Quote:
Originally Posted by lakegirl
Mr. Mullen....
I have grown up on this great lake. I like many other people do not approve of what you are proposing. That is my right. As an abutter of your proposed facility.... I also have the right to speak my mind.
As one person.... my voice probably wont be heard....but as a group... not just Lake Shore Park...but people that camp there and have for many years...residents on Shore Road and other residents of the town... or voices will speak volumes. We may not win....be will fight to the end. Again, that is our right. We want to preserve what is there.
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Dear Lakegirl,
Lakegirl, you are exercising your right to speak your mind and I would be the last person to ever try to infringe on that right. The folks at Lake Shore Park (LSP) have been there for decades and clearly our new Sailing Center will change the landscape. I understand and respect the concerns of those residents and the LWSA will do all it possibly can to have its impact on Lake Shore Park be a positive one.
I don't see us impacting the LSP residents' privacy very much because I don't think folks move there with privacy as one of their primary objectives. Every time I've been inside LSP, it appears as though it's one big, happy summer camp with kids everywhere, and I mean everywhere. The presence of LSP and the large number of youngsters present on that property is one of the reasons the LWSA wants to have its Youth Sailing School at Ellacoya. We'll have a built in source of students and our programs will add a new and very positive dimension to life in that community, not just for the youngsters, but for the adults as well.
Ellacoya is not a perfect venue for our needs. There will be days when our sailing activities will have to occur on dry land as there is much we can do to teach sailing without being on the water. Over our nearly 30-year history teaching sailing, we have learned to deal with situations in which the wind is too high and too low. We can tow our boats to sheltered areas when the winds are too high and for years we have been towing our boats out of Smith Cove in order to find wind. As for water depths, Ellacoya is ideal. Our boats are all shallow draft with drop down centerboards or dagger boards. With the boards up, we draw less than a foot and with boards down, we don't draw more than three feet. Another plus feature of the waters off Ellacoya, if a boat goes over, in most cases a student can stand on the bottom and get back into the boat.
As for the campers, the LWSA intends to incorporate their needs and desires into our logistics and I have no doubt they will find us to be pleasant co-habitants of that lake frontage. First of all, we'll be providing the campers with a viable new alternative for launching their boats. They will actually have a decent ramp with a dock adjacent to the ramp so they can launch a boat and then have something to tie it up to while they go park. LSP should like this because a common complaint has been the fact that many times, newly launched boats drift accross the LSP floating swim line while the boat owner was off parking the trailer. That won't happen anymore!
Secondly, we may be able to provide reliable moorings and or docks for the RV Park residents while they are staying at Ellacoya and they will all be able to make use of our programs. I can see the day when many of the park's RV campers will arrange to have their visits coincide with a particular activity that will be going on at the Sailing Center.
Lazygirl, I have complete respect for your right to voice your opinions and to stand fast to your principles. I hope I can direct your energies at some point in time into support for what the LWSA is proposing and if you keep an open mind, I think we'll have a decent shot at accomplishing this objective. If we can't swing you over to our way of thinking, I promise you we'll listen carefully and thoughtfully to all of your concerns and then try to address them as best we can as we structure our programs.
Lastly, someone asked how can a private business use State of NH land. The answer is simple. The LWSA is not a private business, it is a public, not for profit 501(c)(3) entity. The precise manner in which the LWSA will have the opportunity to use State land is yet to be resolved, but we will most likely have something like a Special Use Permit with many conditions that we must adhere to in order to have the privilege of being in that location. There are many similiar arrangements currently in place elsewhere around New Hampshire so we will not be breaking new ground.
I am available by phone if anyone wishes to contact me to discuss our plans and we will be looking for lots of help getting the facility built. Please call my cell phone at 603-759-2510 and thanks for lending an eye to this message and an ear to our need for assistance. I can also be reached by e-mail at
[email protected] .
Regards,
Tom Mullen