JAY – Several people raised concerns Monday about a proposal to make the surface of a 14.5-mile abandoned railroad bed hard. However, it would not be paved.

More than 35 people attended the selectmen’s meeting to hear a presentation from members of the Jay-Wilton-Farmington Rail Trail Committee.

People voiced concerns about all-terrain vehicles being excluded from a portion of the trail, if a bridge is built over the Sandy River in West Farmington. And a veterinarian wrote a letter concerned about horses receiving injuries if the trail was made hard rather than keeping it sandy.

Several people said they liked the trail the way it is. While others said there were good parts of the trail that could be left alone, and some bad parts that could be improved. Nearly 9 miles of the trail is in Jay.

Others wanted to know who would pay to maintain it and whether bicyclists would kick in some revenue to the project.

The committee proposes to seek a federal transportation enhancement grant to upgrade the trail to a multi-use trail and build a bridge. The application is due June 2004.

The improvements, Bob Bachorik, a member of the committee, said would make it a multi-use trail that would be bicycle friendly and would connect West Farmington to Farmington.

Bachorik cited several reasons for the improvements including preventing disease, increasing tourism and providing a safe place for kids to ride bikes.

Now trekkers on the Trek Across Maine have to ride bicycles on busy routes 2 and 4. If the trail was harder, they could use that, Bachorik said.

The project is estimated to cost about $1 million with the grant covering 80 percent of it and donations and fund raising to cover 20 percent or an estimated $160,000.

Building the bridge is projected to cost about $500,000 and installing a harder surface is estimated at $300,000.

The Department of Conservation, which owns the trail, has put down three trial surfaces on sections: half-inch screened gravel, stone dust and ground-up asphalt.

Bachorik also noted that a flat-type rock was used as a trail covering on the Narrow Gauge Pathway in Carrabasett Valley, which was cheap and seems to have worked well.

If a bridge is built, all-terrain vehicles would be prohibited by a landowner from crossing a certain parcel of property and wouldn’t be able to use the bridge, Bachorik said.

The landowner has granted a 15-foot right of way in West Farmington that permits other recreation vehicles and bicyclists over his property but not all-terrain vehicles because of bad past experiences, he said.

Bob Dalot, president of the Western Maine ATV Club, said if the bridge is built his club would have no control over all-terrain vehicles going over the bridge and there could be a war over use.

Selectman Parker Kinney said he walks the railroad bed everyday and finds it in good shape.

Selectmen’s Chairman Bill Harlow suggested the committee have a public forum with state conservation and transportation officials to answer questions that were unanswered Monday.

Snowmobile club representative Greg Nemi said that all parties should work with state officials to take advantage of the grant to make the surface work for everyone.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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