MONROE - The Monroe Plan Commission wants the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad to find another place to park its rail cars.
The commission Wednesday voted unanimously to send letters to the railroad, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, and Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, to see if an alternative can be found to the railroad's plan to take some of the Cheese Country Trail.
The letter will be sent within the next few days.
The railroad wants to use is a 4.5-mile stretch between Honey Creek Road and Patterson Road, just west of Monroe. The railroad plans to extend the track about 1.5 miles west of Monroe to accommodate more train usage. More track is needed to temporarily store rail cars.
Monroe Mayor Ron Marsh said the railroad's decision to take part of the trail would have a significant economic impact on Monroe. He said all-terrain vehicle riders come to Monroe's west side to purchase gas and food because of the trail. He said they also rent hotel rooms because they plan to spend time on the trail.
The Cheese Country Trail goes from Monroe to Mineral Point.
Commission member Nate Klassy said the railroad could look at other places to store cars besides the start of the trail near Monroe. Klassy suggested a rail spur near the Orchid factory or near Smokey Row, near 17th Street.
"There might be alternatives without taking the trail," Klassy said.
Don Noble, who works with the ATV club in Green County, said he receives between five and 10 calls a week about the trail from people in Milwaukee and Green Bay.
"Browntown will be the hub for the trail," he said. "Darlington does $13 million to $15 million in business with the trail. Monroe can't be far behind that."
The Pecatonica Rail Transit Commission (PRTC) voted July 24 to give more than four miles of the Cheese Country Trail back to the railroad.
When the railroad gave up the line from Monroe to Mineral Point, which became the Cheese Country Trail, in the late 1980s it was with the understanding it would get the trail back if it ever expanded rail service. In 2000, the railroad and the Pecatonica Rail Transit Commission signed a contract to that effect.
A portion of the contract states the railroad has to give the Tri-County Trails Commission, which oversees the Cheese Country Trail, six months notification of its plan to take back part of the trail. The railroad would be able to take possession of the trail portion in January 2010.
The commission Wednesday voted unanimously to send letters to the railroad, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, and Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, to see if an alternative can be found to the railroad's plan to take some of the Cheese Country Trail.
The letter will be sent within the next few days.
The railroad wants to use is a 4.5-mile stretch between Honey Creek Road and Patterson Road, just west of Monroe. The railroad plans to extend the track about 1.5 miles west of Monroe to accommodate more train usage. More track is needed to temporarily store rail cars.
Monroe Mayor Ron Marsh said the railroad's decision to take part of the trail would have a significant economic impact on Monroe. He said all-terrain vehicle riders come to Monroe's west side to purchase gas and food because of the trail. He said they also rent hotel rooms because they plan to spend time on the trail.
The Cheese Country Trail goes from Monroe to Mineral Point.
Commission member Nate Klassy said the railroad could look at other places to store cars besides the start of the trail near Monroe. Klassy suggested a rail spur near the Orchid factory or near Smokey Row, near 17th Street.
"There might be alternatives without taking the trail," Klassy said.
Don Noble, who works with the ATV club in Green County, said he receives between five and 10 calls a week about the trail from people in Milwaukee and Green Bay.
"Browntown will be the hub for the trail," he said. "Darlington does $13 million to $15 million in business with the trail. Monroe can't be far behind that."
The Pecatonica Rail Transit Commission (PRTC) voted July 24 to give more than four miles of the Cheese Country Trail back to the railroad.
When the railroad gave up the line from Monroe to Mineral Point, which became the Cheese Country Trail, in the late 1980s it was with the understanding it would get the trail back if it ever expanded rail service. In 2000, the railroad and the Pecatonica Rail Transit Commission signed a contract to that effect.
A portion of the contract states the railroad has to give the Tri-County Trails Commission, which oversees the Cheese Country Trail, six months notification of its plan to take back part of the trail. The railroad would be able to take possession of the trail portion in January 2010.