MEDWAY – A dispute between a landowner and a gas station over a supposedly watery tank of diesel fuel will not close a vital snowmobile trail, the landowner said Monday.

Landowner, David Violette, said he will not follow through on his threat to close a quarter-mile section of Interstate Trail System 83 that crosses his property adjacent to a C.N. Brown Medway Big Apple gas station.

He had threatened to close the trail Feb. 15 as leverage in a battle with Brown over the gas, but said in a press release Monday that Rob Farrington, president of the East Branch Sno-Rovers snowmobile club, convinced him to relent.

“I was reminded that snowmobiling youngsters age 14 and under cannot legally cross paved highways,” Violette wrote. “Any route from the Sno-Rovers clubhouse to a gas station other than the Medway Big Apple would require the crossing of busy Route 157.”

It has “never been my intention to take away the option of snowmobiling from youngsters who are legally unable to cross the highways,” he stated.

Violette owns Katahdin Shadows Campground in Medway, which adjoins the gas station and has a portion of the trail, which connects Aroostook County with the Katahdin region, running through it.

C.N. Brown officials in South Paris have not returned repeated requests for comment since the dispute began. Farrington could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.

Violette claims that on Dec. 24, he bought about $67 worth of diesel from the C.N. Brown Medway Big Apple gas station. According to a letter written by his brother, attorney Richard D. Violette Jr., Violette drove about a half-mile from the station when his snowplowing truck broke down.

Watery gasoline was determined to be the cause, the letter states.

C.N. Brown paid back the $67 but has not paid any of the additional $216 Violette claims he is owed for repairs and loss of income, and Violette is threatening to sue.

There are approximately 104 members of the East Branch Sno-Rovers Club, including many children.