All this talk about improving the Weirs..is there an alternative?

[fatlazyless]

It seems unusual the beach area at the Weirs has a carry in-carry out trash policy, no public trash receptacles, and costs 10-dollars to park your car there. If visitors pay 10-dollars for parking, it seems like there could be some trash receptacles as well?

After paying 10-dollars and learning there's no trash receptacle, beach visitors probably get annoyed and just leave their trash while thinking ...... what a dumb trash policy?

Don't the 79-NH state liquor stores have a free public trash receptacle just outside their entry/exit and it costs nothing to go window shop the liquor inside the store without actually making a purchase?

[Acrossamerica]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

It seems unusual the beach area at the Weirs has a carry in-carry out trash policy, no public trash receptacles, and costs 10-dollars to park your car there. If visitors pay 10-dollars for parking, it seems like there could be some trash receptacles as well?

After paying 10-dollars and learning there's no trash receptacle, beach visitors probably get annoyed and just leave their trash while thinking ...... what a dumb trash policy?

Don't the 79-NH state liquor stores have a free public trash receptacle just outside their entry/exit and it costs nothing to go window shop the liquor inside the store without actually making a purchase?

You miss the point. All state owned and operated parks from Weirs beach to the parks in the White Mountains operate under the premise that the only people who would use such a facility are of the granola crunching Birkenstock sandal crowd who understand that one "Always carries out what one brings in" This is because the employees who work for the state at the policy level are of this type and know none who would ever think of leaving their trash behind. Sadly they do not live in the real world so yes it would be logical to place a few trash cans around and use a bit of the $10 parking fee for the cast of reveal. But logic and Government seem to be oxymoronic in nature

[noreast]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

It seems unusual the beach area at the Weirs has a carry in-carry out trash policy, no public trash receptacles, and costs 10-dollars to park your car there. If visitors pay 10-dollars for parking, it seems like there could be some trash receptacles as well?

After paying 10-dollars and learning there's no trash receptacle, beach visitors probably get annoyed and just leave their trash while thinking ...... what a dumb trash policy?

Don't the 79-NH state liquor stores have a free public trash receptacle just outside their entry/exit and it costs nothing to go window shop the liquor inside the store without actually making a purchase?

Is that true? that's ridiculous.

[Outdoorsman]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

It seems unusual the beach area at the Weirs has a carry in-carry out trash policy...

Don't the 79-NH state liquor stores have a free public trash receptacle just outside their entry/exit ....?

I rarely see people having a BBQ/picnic at the state run liquor stores.

Comparing apples to oranges rarely works as intended.

[fatlazyless]

Yes ...... well .....if the state can place a trash can for customer use at their state liquor stores ...... then why not also place a trash can at the Weirs Beach state beach/historic site which charges 10-dollars for parking?

[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Yes ...... well .....if the state can place a trash can for customer use at their state liquor stores ...... then why not also place a trash can at the Weirs Beach state beach/historic site which charges 10-dollars for parking?

I agree with FLL.

Also, there are trash receptacles all along Weirs Blvd. These must be regularly serviced. It is unbelievable that there are none near the most populated portion of that area...The beach.

Given some of the minor stories covered in the Daily Citizen and The Sun, this would rate far more important to the local community than who's unknown cousin is marrying someone from Boca Raton. It also offers a photo opportunity of the offending piles of refuse.

I do know that the beach is machine "groomed" with some sort of schedule. Maybe an attempt to sift the hypodermic needles from the sand?

[jbolty]

In all likely hood the state has a policy of carry out. It's in the best interest of the city to place and empty trash cans, regardless of who is responsible but there will be the inevitable war over turf when two governments collide.

[fatlazyless]

.........oooopsie-doopsie ........ there's got to be about ten or so very large trash receptacles all around the beach parking lot which must get emptied by the city .... so's what do I know .....not much?

Could be there's no trash receptacles on the sandy beach and people are expected to use the trash cans back at the nearby parking lot or something since it looks like maybe the beach belongs to the state, and the p-lot belongs to the city.....or something......duh?

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

.........oooopsie-doopsie ........ there's got to be about ten or so very large trash receptacles all around the beach parking lot which must get emptied by the city .... so's what do I know .....not much?

Could be there's no trash receptacles on the sandy beach and people are expected to use the trash cans back at the nearby parking lot or something since it looks like maybe the beach belongs to the state, and the p-lot belongs to the city.....or something......duh?

FLL: Time for some Beer...and maybe some Cheezits...or something... No Geese..and certainly....NO CHICKENS. NB

[Outdoorsman]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

expected to use the trash cans back at the nearby parking lot or something since it looks like maybe the beach belongs to the state, and the p-lot belongs to the city.....or something......duh?

Perhaps Laconia can hire the local PD to assign an officer to each trash can at $59.00/HR and hand out ticket for "Illegal Dumping"....

[Dave R]

I have a very simple solution to the Weirs. They should allow overnight docking (with strict restrictions and limitations to prevent people from using it as a marina) for a fee. They'd be the only town that allows it and the novelty would attract boaters and they would spend money (especially on drinking (which is high profit) since they would not need to operate the boat afterward). Restaurants and bars would thrive. The town could use the fees collected to improve the area.

Regarding limitations and restrictions, I would propose the following: "Overnight" means 6PM to 11AM. After 11, you gotta leave. Boats would be limited to one night stay per 10 day period. The person in charge of collecting fees would also decide what boats go where in order to make good use of the inner spots in the narrow dock spacing.

[Mr. V]

Another way to put the issue into perspective:

Assume a raging fire destroys the Weirs: gone, up in smoke, everything.

The owners, at least the insured ones, get paid off and made whole, and may not care to rebuild.

Assume an opportunistic developer comes along: what might be the highest, best, most profitable use for that area, rising Phoenix-like from the ashes?

What sort of new attraction will pack em in and keep em coming in this, the new millennium?

[Billy Bob]

Originally Posted by Mr. V

Another way to put the issue into perspective:

Assume a raging fire destroys the Weirs: gone, up in smoke, everything.

The owners, at least the insured ones, get paid off and made whole, and may not care to rebuild.

Assume an opportunistic developer comes along: what might be the highest, best, most profitable use for that area, rising Phoenix-like from the ashes?

What sort of new attraction will pack em in and keep em coming in this, the new millennium?

I like the way you think !
Lightning this time of year is hard to prove on insurance ,

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Dave R

I have a very simple solution to the Weirs. They should allow overnight docking (with strict restrictions and limitations to prevent people from using it as a marina) for a fee. They'd be the only town that allows it and the novelty would attract boaters and they would spend money (especially on drinking (which is high profit) since they would not need to operate the boat afterward). Restaurants and bars would thrive. The town could use the fees collected to improve the area.

Regarding limitations and restrictions, I would propose the following: "Overnight" means 6PM to 11AM. After 11, you gotta leave. Boats would be limited to one night stay per 10 day period. The person in charge of collecting fees would also decide what boats go where in order to make good use of the inner spots in the narrow dock spacing.

Honestly Dave, I don't see how that would help the current situation. Let's just say for example 20 boats stayed overnight how much would 20 couples actually add to the economy of the Weirs?? The town would probably spend more money policing the boats for time limit violations than what they would bring in....

The Weirs needs drastic change to attract hundreds or even thousands of people. I don't pretend to have the answer but don't think overnight docking is one of them.

Dan

[nhcatrider]

There needs to be a general plan. Do you want to attract families with young kids? Teens? College age? It isn't a huge amount of space to develop something that will attract all of the age groups so it would take careful planning and development to pull it off. Plus a ton of money.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Honestly Dave, I don't see how that would help the current situation. Let's just say for example 20 boats stayed overnight how much would 20 couples actually add to the economy of the Weirs?? The town would probably spend more money policing the boats for time limit violations than what they would bring in....

The Weirs needs drastic change to attract hundreds or even thousands of people. I don't pretend to have the answer but don't think overnight docking is one of them.

Dan

The idea is not to completely renew the area on just the money brought in by transient slip renters, the idea is to give people a reason to go there; just a little spark to get things going. Once people start going there and spending money, businesses expand which attracts more people (many by car) and more businesses and so forth.

Right now the town gets $0 for the docks and they sit completely void of boats all night, every night. If you pay a couple of college kids 12 bucks an hour to be the "Harbor Master" from 8 AM to noon, then 6 PM to 10 PM you are only spending 96 bucks a day + SS tax and such and you could make that up with one 35 foot boat at 3 bucks a foot (typical weekend rate for a transient slip). During slow periods, you could even do a pay and display system and eliminate the Harbor Master job.

Regardless, my idea makes use of a resource that already exists and is under-utilized with almost no investment. Any revenue from it would be a plus and any extra customers for local businesses are a plus. If it does not work out, there's no meaningful investment wasted. Who knows, maybe the other ports around the lake would follow suit and OUIs could go way down. Imagine if Dan Littlefield could have slept in his boat in Meredith that night...

[Dave R]

Wanted to add one more thing...

The close spacing of the Weirs beach docks is generally a problem, but if you have a person there to manage docking, the close spacing is an asset as it packs the most boats in per square foot of surface area. You could even use the very under-utlilized boardwalk side of the main dock for shallow draft boats. If it makes fiscal sense, they could even dredge that area out to let bigger boats back there.

[Descant]

I have at least three other places to stay overnight on my boat, but I would pay the suggested $3/ft once in awhile just for the nostalgia; maybe a sleep over adventure for the grandchildren. We used to stay overnight all over the lake, and the towns welcomed it because 1) we spent a little money and 2) cabin cruisers were an attraction for tourists to look at. Wolfeboro even had a "cruisers only" dock with water and electricity connections. Then people started staying all weekend as if it were a campground and partying 'til the wee hours, and instead of learning to control it, the towns all just banned overnight docking. (Part of the early problem was, in those days, no holding tanks or pump out stations, and the Weirs locked the public restrooms at night).

However, for $3.00 per foot, I'd like a dock master and electricity so I don't have to run, or listen to someone else running, a generator all night.

No, this won't provide enough $$ to support anything by itself, but it would add to the overall market appeal.

[kawishiwi]

A big hotel with a builtin year round draw like a Great Wolf lodge (with its big indoor waterpark), add some exposition space for trade shows and the like for shoulder seasons. Add a bit of nice shops, food places, + some fun touristy spots. Hotel could run ski shuttles & ski and stay packages, stay and ride packages for snow machines, stay and fish, stay and ice fish, stay and boat, etc. Wedding specials. Tie in with the mount? Tie in with marinas? Is there enough good golf nearby to add that? Heck maybe build/refurb a destination golf course/xcountry ski area nearby. Gonna hafta drop the whole bike week thing? I think i would be worth it. Make a developer pay to move the veterans nearby into brand new digs. If only I had a few dozen million laying around

[Outdoorsman]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Yes ...... well .....if the state can place a trash can for customer use at their state liquor stores ...... then why not also place a trash can at the Weirs Beach state beach/historic site which charges 10-dollars for parking?

I am not sure how many of these liquor stores are actually in state owned buildings, but I would guess most, if not all are in a leased facility which would make it the landlords responsibility for trash removal from the outside receptacles.

Also keep in mind that the state owned parks and beaches are not funded by tax dollars nor are they "turning a profit". If you want to add additional services to beaches than you can expect Concord to either increase "user fees" or increase property taxes.