Weirs Beach Waterslide to be Torn Down

secondcurve · 12-06-2013, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resident 2B

I believe what is sorely missing is a master plan for the Weirs Beach area. Something that make sense and is financially viable after considering all the current and potential uses of the area, including how to host Bike Week in any new arrangement. The square footage of the vacant lots is growing faster than the property value of the surrounding real estate is dropping. Piecemeal development without a master plan is doomed to failure.

I do not know why one of the local politicians does not start this ball rolling. What we have now is a big mess that seems to get worse each and every year. This is a beautiful part of the lakes region and it is not being treated with the respect it deserves.

That is my 2-cents worth.

R2B

I couldn't agree more. The leaders of Laconia have totally butchered what should be a jewel of the Lakes Region. I am not sure what the problem is but the result of Laconia's inaction has been to drive commerce to places like Meredith. It likely will get worse before it gets better.

birchhaven · 12-07-2013, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by secondcurve

I couldn't agree more. The leaders of Laconia have totally butchered what should be a jewel of the Lakes Region. I am not sure what the problem is but the result of Laconia's inaction has been to drive commerce to places like Meredith. It likely will get worse before it gets better.

I could not agree more. I wrote in another post this exact situation, that bike week drives development away because a land owner can generate income with no improvements, making the land owners pretty much lazy, where as anywhere else you need to improve the land to make a buck. I know for a fact that the powers that be, take the attitude that, it is what it is, and who are they to change it, really great planning attitude.
Speaking of Laconia planning, the new steep slope ordinance pretty much makes all of the weirs need a zoning variance, so they just keep adding regulation to stop development. That entire area is over 25% slope (so is pretty much the entire lakes region). So anyone looking to buy up and revamp the Weirs has a serious up hill battle and a lot of extra expense to make that area into the great place we all know it could, simply because of Laconia. Not only that but they are adding more regulations.
I have never understood the steep slope ordinances towns put in place, if you want a walk out basement on your house it requires a lot with greater than 25% slopes pretty much, yet with these regulations it makes an area like that unbuildable.
I could go on about this for a while...

JasonG · 12-08-2013, 12:10 AM

It's been a few years since I have been up there so I may be out of date. Could the problem be the lack of activities during the off season, thus no tourists to generate revenue then?

Bottom line...having a business that is only operational 4 months a year is tough to push on any investor. As someone else said, Meredith is where money is going. Why not? They make things interesting year round.

secondcurve · 12-08-2013, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonG

It's been a few years since I have been up there so I may be out of date. Could the problem be the lack of activities during the off season, thus no tourists to generate revenue then?

Bottom line...having a business that is only operational 4 months a year is tough to push on any investor. As someone else said, Meredith is where money is going. Why not? They make things interesting year round.

Meredith is in the same geography with a similar asset and it has been able to flourish. What Laconia has in the Weirs is irreplaceable. That being said, any high caliber asset can be mismanaged and that is what we have seen the leaders of Laconia do with the Weirs.

JasonG · 12-08-2013, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by secondcurve

Meredith is in the same geography with a similar asset and it has been able to flourish. What Laconia has in the Weirs is irreplaceable. That being said, any high caliber asset can be mismanaged and that is what we have seen the leaders of Laconia do with the Weirs.

So the general feeling is the existing businesses (most?) could be managed correctly for a year round appeal? However, the effort has not come?

birchhaven · 12-08-2013, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonG

So the general feeling is the existing businesses (most?) could be managed correctly for a year round appeal? However, the effort has not come?

Management is part of it, but more importantly the lack of investment in the properties and also a serious lack of imagination. The whole place needs to be torn down and rebuilt.

Colby · 12-08-2013, 04:50 PM

The area can not support a water slide? What's happened to our Weirs?
There used to be three water slide areas around Laconia. The SurfCoaster, Part of the Alpine Slide Gunstock ski area and the Weirs Beach water slide. Now we are losing the last waterslide.

When I try to encourage friends to visit the area they talk poorly about the Weirs. They call it a honky tonk atmosphere. Run down, nothing to do. Great scenery though.

Those who are black, gay or Jews feel unwelcome. Real or perceived that is how they feel.

What was the Weirs Water Slide land used for in the past? Will it be abandoned and just exist except for Bike week+ ?

It's awful to watch the area get so run down.

ishoot308 · 12-08-2013, 05:17 PM

"Those who are black, gay or Jews feel unwelcome. Real or perceived that is how they feel."

What!?? While the Weirs may have issues, racism certainly is NOT one of them!!

Give me a break!

Dan

dykg · 12-08-2013, 11:10 PM

What I don't understand is why aren't these properties being developed? There is a carrying cost of owning these properties. They tear down the structures ie Karl's steak house and now the water slide with no plans to replace with an attraction or something that will draw people to the area. Am I missing something here? Is there just a lack of investment interest? If you drive further down lakeside ave to Lookoff Rock, they are building & selling high end town homes.
Go figure.

fatlazyless · 12-09-2013, 08:22 AM

Compared to any of the other local super-pumper gas stations in the area including the Irving and Mobil on Rt 104 at Exit 23, New Hampton, or the Irving in Meredith next to the new Rite Aid, the Cumberland Farms gas station at the Weirs always seems like it has very few customers for a gas station of its size. Like, where are all the customers at the Weirs Beach Cumberland gas station? Becuz with maybe ten different gas pump stations, they is all usually empty of gas customers.

I travel through Laconia and stop in there for gas while enroute to the Gilford Lowe's or the Gilford Wal-Mart and typically buy a newspaper and get gas, and with all those different gas pumps, the Cumby management has got to be very disappointed with their gallons sales numbers ...... so's why the heck did they even build that very expensive-to-construct store there in the first place....if it has such poor performance????

By the way, it has a public rest room that is maintained extremely clean!

So many gas pumps ...... and so few gas customers ...... someone at Cumby management didn't do their research for that particular spot for the predicted gasoline sales demand .... or something????

p.s.

Riding a bicycle around the Weirs and especially around the residential area across the railroad tracks over behind the Winni Gardens building can be an interesting bike ride, and a good way to really see the area......some many very old homes built on tiny, close together, congested lots all crammed in together....very old construction and very tightly close to one another.... small narrow streets .... and then some real beauties of old restored homes directly on the water down through there.... riding a bicycle in through there is the way to go for a Weirs Beach sight-seeing ride....

....and .... if and when the www.wowtrail.org ever gets built through the Weirs....that could give the Weirs a tourist boost in the shoulder months of April-May ....... Sept-Oct-Nov .....

birchhaven · 12-09-2013, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dykg

What I don't understand is why aren't these properties being developed? There is a carrying cost of owning these properties. They tear down the structures ie Karl's steak house and now the water slide with no plans to replace with an attraction or something that will draw people to the area. Am I missing something here? Is there just a lack of investment interest? If you drive further down lakeside ave to Lookoff Rock, they are building & selling high end town homes.
Go figure.

They make money having the land sit with no mainance till they make a quick buck from bike week. Bike week has to go.

A large portion of the Weirs is owned by the veterans, so it is kinda of a tough one. No one would ever want to take anything away from a group that has given so much. And while you could certainly begin the resurgence of the weirs by building at the water slides, and the arcades, no master plan would be complete without factoring in the Veteran Buildings.

Woodsy · 12-09-2013, 01:05 PM

Birchhaven....

In the interest of full disclosure, I am year round resident of the Weirs. I love it! The Veterans homes & the Bike Rally are not going away. That being said, the issues with the Weirs are many, and there is plenty of blame to spread around.

1. Property owners like the Baldi's, who let their burnt out eyesore sit there for 2 years while they played cat & mouse with the city & their insurance companies. I get that they are entitled to due process, but ultimately it was going to have to be torn down anyway. Finally tearing it down only to leave it a mess still and bury the toxic waste in the drive in! No doubt the same fate awaits the water slide.

2. The City for treating the Weirs like a red headed step child. They are happy to take as much $$$ from Weirs/Bike week as possible, with little to no re-investment into the Weirs.

3. The City for not being business friendly. A recent example is the BBQ guy that set up a temporary shop in the old Karl's parking lot. City ordinance said he could only operate x amount of weeks....

4. The State of NH for treating Bike Week as the Police Overtime Association. Way too many police for the amount of people! It discourages people from coming. They need to see how the other big rally's are run.

5. A loosening of the liquor laws.... Let people have a beer or cocktail (in a plastic cup) and walk around. Think like Key West. The Weirs needs to be inviting, not excluding!

The demographic of the area has changed dramatically. All of the old mom & pop motels are now condos. There isn't the weekly turnover of new people like there used to be. SO the question that needs to be answered is to how best attract people to the area? Everyone needs to have some input.

The "Family only" plan isn't working. There needs to be a balance of adult and family entertainment. Maybe a little less arcade, a few more bars/restaurants geared towards adults. Embrace bike week! The motel owners need to understand that shutting everything down at 11pm isn't good for them or the other businesses. The city needs to spend some $$ on keeping the Weirs looking nice. I don't think a copy of Meredith is what the Weirs needs, but it certainly needs to be spruced up. The vacant lots.... like the Baldis & soon the waterslide need to be addressed. No Bike Week vendor permits unless your property looks nice and is kept up to code.

There is lots more I am sure!

Woodsy

fatlazyless · 12-09-2013, 01:08 PM

www.weirsbeach.com/Largejpgs/nhvahistory.html

As I recall from an article in the LaDaSun maybe a year ago or so, all the veterans rental property is summer seasonal because it is unheated and has no foundations under cottages.

The biggest portion of their annual income comes from renting out retail concession spots along their grassy embankment that fronts on the sidewalk during bike week. This income goes to maintaining the properties.

The veteran's property is exempt from Laconia property tax.

BroadHopper · 12-09-2013, 01:51 PM

I have to agree with FLL regarding a rail trail from Laconia to Meredith. That will bring a lot of folks that are health conscious to the area. If the rail trail extends to Franklin as envision, I can see a big draw on events such as a bike, foot, run race at the Weirs. Unfortunately there are sour pusses that don't want ANYTHING in their back or front yards. Lighten up people the lake and surroundings are to be enjoyed by all!

birchhaven · 12-09-2013, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I have to agree with FLL regarding a rail trail from Laconia to Meredith. That will bring a lot of folks that are health conscious to the area. If the rail trail extends to Franklin as envision, I can see a big draw on events such as a bike, foot, run race at the Weirs. Unfortunately there are sour pusses that don't want ANYTHING in their back or front yards. Lighten up people the lake and surroundings are to be enjoyed by all!

Not to get totally off topic, but I have heard this idea kicked around a lot for the past 10 or so years, I am hesitant to even say it because I think it will be a very polarizing idea.
Get rid of the train and replace it with trolly cars, that can be stopped at any location. So for instance South Down shores people can flag it down with a season pass card or something get on ride to Meredith have dinner, ride back to the Weirs, go dancing, get ice cream, then ride back to south down shores. Etc... I live on the tracks and this would be awesome IMHO

Woodsy · 12-09-2013, 02:35 PM

Birchhaven...

Might require some infrastructure upgrades....

But...

That is a GREAT idea.... its ideas like that the Weirs needs!

I am a big fan of the WOW trail too. Even though cutting through Southdown is a mighty unpopular idea with those folks!

Through the passage of time, and due to neglect the Weirs is no longer a "Destination"! Anything that can be done to change that would be a change for the better... and it would benefit most people! IMHO

Woodsy

brk-lnt · 12-09-2013, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodsy

Birchhaven...

I am a big fan of the WOW trail too. Even though cutting through Southdown is a mighty unpopular idea with those folks!

Disclaimer, I'm an owner in SouthDown.

I'm opposed to the WOW trail because I don't buy in to the argument that it will attract any new people to the area. There are already many existing recreational activities in the area, and around NH in general. People aren't going to flock to the area just because you lay down a few miles of pavement.

The majority of the WOW trail would have no "destination" spots, especially the Weirs area which is pretty much the opposite of "healthy activities" right now.

The WOW trail has all the markings of a poorly thought out (but, well intentioned) pet project. 5 years after it's built, it'll sit there in disrepair and be a general eyesore. Take a look at some of the litter and graffiti along the existing portion for examples of this.

As a SouthDown resident, I see no benefit to that. I'm not concerned about people coming in to "my community" as much as I am concerned about some group dropping in a slab of blacktop that is going to be an eyesore, get in the way, and ultimately need to be dealt with by the residents.

Bostonian · 12-09-2013, 05:01 PM

Nothing like Internet Message Boards to chime in... So I will put in my two centers.

While I do not live at the Weirs, my family has been coming up to the lake to vacation for 3 generations. Currently, my family owns a house near Gunstock, and let me tell you it is depressing to go up there. Whether it is the Gunstock Inn sitting idle (which now appears to be changing), to the Surfcoaster rotting away to now the Weirs Beach Waterslide being torn down and lot after vacant lot popping up along the Weirs. It is an embarrassment...

Echoed in a previous post, the City of Laconia needs to step up and have the entire stretch redeveloped focusing on the natural beauty and create a destination to visit. Having a 4 star hotel, quality restaurants (not the greasy putrid gringo), entertainment that draws all walks of life and of course focus on the natural beauty of the lake is key. I want to be able to showcase the greatness of the Weirs, but instead we have nothing but a rundown empty strip that drives away people who want to spend money there.

jess1234 · 12-09-2013, 06:04 PM

There is a meeting on December 23rd @ 7pm for comments not on the agenda at the Laconia City Council meeting, would we be heard as seasonal owners.

12-08-2013, 04:50 PM	#7
Colby Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: USA Posts: 8 Thanks: 9 Thanked 7 Times in 1 Post	Fewer attractions The area can not support a water slide? What's happened to our Weirs? There used to be three water slide areas around Laconia. The SurfCoaster, Part of the Alpine Slide Gunstock ski area and the Weirs Beach water slide. Now we are losing the last waterslide. When I try to encourage friends to visit the area they talk poorly about the Weirs. They call it a honky tonk atmosphere. Run down, nothing to do. Great scenery though. Those who are black, gay or Jews feel unwelcome. Real or perceived that is how they feel. What was the Weirs Water Slide land used for in the past? Will it be abandoned and just exist except for Bike week+ ? It's awful to watch the area get so run down.

12-08-2013, 05:17 PM	#8
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 6,341 Thanks: 2,412 Thanked 5,337 Times in 2,086 Posts	What?? "Those who are black, gay or Jews feel unwelcome. Real or perceived that is how they feel." What!?? While the Weirs may have issues, racism certainly is NOT one of them!! Give me a break! Dan __________________ It's Always Sunny On Welch Island!!

12-09-2013, 08:22 AM	#10
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,842 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 303 Thanked 1,033 Times in 752 Posts	.... Weirs Beach huge Cumberland gas station???? Compared to any of the other local super-pumper gas stations in the area including the Irving and Mobil on Rt 104 at Exit 23, New Hampton, or the Irving in Meredith next to the new Rite Aid, the Cumberland Farms gas station at the Weirs always seems like it has very few customers for a gas station of its size. Like, where are all the customers at the Weirs Beach Cumberland gas station? Becuz with maybe ten different gas pump stations, they is all usually empty of gas customers. I travel through Laconia and stop in there for gas while enroute to the Gilford Lowe's or the Gilford Wal-Mart and typically buy a newspaper and get gas, and with all those different gas pumps, the Cumby management has got to be very disappointed with their gallons sales numbers ...... so's why the heck did they even build that very expensive-to-construct store there in the first place....if it has such poor performance???? By the way, it has a public rest room that is maintained extremely clean! So many gas pumps ...... and so few gas customers ...... someone at Cumby management didn't do their research for that particular spot for the predicted gasoline sales demand .... or something???? p.s. Riding a bicycle around the Weirs and especially around the residential area across the railroad tracks over behind the Winni Gardens building can be an interesting bike ride, and a good way to really see the area......some many very old homes built on tiny, close together, congested lots all crammed in together....very old construction and very tightly close to one another.... small narrow streets .... and then some real beauties of old restored homes directly on the water down through there.... riding a bicycle in through there is the way to go for a Weirs Beach sight-seeing ride.... ....and .... if and when the www.wowtrail.org ever gets built through the Weirs....that could give the Weirs a tourist boost in the shoulder months of April-May ....... Sept-Oct-Nov ..... __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake! Last edited by fatlazyless; 12-09-2013 at 08:55 AM.

12-09-2013, 01:05 PM	#12
Woodsy Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Weirs Beach Posts: 1,968 Thanks: 80 Thanked 980 Times in 440 Posts	Birchhaven.... In the interest of full disclosure, I am year round resident of the Weirs. I love it! The Veterans homes & the Bike Rally are not going away. That being said, the issues with the Weirs are many, and there is plenty of blame to spread around. 1. Property owners like the Baldi's, who let their burnt out eyesore sit there for 2 years while they played cat & mouse with the city & their insurance companies. I get that they are entitled to due process, but ultimately it was going to have to be torn down anyway. Finally tearing it down only to leave it a mess still and bury the toxic waste in the drive in! No doubt the same fate awaits the water slide. 2. The City for treating the Weirs like a red headed step child. They are happy to take as much $$$ from Weirs/Bike week as possible, with little to no re-investment into the Weirs. 3. The City for not being business friendly. A recent example is the BBQ guy that set up a temporary shop in the old Karl's parking lot. City ordinance said he could only operate x amount of weeks.... 4. The State of NH for treating Bike Week as the Police Overtime Association. Way too many police for the amount of people! It discourages people from coming. They need to see how the other big rally's are run. 5. A loosening of the liquor laws.... Let people have a beer or cocktail (in a plastic cup) and walk around. Think like Key West. The Weirs needs to be inviting, not excluding! The demographic of the area has changed dramatically. All of the old mom & pop motels are now condos. There isn't the weekly turnover of new people like there used to be. SO the question that needs to be answered is to how best attract people to the area? Everyone needs to have some input. The "Family only" plan isn't working. There needs to be a balance of adult and family entertainment. Maybe a little less arcade, a few more bars/restaurants geared towards adults. Embrace bike week! The motel owners need to understand that shutting everything down at 11pm isn't good for them or the other businesses. The city needs to spend some $$ on keeping the Weirs looking nice. I don't think a copy of Meredith is what the Weirs needs, but it certainly needs to be spruced up. The vacant lots.... like the Baldis & soon the waterslide need to be addressed. No Bike Week vendor permits unless your property looks nice and is kept up to code. There is lots more I am sure! Woodsy __________________ The only way to eliminate ignorant behavior is through education. You can't fix stupid.

12-09-2013, 01:08 PM	#13
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,842 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 303 Thanked 1,033 Times in 752 Posts	www.weirsbeach.com/Largejpgs/nhvahistory.html As I recall from an article in the LaDaSun maybe a year ago or so, all the veterans rental property is summer seasonal because it is unheated and has no foundations under cottages. The biggest portion of their annual income comes from renting out retail concession spots along their grassy embankment that fronts on the sidewalk during bike week. This income goes to maintaining the properties. The veteran's property is exempt from Laconia property tax. __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

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12-08-2013, 12:10 AM	#3
JasonG Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 310 Thanks: 48 Thanked 45 Times in 33 Posts	It's been a few years since I have been up there so I may be out of date. Could the problem be the lack of activities during the off season, thus no tourists to generate revenue then? Bottom line...having a business that is only operational 4 months a year is tough to push on any investor. As someone else said, Meredith is where money is going. Why not? They make things interesting year round.

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12-08-2013, 11:10 PM	#9
dykg Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Foxboro, MA Posts: 76 Thanks: 120 Thanked 12 Times in 7 Posts	What I don't understand is why aren't these properties being developed? There is a carrying cost of owning these properties. They tear down the structures ie Karl's steak house and now the water slide with no plans to replace with an attraction or something that will draw people to the area. Am I missing something here? Is there just a lack of investment interest? If you drive further down lakeside ave to Lookoff Rock, they are building & selling high end town homes. Go figure.

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12-09-2013, 01:51 PM	#14
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,601 Thanks: 3,238 Thanked 1,113 Times in 799 Posts	Rail trail I have to agree with FLL regarding a rail trail from Laconia to Meredith. That will bring a lot of folks that are health conscious to the area. If the rail trail extends to Franklin as envision, I can see a big draw on events such as a bike, foot, run race at the Weirs. Unfortunately there are sour pusses that don't want ANYTHING in their back or front yards. Lighten up people the lake and surroundings are to be enjoyed by all! __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

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12-09-2013, 02:35 PM	#16
Woodsy Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Weirs Beach Posts: 1,968 Thanks: 80 Thanked 980 Times in 440 Posts	Birchhaven... Might require some infrastructure upgrades.... But... That is a GREAT idea.... its ideas like that the Weirs needs! I am a big fan of the WOW trail too. Even though cutting through Southdown is a mighty unpopular idea with those folks! Through the passage of time, and due to neglect the Weirs is no longer a "Destination"! Anything that can be done to change that would be a change for the better... and it would benefit most people! IMHO Woodsy __________________ The only way to eliminate ignorant behavior is through education. You can't fix stupid.

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12-09-2013, 05:01 PM	#18
Bostonian Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 10 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Nothing like Internet Message Boards to chime in... So I will put in my two centers. While I do not live at the Weirs, my family has been coming up to the lake to vacation for 3 generations. Currently, my family owns a house near Gunstock, and let me tell you it is depressing to go up there. Whether it is the Gunstock Inn sitting idle (which now appears to be changing), to the Surfcoaster rotting away to now the Weirs Beach Waterslide being torn down and lot after vacant lot popping up along the Weirs. It is an embarrassment... Echoed in a previous post, the City of Laconia needs to step up and have the entire stretch redeveloped focusing on the natural beauty and create a destination to visit. Having a 4 star hotel, quality restaurants (not the greasy putrid gringo), entertainment that draws all walks of life and of course focus on the natural beauty of the lake is key. I want to be able to showcase the greatness of the Weirs, but instead we have nothing but a rundown empty strip that drives away people who want to spend money there.

12-09-2013, 06:04 PM	#19
jess1234 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Laconia, NH Posts: 26 Thanks: 0 Thanked 19 Times in 9 Posts	There is a meeting on December 23rd @ 7pm for comments not on the agenda at the Laconia City Council meeting, would we be heard as seasonal owners.