Weirs Beach Water Slide

[LongBay]

The Weirs will remain the same until the next monsoon comes and all the rain water comes gushing down the street as a result from all the developers who think progress is tearing down every tree in sight and replacing it with hot top. Maybe this will be a good thing ... maybe a bad...I guess it depends on how you look at...IMO it will be natures revenge against ugliness!

BTW: The Laconia town planners have it in for those who like good old New England Towns. Look what they did when Laconia Center was "re-developed"...one big ugly parking garage in the middle of a bunch of historic mill buildings. And now look what they are allowing the WoW trail enthusiast do...spoil the scenic shores of Paugus and Meredith Bay with their ugly chain linked fences, giant cement retaining walls and asphalt paths. I wonder who will pay for the repairs when the next monsoon ravages through the lakes region again. It certainly won't be the City of Laconia, they are still pointing the fingers down in Capitol Hill trying to get them to cough up the money. I sure hope Scott Brown votes no on this one, why should all US tax payers cough up the money for bad town planning and developers who don't understand you can't pave a mountain side with cement and tar.

[mets3007]

Weirs restrooms are horrid dirty smelly never clean I just go there and get out fast but I have seen cleaner restrooms at my ex college ( laguardia CC) and also on Rest Areas on I 91, Mass Pike, I 84, I 684, and I-93 after Hooksett tolls the only one thats not as clean is I-495 southbound. I think the mount pple clean it I have seen the guy with the long hair down there once when it was flooded.

[meredith weekender]

My feeling is that the whole Weirs area needs a total renovation including the offerings of activities. The city should have a master plan for renovation. Hire a consulting firm. Visit other waterfront areas and see what is working. IF they keep doing what they've been doing, were only going to see the same result of empty buildings and less visitors.

[fatlazyless]

At a 7.5% unemployment for Laconia, and Belknap County, that makes Belknap County the 2nd highest out of all 11 NH counties behind the 9.5% Coos County, which is way up north.

I wonder why the rate for Belknap is so high? A couple reason are: the closing of the State Prison in Laconia, and closing of Freudenburg-NOK , a car-parts maker, in Laconia. Both employed over 100 people with good pay.
The slowdown in residential construction and remodeling is probably a big factor too.

For the waterslide location, maybe Dunkin Donuts will move in? I already have a maroon red Dunkin Donuts sport-shirt that says DUNKIN DONUTS- Five Years, that I bought for a dollar at the Etcetera Shoppe, as a joke. So, when DD opens I'll be right there, look'n for a job!

[birchhaven]

Originally Posted by LongBay

The Weirs will remain the same until the next monsoon comes and all the rain water comes gushing down the street as a result from all the developers who think progress is tearing down every tree in sight and replacing it with hot top. Maybe this will be a good thing ... maybe a bad...I guess it depends on how you look at...IMO it will be natures revenge against ugliness!

BTW: The Laconia town planners have it in for those who like good old New England Towns. Look what they did when Laconia Center was "re-developed"...one big ugly parking garage in the middle of a bunch of historic mill buildings. And now look what they are allowing the WoW trail enthusiast do...spoil the scenic shores of Paugus and Meredith Bay with their ugly chain linked fences, giant cement retaining walls and asphalt paths. I wonder who will pay for the repairs when the next monsoon ravages through the lakes region again. It certainly won't be the City of Laconia, they are still pointing the fingers down in Capitol Hill trying to get them to cough up the money. I sure hope Scott Brown votes no on this one, why should all US tax payers cough up the money for bad town planning and developers who don't understand you can't pave a mountain side with cement and tar.

Long Bay, I was given the impression you live in South Down /Long Bay? Isn't that a big development, where they paved a mountain/hill side with tar, and clear cut?

[LongBay]

Yes I live in the area.
No, there was no clear cutting done on over the 500 acres of development. Many retaining ponds were put in during the development and their were restrictions on the amount of pavement. There are no chain link fences in the development, and ugly cement retaining walls. If you go through the development, you will see lots of trees and wildlife. During the monsoon, there was some damage, however, being a private development the residents of this community did not get any handouts from the local, state or federal government to do the repairs.

Laconia ran out of money to fix the monsoon damage done at the Weirs during the last monsson. This is a certain indicator Loconia has no money to take on the maintenance of future infrastructure including the WOW trail. As one other person indicated people should focus on getting the Weirs to look half decent. And the bathrooms...now I know why the bacteria count raises so high. BTW Laconia residents drink that water!

[birchhaven]

Sorry, I did not realize that all the shoreline and hill sides that are now grass were naturally clearcut.

[LongBay]

I think you are missing my point. SouthDown and Long Bay were clear cut just like all of the shores of Winninpesaukee and it's islands for farming and grazing. Over the years, much of the land was taken back by forest.

My point was without proper development planning, nature has a way of taking back things. When the monsoon came causing millions of dollars in damage at the Weirs, the damage at Southdown was not even close. No major damage was done at Long Bay.

The Weirs is a perfect example of poor planning and business owners who don't have enough capital to stay competitive. Each year the area looks more worn down. I have been visiting the area for over 25 years and as most agree, nothing much has changed. Well, someday if not already, the Cash Cow business model falls apart and without good leadership and vision, those types of businesses eventually go under. So, look at how many store fronts are boarded up at the Weirs vs. those up at Meridith, North Conway, Waterville Valley, Loon Mountain, Bretton Woods, etc. Those communities that keep up with the times will prosper and those that don't will become another down and out kind of place.

BTW: When gambling comes to NH it won't be at the Weirs due to a number factors: Not enough parking, too many environmental permits will be needed because it is close to a shoreline and watershed providing drinking water to a major population, not close to a highway, not close to MA and RI. When NH allows gambling, it will probably go to Hampton Beach which is in need of a major makeover as well. If it does not go to Hampton Beach, some community right off of one of those RT 93 exits will get it. Lets see, there is a big race track that only gets used a few times a year, an amusement park right off 93 that could be quickly bulldozed and turned into a Casino, and lots of boarder towns that would quickly raise their hand for some gambling action.
With that said, we can all wait fore someone else to give us the golden egg or do what other communities have done all on their own.

It is a shame people like Mr. Marriott can't re-build part of the Weirs rather than put up a hotel right down the street on a piece of vacant land. I guess when he visits his summer home, he either likes the Weirs for all its wonder and wants to keep it as is or he stays 10 miles away from it. I would love to know his opinion on the matter. His company has done great things re-developing areas (look at Boston's Long Warf project and Copley Place).