UTICA – A second public hearing regarding a proposed amendment to the unit management plan for the Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor has been scheduled in Utica.
The originally scheduled hearing on the proposal will take place at 7 p.m. today at Tupper Lake Middle-High School, 25 Chaney Ave., Tupper Lake.
State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens and Department of Transportation Commissioner Matthew J. Driscoll announced Tuesday, July 7 that the new hearing will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, July 20 at the State Office Building, 207 Genesee St.
On Friday, July 3, some Utica area politicians and business leaders held a press conference at the Adirondack Scenic Railroad Track 2 platform at Union Station in Utica, detailing their objections to the plan and calling for a second public hearing in the Mohawk Valley. Now they have one.
The draft UMP proposes:
Removing the railroad infrastructure within the corridor between the villages of Tupper Lake and Lake Placid, and establishing a multiple-use recreational trail there
Maintaining the existing rail infrastructure and enhancing train service between the village of Remsen and the Big Moose station
Rehabilitating the rail infrastructure between the Big Moose station and the village of Tupper Lake to allow passenger train service to be restored for a contiguous 85 miles
Developing a community connector snowmobile system both within and outside of the corridor which will attract additional snowmobilers to the Adirondacks and Adirondack communities.
DOT will also seek to provide a long-term lease for operation of the train service, allowing the train service to make long-term financial investment in the corridor.
The Draft 2015 UMP Amendment seeks to provide additional access to the community of Beaver River by siting and creating a snowmobile trail outside of the corridor connecting the community to the regional snowmobile trail system.
Hut-to-hut cross-country skiing opportunities between Beaver River and the Horseshoe Lake station, and train stops in Beaver River, Lake Lila and other interior destinations are also proposed to provide different outdoor recreational opportunities. DEC plans to work with the train service to ensure proper controls for those accessing interior lands and waters to prevent overuse and ensure protection of the natural resources.
The state proposal updates the 1996 plan for the corridor, which the state took over from railroad companies in the 1970s after freight service failed. Passenger service had ended in the 1960s.
The Adirondack Scenic Railroad has run tourist trains from Utica to Thendara, near Old Forge, since the early 1990s. In 2000 it added such trains between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid, but the tracks between Big Moose and Saranac Lake are still so rough that trains are not allowed to travel more than 5 mph on them.
The state proposal is a compromise in a debate that has swirled for more than five years in local media between those who want the tracks preserved and those who want them replaced with a multi-use trail.
The draft amendment, which also serves as a draft supplement environmental impact statement, is posted on the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov/lands/62816.html.
DEC and DOT will accept written public comments until close of business July 27. Written comments may be mailed to either John Schmid, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4254, or Dawn Klemm, NYSDOT Region 2, Utica State Office Building, 207 Genesee St., Utica, NY 13501, or emailed to [email protected].
The meeting facility in Utica is wheelchair accessible. The DOT and DEC ask that people provide any requests for specific accommodation at least one week in advance to 518-473-9518.
