Proposed Weirs Beach improvements and dock work

[TiltonBB]

There is discussion to make the beach/Channel breakwater longer and improve the layout of the docks.

“The most important development activity, at the very top of our list, is to restore the public beach at the Weirs.”

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...5ccdae8e4.html

[AC2717]

I am all for widening the docks, and working the beach, but when reading this I could not stop thinking, that if any one of us on the lake with a dock or a beach or a breakway would be immediatly shut down by the DES for these proposed items, in the name of environmental protection.

[John Mercier]

They have to go through all the State permitting the same way we do as private individuals.

[The Real BigGuy]

Do you need an LDS subscription to read the article? Every time I go to it I get the headline, picture, and a caption.


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[John Mercier]

No. But I find my browser at home will only download part of it.

[Winni P]

I think the dock reconfiguration should be their top priority. We need more docking space so we can all patronize the new restaurants and businesses that are opening up at the Weirs this year. I think the docks are going to be busier this year and it is going to be a s**t show

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Winni P

I think the dock reconfiguration should be their top priority. We need more docking space so we can all patronize the new restaurants and businesses that are opening up at the Weirs this year. I think the docks are going to be busier this year and it is going to be a s**t show

I couldn't agree more! The Weirs docks are an engineering catastrophe! With the proper dockage, the Weirs could have three times the boat patronage it gets now. I'm sure all the businesses there would benefit greatly!

Dan

[Descant]

For me, dock improvements would be number one. If I were a Laconia taxpayer, the beach could easily be a higher priority.

[WinnisquamZ]

Originally Posted by Descant

For me, dock improvements would be number one. If I were a Laconia taxpayer, the beach could easily be a higher priority.

Not to be a “Debbie Downer” but this has been discussed for the past three years and the city and state powers haven’t come to a decision of what has to be done. Which order it needs to be completed in or what can or should be done. It really is a sad statement for the city administration


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[John Mercier]

I would guess they have serious questions on whether Weirs can go ''upscale'' and make enough in tourism revenue to create a decent return on investment.

[WinnisquamZ]

If ROI was a factor with the city then they wouldn’t be looking into purchasing 2/3s of the “old woolworths” building. I believe it’s more about businesses that will profit from the changes being implemented and payed for using city funds


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[John Mercier]

According to the article, it is TIF.
The basic concept is the property values/development will grow to cover the cost of the expenditures plus add to the city tax base over time.

I believe the downtown was an attempt to use federal funds... but that fell through.
I don't see it adding to the downtown... as plenty of restaurants exist; but I don't fully understand the advantage of the backstage to the Colonial... so maybe.

I presume if the restaurant is better than average, that Colonial patrons will simply make reservations and dine next door. But my presumption is that would deplete other downtown establishments of their patronage and have a net zero outcome.

I think in this case, the feeling is the area can handle more lake access to increase the number of patrons that may be limited by the traffic on the roadway. And that the boating population is likely higher income, and can handle more ''upscale'' costs than a ''blue collar'' crowd.

Is Wolfeboro more ''upscale'' than Meredith or Laconia?
I only have reference to the few times that I have dined on that side of the lake.

[fatlazyless]

From what I've seen, there's just a small amount of smooth clean sand that has been eroded or pushed by wind driven waves around the rock jetty and into the shallow north side of the Weirs channel. The water depth there, close to the concrete sidewalk that runs about 30-yards from the state historic monument out to the jetty is about three feet deep so it improved the bottom changing it from mud and small rocks to all sand which is better for launching a kayak or paddle board as you walk along the sandy bottom, 3' deep, next to the sidewalk to get it out to the big water.

The sandy beach at Weirs Beach as well as the channel are in good to excellent condition as it is, right now. Would the beach be better if three inches of new clean sand were spread across the existing sand? Yes, that would be an improvement but it is already very good the way it is, now.

What works pretty good for grooming a sandy beach is to drag with a utility vehicle an old steel bed spring frame behind the vehicle to freshen up and groom the sand similar to grooming a red clay tennis court.

The docks are also in excellent condition, and can accommodate boats that are eight feet wide or smaller. The problem with not enough space happens when boats wider than eight feet tie up.

A 16' boat is usually six feet wide, an 18' boat is usually seven feet wide, and a 21' boat is usually eight feet wide, and the Weirs Beach docks are well designed, attractive looking, and can accommodate boats up to eight feet width, no problem. It all looks and works very very good as it is, right now.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

I would guess they have serious questions on whether Weirs can go ''upscale'' and make enough in tourism revenue to create a decent return on investment.

Not sure if it can ever go upscale. We had dinner at the Clubhouse 2 Wednesday's ago. Sat in the front window seat and watched the show...It was like the wild west down there, and that was preseason. Long line of cars backed in having their own Fast and the Furious club meeting with people literally blocking the road. Motorcycles ripping up the hill by us, cars stopping at the bottom to see how much rubber they could burn up the hill, weirdos and crack heads skateboarding down the middle of the street...Not a cop in sight.

[Descant]

For FLL: Not so many 16-17' boats around anymore. More like 22-28' which tend to be at least 8.5' wide, maybe more as you get past 24'. 'toons tend to be 8.5' beam as that's a trailerable size now.

From John Mercier: "Is Wolfeboro more ''upscale'' than Meredith or Laconia?"

Laconia is a distant 5 on a scale of 1-3 upscale. I'd say Meredith and Wolfeboro are on a par. Good variety of businesses in a compact walkable area. Laconia is stretched out from downtown, all along Paugus Bay to the Weirs. It wasn't so long ago that the Weirs had two dance halls, two bowling alleys, 2 mini-golf courses, some arcades and a drive-in theater. They've lost a lot of that business variety. Converting Weirs area hotels/motels to condo's and short term rentals has certainly changed spending habits in the area. More upscale? or drive/boat to Meredith?

[John Mercier]

I have to travel down to Lakeside Ave tonight for a Lavalley Dinner Cruise.

I was really more focused on the Weirs, as the last time I was in that area - other than driving through or a building site - was more than three decades ago. Lakeside Ave should be more walkable than Meredith... as Rte 3 is much farther from the waterfront. I think it is more up to Laconia to force the issue to ''upscale'' if they really want it.

Laconia Proper (Downtown) and Lakeport actually need their own identity for a tourism perspective.

[John Mercier]

Since I don't think Meredith has a bowling alley, drive-in, or arcade... and I never consider that the focus of ''upscale''... I can guess that the Weirs isn't on track as of yet.

The dinner cruise was in that direction, though maybe soothing music rather than a loud live band, but I guess that is all about taste.

Meredith seems to be better shopping, not quite Tilton, but better than the Weirs for as much as I could ascertain. Bike Week is being cast upon the Ave at this time... so the primary businesses were harder to spot.

[Cobaltdeadhead]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

From what I've seen, there's just a small amount of smooth clean sand that has been eroded or pushed by wind driven waves around the rock jetty and into the shallow north side of the Weirs channel. The water depth there, close to the concrete sidewalk that runs about 30-yards from the state historic monument out to the jetty is about three feet deep so it improved the bottom changing it from mud and small rocks to all sand which is better for launching a kayak or paddle board as you walk along the sandy bottom, 3' deep, next to the sidewalk to get it out to the big water.

The sandy beach at Weirs Beach as well as the channel are in good to excellent condition as it is, right now. Would the beach be better if three inches of new clean sand were spread across the existing sand? Yes, that would be an improvement but it is already very good the way it is, now.

What works pretty good for grooming a sandy beach is to drag with a utility vehicle an old steel bed spring frame behind the vehicle to freshen up and groom the sand similar to grooming a red clay tennis court.

The docks are also in excellent condition, and can accommodate boats that are eight feet wide or smaller. The problem with not enough space happens when boats wider than eight feet tie up.

A 16' boat is usually six feet wide, an 18' boat is usually seven feet wide, and a 21' boat is usually eight feet wide, and the Weirs Beach docks are well designed, attractive looking, and can accommodate boats up to eight feet width, no problem. It all looks and works very very good as it is, right now.

It's our fifth season with a boat on the lake. I don't think we've been to the Weirs a single time on a summer weekend where there hasn't been several interior dock spaces unoccupied because of how narrow the docks are. The vast majority of the boats on the lake today have beams 8'6" and up. The docks need to be widened at least 8 feet to solve this. Maybe more.