand of the articles I read and heard from people around town, this would not be a multi-use trail. I was just saying that I think it would be nice to see one. I understand that the people close to the trail have serious reservations about such a trail.
Talk about putting a gun to someones head, “If some will not sign, the city is prepared to use eminent domain to seize the easements,” What a town! Not only do they have money to burn they are bullies too.
Didnt the headline say Belfast was trying to woo some owners, I love there alternative if they cant woo you ! If you think you own your land even after you have paid your mortgage , think again !
The idea of rail trails, multi use trails are great, but I hope the landowners are prepared for 16 hours a day ATV and dirt bike travel during summertime.
You obviously did not read the article at all. This is a walking and biking trail. Biking as in the contraption with two wheels which is powered by two legs.
This is not some atv or snowmobile trail out in the woods, it is a waterfront walkway for pedestrians and bicyclists to enjoy the beauty that the waterfront in Belfast has to offer.
You obviously read into the article what you wanted to see. One land owner said she would be pleased to see people walking and biking. The article does not state that atvs will be excluded.
30 years ago no one wanted to be near the water front in Belfast, what happened? Yesterday I rode through town at a low tide and with the pile driver down there going and I could smell that old familiar smell of Belfast Harbor, it was nice, smelly but nice.
Is Belfast responsible for the upkeep of the common areas that Bank of America used to own? If so they do a horrible job of keeping that area up. The fences are falling apart and the repair people have made a mess of fixing them they look like crap. When Bank of America owned and did the upkeep it was a beautiful area. If Belfast handles the upkeep of the trails in this same manner than I’d be concerned as a landowner.
MBNA owned them and gave them to the city, and the councilors took them, and all our taxes went up, the flatlander councilors cannot say no to free land or non-profits.
There are already over 1400 rail trail systems in the U.S. Florida has 35 with over 300 miles. This is not rocket science and will be not only be good for locals, but attract biker-tourists to Belfast the summer. Rail trails are safe for families with young kids to bike on. Once here they spend money which helps businesses and creates jobs. What’s not to like?
Agreed, trails are nice. But does that make it right to take this property away from their rightful owners? I think not. I am a Democrat and think of myself as slightly liberal leaning centrist. I believe in a national healthcare plan but I also believe in the right of an individual to own a firearm. Eminent domain is, in general, one of those things I don’t agree with. Yes, in certain cases such as national security or a new highway perhaps, but not simply for economic gain. That just isn’t right. That’s my opinion anyway. Oh, and don’t get me started on bicycles using our roads at the expense of motorized vehicles. grrrrrr.
There’s already a railroad track running thru their property and has so for what, a 100 years? When people buy property with railroad tracks on them they know what they’re getting. … A compromised deed. No one is taking anything away from anyone, he or she still has use of the rail-trail system which seems more valuable than a railroad track alone. Many people would consider such property more valuable with a rail trail on it than just a railroad track …. Bike to town safely, no cars, no gas wasted. I see no difference than having a road running thru one’s property, or driveway on a right of way to a back lot.
I believe the deeds or agreements on them are for Rail use Only.
Well, yes but the point is that they bought the land knowing that there was railroad running thru it ……. Therefore it’s not much of a stretch from there to a rail trail ….. Bikes not trains.
It’s not like the city was starting from ground zero with nothing running thru the land and then they decide to create something totally new.
You are wrong, some of these people have owned the land when the train was hauling grain to Belfast. Would you want an entity to come into your back yard and tell you there is a deer path here and we are going to give you very little money, put in a human trail, and let anyone who comes along traipse across your land?
Weak ….. The railroad tracks were owned by the railroad which sold the right of way which it appears it already owned to the city. A deer path is owned by the landowner already thus no right of way exists even for the deer because you can shoot it if you want. Trails such as the Appalachian trail are sewn together over decades from private property. It happens all the time and usually for the better of humanity. I just don’t see much of a ‘taking’.
We are not talking about the appalachain trail here, we are talking about a railway which in the future could be a very valuable asset, the rails should not be compromised.
It is against the law to walk or any thing else along a rail corridor, as far as know.
I think the biggest problem may be the valuation of the rights of way for all the properties combined, I heard it was only 40,000 dollars. This is so far out of line with Belfast taxes that it seems very corrupt to me and others.