Belmont selectmen asked to support study for WOW trail

BELMONT — Following up on the Aug. 13 decision by the Laconia City Council to commission a study of the potential for extending a multi-use trail through the state-owned rail corridor, Allan Beetle, president of the WOW Trail Committee, is making the rounds to other towns along the corridor, and on Monday he asked the Belmont Board of Selectmen for support.

The study will examine options for extending the trail: continuing to run the Winnipesaukee-Opechee-Winnisquam trail alongside the railroad tracks, or tearing up the tracks and building the trail over the railbed.

Beetle said it costs about $1 million per mile to build a trail alongside the tracks, while building it over the railbed would cost about $100,000 per mile.

“This has a significant potential impact,” he said, “but it’s a longshot.”

The state owns the corridor and the law gives railroads top priority over other uses.

“Clearly, there is significant opposition” to removing the rails, Beetle said, according to a video recording of the meeting. “Clearly, it won’t happen without new legislation — it’s against the law to take those tracks up — but we believe it’s a question this community should be asking.”

Beetle prefaced his remarks by noting that his grandfather, Jim Jefferson, was the first resident of Jefferson Road in Belmont.

“We used to place pennies on the rail and watch the trains go by,” he said.

Today, he said, “We have to look at what’s the best use for this spectacular strip of land the state owns, that we own.”

The WOW trail currently runs 4.5 miles, from Lakeport in Laconia to Winnisquam Agway in Belmont. Laconia is looking to extend its portion of the trail 5 more miles, to Weirs Beach; Belmont has the potential of extending its portion 3 miles; and the trail can go another 2 miles into Tilton.

Beetle asked for a letter of support for the study — or a check — from Belmont, saying that, although the WOW Trail Committee has enough money to pay the estimated $30,000-$50,000 cost, the committee would like a political show of support from the communities.

“Tilton gave us $100,” Beetle said. “We asked the Weirs Action Committee for $100 and they gave us $200.” He said he also would be speaking with officials from Northfield and Franklin in hopes of securing their support.

“It’s part of a regional plan to get from Weirs Beach to Franklin,” Beetle said.

Ruth Mooney, chairwoman of the Belmont Board of Selectmen, asked whether the trail would end at Weirs Beach. Beetle responded that the current goal is to get that far, but if Weirs Beach sees the benefits of the trail, it could be extended into Meredith.

For those who object to taking up the rails because it would hurt the Hobo Railroad, Beetle said there are successful tourist trains that are not connected to a main line and he said the railroad might do a better business between Weirs Beach and Meredith if the trail was bringing tourists into The Weirs.

Selectman Jon Pike spoke of the movement to extend passenger trains northward from Massachusetts. “I’m thinking someday this rail system is coming up to Laconia,” he said, “and we’re in the middle of this.”

Pike said the town has been forced to build fencing to protect people from passing trains and “we had to start putting up double fences,” likening the chain-link fencing to the barriers at the prison in Concord.

“We have to be interested,” he said of the study, saying he would support a donation of $100.

Selectmen did not make a decision, but thanked Beetle for the information.

To contact Tom Caldwell, email tom@laconiadailysun.com.