Brian Lombard: Allan Beetle is proposing an old, failed idea for WOW Trail

To The Daily Sun,

Thursday’s Daily Sun had an article about Meredith and WOW Trail President Allan Beetle proposing to build a trail along the railroad corridor from Meredith to Weirs Beach. Beetle first proposed this idea about 10 years ago and was shown why it would be difficult to build a trail beside the active railroad tracks. The state-owned railroad corridor is narrow, borders the lake, has high embankments, steep slopes and causeways. There is a five-foot diameter sewer line and roads within the corridor.

Having failed at that proposal, Beetle floated the idea that the railroad should be discontinued and removed about five years ago, and then the trail could be built where the railroad was. This matter was brought before the Laconia City Council to support. But there was significant pushback from the Department of Transportation, the Winnipesaukee Railroad which operates on the line and much of the public, and the idea was dropped by the City Council and the WOW Trail group as being unfeasible.

So now Allan Beetle and Meredith are back again proposing the old idea to build beside the active railroad tracks. They say the trail will promote tourism, which is just a hope and a dream. The Winnipesaukee Railroad draws significant tourists to the Lakes region every year and is a much better economic engine for the region than the trail would be.

Nothing has changed along the railroad corridor in 10 years. The corridor is still narrow and the obstacles still exist. The WOW group wants to spend $10,000-$20,000 to get the same answer they got 10 years ago, that building a trail on this section of the railroad corridor is just not feasible because of the existing conditions.

Brian Lombard

Wolfeboro