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Board refers landowner request on Legal Trail 27 to planning commission
Summary
A landowner asked the Select Board to decommission Legal Trail 27, citing a 300-foot unused remnant and lost bridge; after extensive discussion the board withdrew an initial motion and voted to send the request to the Jamaica Planning Commission for review and recommendation.
A Jamaica property owner requested the town decommission Legal Trail 27, saying the roughly 300-foot path to Hollow Road is unused, a bridge was washed out in Tropical Storm Irene, and the mapping of the legal trail encumbers his surveyed acreage and harms marketability. The owner’s request was circulated to the board in writing and discussed at the June 8 meeting.
Board members said the request raised precedent questions. The Chair and others noted the town had previously reclassified some roads and given others to federal or state agencies, but several members urged caution because removing legal-trail status transfers ownership and can affect public access. "My personal view is there needs to be something overcome right before we throw something up," the Chair said, urging a compelling reason before removing public trail ownership.
The board withdrew an initial, imprecise motion to decommission and instead voted to refer the matter to the Jamaica Planning Commission (JPC) for review and recommendation. Members asked the JPC to evaluate whether this instance is unique and whether other similar 'roads to nowhere' merit a consistent approach. The referral starts the formal review process; no final decommissioning occurred at this meeting.
