Scott Swanson
Neighbors of the Albany & Eastern Railroad line between Lebanon and Sweet Home are being advised that they need to work together in dealing with the railroad over its demands that they pay $720 in maintenance and permit transfer fees.
A group of some 25 of those neighbors gathered Tuesday evening, Oct. 9, at the Sweet Home Police Department meeting room to discuss their options.
Mike Martel, a resident of Country Lane, which crosses the railroad line perpendicular to Highway 20 across from Harmony Road, led the discussion.
He said the purpose of the meeting was to form a coalition to deal with the railroad’s demands and gather facts.
“We need information from everybody,” he said. “Without the networking of the folks here, we’re pretty weak as individuals. But we have power as a group.”
Neighbors discussed the implications of the railroad’s contentions that it controls a 50-foot right-of-way extending from the line.
One, Chet Elder who said his family has lived at 28501 Highway 20, across from Liberty Road, since he was 5, said a railroad representative has told him that a grove of fir trees, planted by his mother when the family moved there, will be cut down because it is in the right-of-way.
“My house will be exposed to the highway,” Elder said.
“The tree huggers who shut down our timber industry should get involved,” suggested another attendee. “Think about all the trees they would take out in a 50-foot right-of-way.”
“I think I’d rather suffer,” Martel noted, wryly.
Contacted later, railroad spokesman Jared Cornell said the trees pose a danger because they brush locomotives as they pass.
“God forbid that one of our stacks catches a branch on fire and then the house goes up,” he said. “It’s a huge fire and public safety issue.”
Richard Knowles, a Sun Lane resident, said the railroad’s demand that neighbors carry $1 million insurance policies covering the crossings is another problem. He said he was “arguing” with Burlington Northern, former owner of the line, about that issue 12 years ago, and that Burlington Northern agreed to accept the “maximum coverage allowed” by Knowles’ insurance carrier at that time.
Doug Gadsby, who has lived on Sun Lane since 1996, said the railroad wanted to charge him $3,500.
“I’ve had a permit before,” he said. “I’ve had the insurance they asked for. Burlington Northern was charging $100 for a five-year period. There’s nothing to maintain. The only thing the railroad does is defoliate. I’ve got pot holes in my driveway up to the track and I had to fill them with gravel.”
Martel said Country Lane neighbors have had problems with their road flooding at the railroad crossing and that, despite promises, Albany & Eastern has done nothing.
Cornell said later that the railroad believes the problems stem from culverts installed by the county.
“We’ve looked into it, but it’s not the result of our work,” he said.
Martel told residents at the meeting to contact him with their problems and he would take photos of their crossings and prepare a presentation for legislators.
He said state legislators he has discussed the situation with had counseled residents to sit back until the state Legislature has time to act, which won’t happen until February.
“If they set up barricades, don’t tear them down,” Martel said. “Just take pictures.”
He said legislators had told him they felt “sold out” by the railroad’s tactics after they gave Albany & Eastern some $2.6 million in a Connect Oregon III grant to repair the line between Lebanon and Sweet Home.
Martel suggested that neighbors e-mail legislators with descriptions of their experiences.
“If all the folks on the rail line describe their situations, there’s power in numbers. I can’t emphasize that enough.”
He also cautioned neighbors against taking out their frustrations against Rick Franklin Corp. workers who are rebuilding the rail line.
“These poor souls are just trying to make a living,” he said.