In April, 2009, after five public
hearings, the New London Board of Selectmen denied a request by the Lake
Sunapee Rowing Club to use Bucklin Beach
to store their rowboats after rowing on Little Lake Sunapee from 6:00 A.
M. to 8:30 A. M. prior to Bucklin Beach's opening at
9:00 A. M.
Selectperson Tina Helm saw six problems
with Lake Sunapee Rowing Club's request: Noise, private use of the
beach, parking, not enough room on the beach to store rowboats,
non-resident use of the beach, and the rowboats introducing invasive weeds
into Little Lake Sunapee.
Kitty Wilson said water fowl don't like
rowboats, "I learned not to go near them while rowing,"
said Kitty. Vicki Koran was concerned about the loons on Little Lake
Sunapee.
The matter was decided when a resident
resurrected a 1986 Town Meeting Warrant which stated that Little Lake
Sunapee was closed to private use.
Not so fast...The needed 50 signatures
were collected asking the Board of Selectmen to call a Special Town
Meeting to be held June 8, 2009, at 7:00 P. M. in the old middle school
building to repeal Article 38 which restricts the use of Bucklin Beach to between
10:00 A. M. and 9:00 P. M. and limits use of Bucklin Beach to town residents and
taxpayers and their guests, and prohibits setting fires and establishes a
$10 fine for a violation.
At the June 8, 2009, Special Town
Meeting, the 88 voters who attended decided to repeal Article 38 and allow
Bucklin Beach to be open from 7:00 A.
M. to 9:00 P. M. Special Town Meeting also banned smoking on
the beach and increased fines from $10 to $25 for a first offense, $100
for a second offense, and $250 for a third offense.
The Lake Sunapee Rowing Club found
temporary space elsewhere.
Debbie Cross of InterTown News Service reports on a
New London Board of Selectmen meeting regarding the repair of fencing
surrounding Bucklin Beach which was damaged during last winter's snow
removal on Route 114, the road next to Bucklin Beach, by New Hampshire
state plows.
NEW LONDON – New London Recreation Director
Chad Denning met with the New London selectmen on May 27, 2008, to discuss
repairs to the fencing around Bucklin Beach.
“I wish I could say it was just a visual issue, but
this crosses the line into a safety issue,” Denning said. Denning
said that the exit for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation
plows is right across the street, and there are high winds blowing off the
lake making for large snow drifts right next to the playground area of the
beach.
The plows push the snow back off Route 114 and hit the
fence, he said. “There is a big hole in the fence right next to
the playground equipment: You can walk onto 114,” he said.
“This is unforeseen, and it’s not in the budget.”
Denning added that he had received a couple of
proposals for fixing the fence and one estimate for a long-term fix to
replace the whole fence.
The first estimate, which would include taking down
just the damaged top rail along the 500 foot fence and installing
seven-gauge, black-coated tension wire would cost $3,400, Denning
said. The second estimate, to take down the damaged top rail and
replace it with a new top rail, would cost $4,800. Both estimates
would reuse the existing wire fencing.
The third most costly estimate to furnish and install a
new fence would cost $18,500; or less if some existing materials could be
salvaged.
“Richard [Lee, road agent] looked at it with me
and he came up with the idea of using removable sections we could take
down off the posts in the fall,” Denning said.
Town Administrator Jessie Levine said she had talked to
New Hampshire's Department of Transportation about helping with repair
costs, but they said no.
“They would like to put in a snow fence in future
years to keep the snow from drifting onto Route 114,” she said.
“They told me they had asked the town for a snow fence in previous years
and been denied. I don’t remember any talk about it in the eight
years I’ve been here.”
Levine added that the town has spent money twice on the
fence since she has worked for New London.
“They are going to have to put in something pretty
substantial for a snow barrier there,” Selectman Larry Ballin said.
“They would use one like they use out west, a wooden
barrier,” Denning said. “If the fence came down, what would
happen to the snow? Would it pile up on the road?” Selectman Mark
Kaplan asked.
“That’s not our problem,” Ballin said.
Denning said that without a fence, the snow would
probably drift across the road into the wetland area.
"That would be better,” he said.
Levine said she had spoken to town counsel about
whether they could use any money from the septic account for the fence,
but they said it didn’t pass the ‘sniff test.’
“You have $10,000 in the Selectmen’s Discretionary
Account and no plans to use it,” Levine said.
“We usually use it for staff holiday bonuses or
retirement parties. “I’d like to go take a look at it and talk
next week,” Ballin said.
“We may end up getting just one section.”
“I’m definitely okay with a bandaid fix,” Denning said.
"My suggestion is a single section of a
dogpen-type fence to fill the hole,” Ballin said.
“There is no meeting scheduled for next week.
We can add one if you need to appropriate any money,” Levine said.
A fence for Bucklin Beach was approved by voters at
Town Meeting on March 12, 2009.
