Thursday, June 5, 2025
The Woodstock Land Conservancy today issued the following statement, following the 5-2 vote by the County Legislature’s Housing and Transportation Committee to postpone Resolution No 275:
Members of the Housing & Transportation Committee are wrestling with a complex set of issues and questions related to the U&D Corridor Committee’s recommendation for a new policy on the undesignated section of the corridor. However, their decision to postpone a vote on Resolution No. 275 pending a new engineering assessment is deeply disappointing.
As a matter of fact, this corridor has already undergone several engineering assessments, and the results – except for the CMRR’s own engineer’s – have consistently shown that the 2,700′ high fill at Stony Hollow presents a “fatal flaw” for rail-plus-trail in this segment.
No amount of further study or testimony can overcome the physical constraints of this portion of the U&D corridor. The merits of the extension of a trail through the undesignated section are clear, and, while the value of the CMRR’s existing operation is well-established, there is no clear argument that their expansion is necessary to support their continued success. It would instead be a huge blow to a large swath of the county that deserves safe and accessible recreation and non-motorized transportation options.
We will continue to advocate for the public benefits that trail connectivity provides in hopes that the County Legislature will have move to advance Resolution 275 in the coming weeks.
