Leaders of Old Lyme want the federal government to give up on building a new high-speed rail line through their town.
Their opposition has already prompted a major change to the plan.
“I think a lot of people in town historically want to keep the buildings and neighborhoods the way they are,” Tonja Houle of Old Lyme, said.
And that’s part of why town leaders recently fired off an 82-page letter to the Federal Railroad Administration.
It says “irreparable harm” could be done if a new bypass is constructed through the town as part of improvements to the Northeast Corridor line.
“What it would gain to me doesn’t seem worth all the construction projects,” John Turick of Old Lyme, said.
Local
After local and state backlash, the Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement calls for building a tunnel from Old Saybrook to East Lyme near Interstate 95, instead of an above-ground track right through Old Lyme’s historic district.
But the new idea has only unearthed more concerns.
“We have the beautiful Connecticut River estuary between us and Old Saybrook on the other side. That’s one major concern. Plus going underneath the town is not always a simple fix. You have to worry about noise and vibration,” Bonnie Reemsnyder, Old Lyme First Selectwoman, said.
The town said the uncertainty over a potential new rail line has sent shudders through its real estate market.
Last year sales were down nearly a third and prices were off 13 percent.
That’s despite New London County overall seeing increases.
“Many realtors have told us they aren’t able to sell homes in the village area for months now,” Reemsnyder said.
The Railroad Administration says improvements to the 457-mile long line will increase capacity, improve reliability and performance, and reduce travel times.
But it comes at a cost of upwards of $128 billion.
The town believes money would be better spent on improving the current line.
“I think the bypass going through southeastern Connecticut is very difficult for all of the communities along the shore,” Reemsnyder said.
The Railroad Administration is expected to make its decision sometime after March 1.
Approving this conceptual plan is just the first step in a long process which could take several decades before the project is finished.
