Alton Bay Boathouse Collapse?

[LIforrelaxin]

It is sad to see so many of these structures fall into such a state of disrepair. Unfortunately with all the regulations that are in place the State of NH and DES have brought it on themselves. People or to nervous to make minor repairs any more. Which is great for companies like Water Mark etc. However those companies are so busy, that the time line to get work done is often long. Of course because of permitting and the attitude of you should do it all at once because of the permitting process, doing the upkeep all at once becomes very costly. The state needs to give a little, and make the laws a little more flexible so that people start to feel like they can do the year to year up keep on boat houses with out fear of fines. Unfortunately the way the laws are written and the way the are publicised they generate fear where there shouldn't be any.

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

It is sad to see so many of these structures fall into such a state of disrepair. Unfortunately with all the regulations that are in place the State of NH and DES have brought it on themselves. People or to nervous to make minor repairs any more. Which is great for companies like Water Mark etc. However those companies are so busy, that the time line to get work done is often long. Of course because of permitting and the attitude of you should do it all at once because of the permitting process, doing the upkeep all at once becomes very costly. The state needs to give a little, and make the laws a little more flexible so that people start to feel like they can do the year to year up keep on boat houses with out fear of fines. Unfortunately the way the laws are written and the way the are publicised they generate fear where there shouldn't be any.

What permits need to be filed to do maintenance to a structure like this? If the owners had kept up with repairs they would not be in this position, with a boathouse that will more than likely fail this winter. It is hard to tell from the photo if that is just trim that is broken or if the header has snapped, if it is the header than that hip will not support the weight of snow this winter. Hope the insurance is paid up.

Just an FYI, you do not need Watermark to perform repairs or replacements of boathouses, I am not sure about the branch of the company that handles Winni, but on Sunapee they really only do docks. Repairs and replacements to boathouses do not even fall in the CSPA, it is wetlands. People need to stop listening to their neighbors and friends regarding CSPA, sign up for a seminar or call Toby at DES and ask your questions. As a contractor I can tell you that it is now easier to do work around the water than it was before, any contractor worth his salt is going to walk you through the permiting process the entire way. The only thing we require of any of our home owners is a signature, we handle all aspects of permitting and tell you what you can and cannot do only after a review by the permitting official. You will never know if you do not ask and I think you would be quite surprised at how easy it is to get additions approved even in non-conforming lots. Did you know that if you put up an addition on an existing structure, you only have to deal with the impact of the addition on water runnoff.

If you are looking to building a huge house on a tiny lot, well you are probably out of luck, but IMHO that is OK. We have had people walk in our door with these fantastic plans for houses on waterfront lots that they paid alot of money to have drawn, only to find out that the house cannot be made to work in CSPA without a complete redesign. Then the owners are all bent out of shape because they cannot build the house that they designed and it is everyone else fault, but a little research in the beginning would have saved them alot of money and aggrevation and they still would have been able to build a house that they truely loved. It doesn't take much to make a house conforming, but waiting until the plans are set in stone is not the time to be finding this out.