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1/7/10
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city council Waterfront train proposed to Belfast councilors
BELFAST, Maine — Maybe, just maybe, train whistles will be heard again in downtown Belfast.
At Tuesday night’s regular City Council meeting, members of the Brooks Preservation Society detailed their proposal to begin operating the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad all the way to the Belfast waterfront. The operation began running trains between Burnham Junction and Belfast’s Route 1 bridge last summer.
The restoration of the excursion rail line would inject life into a moribund tourism economy, proponents argued, but some councilors detailed concerns that the railroad would interfere with other development plans for the waterfront — including the planned Coastal Walkway — and said they have unpleasant and unforgettable memories of a difficult last go-round with the railroad.
Belfast & Moosehead Lake suspended its operations in 2007 after more than 140 years of business.
“This isn’t the first time the railroad is coming to town asking for anything,” said Councilor Mike Hurley. “That is why I have a huge amount of skepticism.”
Although the preservation society isn’t asking the city for any money, it wants to reconstruct a section of the track over a city right-of-way between the former Stinson property and the former Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad parking lot.
“I want the city to have a chance to reconnect this railroad,” said resident Russell Barber, who has been volunteering with the Brooks Preservation Society. “I’m a citizen who believes in what we’re doing here.”
Proponents tried to assure a somewhat skittish City Council that if they give the go-ahead to the railway but later change their minds, the preservation society will leave the waterfront within 60 days.
“I see this as a no-lose situation for the city,” said Mayor Walter Ash.
Councilors saw letters of support for the railroad from the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Comfort Inn and others, as well as endorsement postcards signed by 50 businesses and residents.
“The railroad’s purpose is to carry people,” wrote Capt. Melissa Terry Welch of Belfast Bay Cruises. “These people will spend money elsewhere in town ... I am sure there are many who remember what it was like to have 20,000 to 30,000 people coming to ride the rails and visit Belfast. I know I do and I wouldn’t have started my business if I could have foreseen the complete demise of the railroad four years ago.”
According to the Brooks Preservation Society’s business plan, the group will operate regular train excursions on weekends from May through October, with two trips per day planned initially. They project to more than quadruple their passengers from 2009 to 2013, from 5,520 this past season to more than 22,000 by 2013.
Executive Director Joe Feero said the society would place an emphasis on promoting the railroad, and would work with tour bus and cruise ship lines to attract more riders.
“What we offer the city is an immediate plan to provide activity on the waterfront,” Feero told councilors. “I’m convinced that the railroad may hasten development.”
One major hurdle that railroad planners have not yet cleared is permission to operate on a portion of the track between the Route 1 bridge and the footbridge that is owned by Jay McCrum of the Penobscot McCrum potato processing company.
If that permission is granted, councilors said they want to talk again to the railroad organizers.
“I have a lot of visions for this area,” said Councilor Eric Sanders. “Until tonight, they did not include the Brooks Preservation Society or a train station there.”
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SteveyD & Yes on One
Excellent Pot Stirrers
"They project to more than quadruple their passengers from 2009 to 2013, from 5,520 this past season to more than 22,000 by 2013."
This sounds like the Down East Heritage Museum and the stupid Folk Festival. They PROJECT to quadruple their passengers. Why not project TEN fold instead as long as you are wishing?
Belfast Is a Beautiful Harbor~Is There A Compromise Somewhere Here
The Crossing Bridge Is A Great Idea and Will Attract
Is There A Way For Buses to be Used Here
From Where the Train Ends Now to the Waterfront
Hey Jimba-Nothing like those two things at all. They're just looking to use a small strip of land to put the tracks back down where they had been for probably a hundred years until just recently. They are not asking for any money from anybody. That whole area has been a mess for years and this train may bring some life to the area. If it doesn't work out Belfast is no worse off than they are now. Have you been to Belfast lately-other than 10 weeks during the summer there is nobody and I mean nobody there. If the train brings in a few hundred people that will be a few hundred more than are there now.
Belfast needs the train to come back and breathe some life into their ghost town.
A train to no where. Not too many welfare people will be commuting to work. For that matter not too many jobs left in Maine any way. Glad to see the train is for rich tourists. But the other tourist train failed. So why is this train to no where, going to succeed?
You don't have to be a rich tourist to take your family on a little train ride. It's something that an average family would do, and yes most tourist type train rides are trips to nowhere. What do you want them to do, take them someplace and make them walk back? Maybe this effort will fail as well but it seems that all they are asking is the opportunity to bring the train into town. I didn't see anything about them asking anybody for money so why the sour grapes. Give them some credit for at least donig something and not sitting around whining about people on welfare.
I think that EVERY town should have a little town to ride around on. T'would be fun!!
I mean a little train.............choooo chooo!!
Wonderful idea; maybe someday when a more proactive and 'thinking' Governor comes around, all these train links can merge together and form an interstate service between New York, Connecticut, and all points north into New Brunswick. No need for the CAT, either. Trains should come back into vogue.
have you seen the land in quesztion? A ratty strip next to old warehouses! Why not let someone do somethnig with it???
The railroad is a benefit. It attracts people of various classes. The rates of the railraod are low. At Brooks it appears they are trying to keep the rates affordable for the family. The railroad is not meant to be a commuter railroad, the operation is a tourist railroad dedicated to preserving the railroad, helping the economy of the area, and offering families an activity. There are hundred of tourist railroads who are valuable to their communities. The train may go to "no where" but at least it is an attraction. The City of Belfast proposes a trail that goes no "no where". The trail is considered a valuable project, why isn't the railroad considered a prioirty? It is time for Belfast to open their arms to ideas other than trails and development of the "bombed out ruins" (they appear this way) of the Stinson cannery. Failed attempt after failed attempt offering no results yet they hang on to it. Stinson could be valuable but right now there are no plans and no results in the near future that benefit the community.