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Slickcraft · 08-17-2018, 01:29 PM

Many old RR corridors are not just a ROW. In the case of the Lakeshore RR that went through Alton the state originally took the land by eminent domain and likely paid the local farmers a few dollars each. When B&M discontinued rail operations the state offered to sell the fee interest to the town of Alton which did happen. Being way prior to the days of recreational trails. many but not all sections were then sold back to abutting land owners. The town still owns a section near Woodlands Rd which is a walking trail and snowmobile trail. The main Alton Bay parking area and boat ramp are residual town owned lands.

The town also still owns a section between the police station and Rt 28 which became a walking path about 10 years ago. The abutters filed a law suit claiming that it had been only a ROW and that they owned the underlying land. They lost as the state and now Alton owned the fee interest. In this case one of the best municipal law attorneys in the state had told the abutters that it was only a ROW but he was wrong.

I don't know the actual situation in the subject rail corridor. I do know that the state owned the fee interest for many in the state.

08-17-2018, 01:29 PM	#44
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and West Alton Posts: 3,218 Thanks: 1,174 Thanked 2,002 Times in 915 Posts	Many old RR corridors are not just a ROW. In the case of the Lakeshore RR that went through Alton the state originally took the land by eminent domain and likely paid the local farmers a few dollars each. When B&M discontinued rail operations the state offered to sell the fee interest to the town of Alton which did happen. Being way prior to the days of recreational trails. many but not all sections were then sold back to abutting land owners. The town still owns a section near Woodlands Rd which is a walking trail and snowmobile trail. The main Alton Bay parking area and boat ramp are residual town owned lands. The town also still owns a section between the police station and Rt 28 which became a walking path about 10 years ago. The abutters filed a law suit claiming that it had been only a ROW and that they owned the underlying land. They lost as the state and now Alton owned the fee interest. In this case one of the best municipal law attorneys in the state had told the abutters that it was only a ROW but he was wrong. I don't know the actual situation in the subject rail corridor. I do know that the state owned the fee interest for many in the state. Last edited by Slickcraft; 08-17-2018 at 06:07 PM.