Hojack Line Property Disposal - Webster

(unable to post official NYS DOT header here)

DOT TO HOST PUBLIC MEETING FOR HOJACK LINE PROPERTY DISPOSAL IN WEBSTER
Project Details Available at 7 p.m. Session on April 14 at Webster Town Hall

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) officials will hold a public information meeting on the evening of Wednesday, April 14 to present a plan to divest ownership of a large piece of state-owned property along Lake Road in the town of Webster, Monroe County. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Webster Town Hall, located at 1000 Ridge Road.

The property, known locally as the Hojack Line, runs for about a mile along the shore of Lake Ontario and along Lake Road between the seasonal Outlet Bridge and Bay Road in the town of Webster. It was originally owned by a former railroad company before it was acquired by the State approximately 30 years ago as part of a highway project. NYSDOT no longer has a transportation use for this property and has transferred jurisdiction of Lake Road to Monroe County.

NYSDOT is beginning the process to dispose of the property by offering to sell portions of it to individuals and local municipalities. Abutting property owners who have encroached onto the State-owned land will be presented with options to purchase the property, rent it under a permit agreement, or remove their encroachments from the right-of-way.

“The sale of this property provides opportunities for the community and area property owners,” NYSDOT Acting Regional Director Robert Traver said. “We look forward to working with local officials and neighborhood residents in smoothing the way for this property transfer.”

Traver said divesting ownership will provide a variety of benefits, including enabling the town of Webster to pursue its plan to build a trail that will open public access to the lakeshore, enabling Monroe County to gain additional right-of-way for future highway needs; and potentially making it easier for homeowners with encroachments to sell their properties in the future.

A formal presentation will given at 7 p.m. when NYSDOT officials will share the history of the property; why the State no longer has a need for ownership; the benefits for the community; and the necessary action steps for property owners with encroachments or land improvements within the State-owned area. NYSDOT real estate personnel will be on hand to discuss the project individually with attendees. Representatives from the town of Webster and Monroe County will be present to discuss plans for the public trail and additional Lake Road right-of-way.

The location for the meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. NYSDOT will provide a sign language interpreter. Anyone who requires other accommodations to participate in this meeting or wishes to obtain more information about the project should contact the NYSDOT Real Estate office at (585) 272-3314, e-mail mbbell (AT) dot.state.ny.us or visit the project Web site at http://www.nysdot.gov/r4surplus
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(PM me if anyone need me to email the formal letter)

Wow. This is insane. Here are municipalities struggling all over the state to piece back together railroad rights of way to create trails, and now the state is talking about DESTROYING a right of way? What are they thinking???

RussNelson wrote:Wow. This is insane. Here are municipalities struggling all over the state to piece back together railroad rights of way to create trails, and now the state is talking about DESTROYING a right of way? What are they thinking???

I guess that state gotta to make money... from you through high # of traffic violation and selling ROW to neighbors or towns.....

I cant wait to see how much State want these ROW.....

This is close to lakefront property. Even if the former Hojack right of way is not right on the lakeshore, it has a great view of Lake Ontario and therefore it's valuable property. Sure, I'd like to see a westward extension of the Hojack Trail, but I don't think that will happen.

Here's the ROW in question:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 22724&z=16

It pretty much is lakefront property, and when you superimpose the property lines over actual development, you'll see there has been extensive encroachment. There really isn't much you can do with the ROW to begin with - it should have been parceled out years ago and put back on the tax rolls.

These images clearly show the issue. The Hojack ROW parallels Lake Avenue. The top image is the entire ROW in question. The bottom images shows the encroachment by private property owners.

Oh, I see. Yes, I agree that property right next to a road is not terribly useful for a trail. Particularly when it's between people's houses and the road.

Click on link to a photo of the Hojack in the area of interest (Oklahoma Beach)from 1924. Looking at it today, it's hard to believe a railroad once ran there.

http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us:2080/cgi ... 12218+12+0

Click on photo to enlarge.

Links to the Rochester Library never seem to work

Yeah, the Library of Congress works similarly poorly. Maybe they use the same crappy software which has no concept of direct links?

I think this is the photo:

Exactly where is Oklahoma Beach? Is it next to the Seabreeze Park?

RailKevin wrote:Exactly where is Oklahoma Beach? Is it next to the Seabreeze Park?

It's east of the Irondequiot Bay outlet - it shows up on Google Maps.

I worked at Seabreeze Amusement Park as a systems engineer for a while. Looking through the photos of that area from the 1920's and looking at everything today, it's hard to even tell that it's the same area. Everytime we put a shovel in the ground at Seabreeze, it practically turned into an archeological dig.

Rt. 590 really dramatically changed the area. The original "Natatorium", once one of the largest man-made saltwater swimming pools, still exists, in pieces. The walls of the pool make up the foundation sills for what is now Seabreeze's warehouse, on the south end of the park, backed right up against 590. When the state was building the highway, they put the highway through a portion of the Natatorium. Instead of tearing it all down, the owners just lopped off the minimum that the state required, which is why today, the warehouse is so weirdly shaped.

Along the lakeshore, to the west of the Bay, especially near Vic and Irv's and Marge's, there doesn't seem to be much evidence at all of the Hojack Line. Was the line along the top of the dune, or just inland of the dune?

JoshKarpoff wrote:Along the lakeshore, to the west of the Bay, especially near Vic and Irv's and Marge's, there doesn't seem to be much evidence at all of the Hojack Line. Was the line along the top of the dune, or just inland of the dune?

The line was on the "dune" itself (which is actually a raised ROW). Some of the locals, including the owner of Marge's, recall the train stopping across from Vic & Irv's for the crew's lunch.

Here is some interesting reading on the area......

http://www.webstermuseum.org/sandbar.php

I remember reading the controversy when the old bay outlet vehicle bridge was going to be removed after the abandonment of the hojack line. I don't recall who said it or where I read it, but one person trying to justify the removal said the railroad originally filled in across the bay outlet illegally. Does anyone remember reading that and/or know the details of this and can confirm it?