Easement OK’d, measure to protect rails defeated

Ulster County Executive Mike Hein’s vision for a rail trail through the Ashokan Reservoir moved closer to reality.

Ulster County Executive Mike Hein’s vision for what he says would be a “worldclass rail trail” through the Ashokan Reservoir moved closer to reality Tuesday, with the unanimous passage by county lawmakers of a resolution authorizing the execution of a trail easement with New York City.

The permanent property easement guarantees the county’s “irrevocable right” to the corridor for either trail or rail uses and gives Ulster County the right in perpetuity to operate a recreational trail through the New York City reservoir land.

A prior agreement gave the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, which operates the reservoir, the right to shut down the trail with 30 days’ notice.

But rail supporters were unable push through an amendment to the resolution to require that the railroad tracks be kept in place through the reservoir land along the county-owned, former Ulster and Delaware rail corridor.

The proposed amendment, introduced by Legislator Manna Jo Green, would have required that the final trail design leave the exiting railroad tracks in place between mile post 10 and milepost 11.1, which is located at the Glenford Dyke.

It was defeated by a 18-5 vote, with Green, D-Rosendale, David Donaldson, DKingston, John Parete, DBoiceville, Rich Parete, D-Stone Ridge (who caucuses with Republicans), and Mary Wawro, C-Saugerties voting in favor of the amendment.

Supporters of the Catskill Mountain Railroad, which operates a tourist train on a portion of the tracks, have said the railroad needs to be able to access the views available from that area to attract other tourist train opportunities to the area.

“The view is astonishing,” said Donaldson. “It would be a boon to the city of Kingston without a doubt because it would change significantly what they could do,” he said, adding that the railroad would be able to attract dinner trains and other theme trains that would cater to adult tourists.

Donaldson said that, while the easement protects the right of a railroad to operate through the reservoir if the Legislature should at some point determine that a railroad should replace the planned recreational trail, once the tracks are removed, the protection is meaningless.

“This is an opportunity that will be lost,” he said. “Once it’s lost, it’s gone. They will not be put back,” he said of the railroad tracks.

The idea of converting the former rail line into a recreational trail spurred a lengthy battle between Hein and the Catskill Mountain Railroad — a forprofit, private group that, until May 2016, held a lease on the tracks — and among members of the community who split over whether the corridor should be converted to a trail or maintained for a tourist train operation.

In late 2015, the county Legislature adopted a policy that provides for tourist train-related opportunities on two sections of the railroad right-of-way, and a recreational trail that will enable hikers, bikers and others to enjoy the scenic vistas of the Ashokan Reservoir.