Still Pursuing Property For The Rail Trail
By Thaddeus Flint
A property in New Lebanon that was almost part of the Corkscrew Rail Trail, has once again been slated for auction by Columbia County.
A County listing shows 16 Lovers Lane as being #20 of 25 properties (and three tiny lots) that will go to auction on Thursday, February 28.
The Corkscrew Rail Trail Association (CRTA) believed they basically had the deed in their pocket last summer for the 3.44 acres of land and a burned down house after the County pulled it from the previous auction and offered it to the organization for $500.
“The county recognized that the rail trail was the best use for the property, which had been abandoned and was full of junk. They saw that we have already been able to create and support three popular miles of Rutland rail trail in the neighboring town,” says the CRTA.
Everything looked good until “the local Town Board killed a chance for us to build our rail trail,” says the CRTA on a Gofundme page set up to raise money to now buy the trail at auction. While it seemed the public overwhelmingly supported the plan—time after time crowds of people showed up at public meetings to say so—the New Lebanon Town Board voted against it. Three Board members, Mark Baumli, Jesse Newton, and Kevin Smith were of the opinion that the County shouldn’t be deciding who gets the land even if it is their land, and that the parcel should be returned to a public auction. In the end, the County decided to listen to the Town Board and dropped the deal with the CRTA.
As of Monday, Gofundme donations had reached $5,325 of a $10,000 goal. The organization expects it will now have to pay a far larger amount than the minimum bid of $500. “But if it does work, it will send a message to the New Lebanon Town Board that the rail trail will be here for the public to use long after they are gone” says the CRTA.
Further information on the fund raiser can be found at
https://www.gofundme.com/m4um5-support-the-corkscrew-rail-trail.