Don't change anything the day after I move here.

[songkrai]

Why do I constantly hear this?

"I don't want this town to change." No new homes. No new businesses. No new signs. Don't cut any trees down. Leave the old camps exactly the way they were originally built.

"I came here for the beauty. They should't let 'those' businesses move in." And. "Why can't the town zone the whole area residential?" They should only allow 'colonial' type homes.

"That house ruins my view."

[Pineedles]

sounds like you have a personal situation with this? Care to elaborate?:)

[camp guy]

You hear this because people move here (in the Lakes region) then decide that's not exactly what they really meant. What they really meant was don't YOU change anything, but I need a shed (pronounced b-u-n-k-h-o-u-s-e), and most of those trees are blocking my view so they have to go, and I need a larger dock for my larger boat, and an extra dock for visitors, and I need extra moorings, and in Town why can't we have the stores I had at home, and where are all the entertainment venues. On and on, blah blah blah.

I've got a suggestion... Have a nice day.

[upthesaukee]

I moved away from "(insert locality)" to get away from (insert problem) and then try to get the little ol' NH town to change its ways to be more like what they were used to before they moved to NH VT ME. :eek::confused::laugh:

[songkrai]

sounds like you have a personal situation with this? Care to elaborate?:)

You have never heard this from anyone in your town in the Lakes Region? If not, maybe it's just my town.

"I don't want this town to change." No new homes. No new businesses. No new signs. Don't cut any trees down. Leave the old camps exactly the way they were originally built.

"I came here for the beauty. They should't let 'those' businesses move in." And. "Why can't the town zone the whole area residential?" They should only allow 'colonial' type homes.

"That house ruins my view."

[dpg]

ookkkk and this thread is going where?

[Belmont Resident]

It is a talk heard more and more frequently around this area. I’m glad someone else sees it as well because in the past when it is brought up it is always treated as bashing the tourists.
In recent years more and more of those who call this area home have seen this area decline as more and more people relocate from other areas and then try to make NH more like the state they moved away from. The response is always the same, if you don’t like it then move and some do which opens the door for more to move here and then more change.
I have only lived in the lakes region for 10 years after moving up from southern NH.
For 10 years before that I came up for weekends and vacations with my 2 boys, staying at a campground in Moultonborough.
In the last 10 years this area is becoming more and more like what people are trying to get away from and less and less like the place they desire to go to too get away from the crowded cities. There are areas on the Wolfeboro side of the lake that don’t see this happening as much as the towns on the easily accessible side of the lake but it is happening all over.
It is sad but it is true and you are hearing it more and more.
Many on this forum do not live here so the changes are not evident and only a fraction of those who do live in this area belong to this forum so their voices are never heard.
Many who read comments like this disregard them as the opinions of very few when it is just the opposite.

[tis]

This is an old story and has always happened. People move here because they love the area and then try to change it. Most of the people who "run" the towns are not locals, they are all people who moved here. And it always seems they have an agenda, at least to begin with.

I have told the story before but will tell it again. My friend who moved here about 12 years ago joined the newcomer's club and the then leader of the group said "Ok, now we are here, we are going to close the bridge and not let anyone else in. That is the truth!!

Change is inevitable, but I do think there has always been friction when the "new" come in and "take over". Most people don't like change.

[diz]

ookkkk and this thread is going where?

I've lived in the same town in Mass. my entire life. It has changed immensely. What was a Wonder Bread factory is now a mall. The apple orchard near my house became a car dealership. Isn't change just a fact of life in New England? When it got to the point that the change really bothered me I ran for local government. Isn't that an option in NH? I can't believe the "newcomers" outnumber the locals that badly. If you're that passionate about it, get involved.

[dpg]

I've lived in the same town in Mass. my entire life. It has changed immensely. What was a Wonder Bread factory is now a mall. The apple orchard near my house became a car dealership. Isn't change just a fact of life in New England? When it got to the point that the change really bothered me I ran for local government. Isn't that an option in NH? I can't believe the "newcomers" outnumber the locals that badly. If you're that passionate about it, get involved.

Check out your private message.

[Argie's Wife]

But isn't that type of attitude/comment a great reason for a town to develop an excellent Master Plan?

This would allow for growth, the attraction of new businesses, and new families into the area. Who says you can't keep the good qualities of a town and allow for growth at the same time? We should be developing the type of towns and communities that our kids will want to come back to someday to raise their families. Otherwise, "quaint" quickly becomes "run-down" - and who wants that?

[jeffk]

that things WILL change. :D

Wailing about things changing is useless however, you can manage change and hopefully steer it in a useful direction. Also, things as they are are not, by default, ideal. Many things as they exist are inadequate or bad.

Nor is change, by default, good. Many times people try to fix an existing situation that isn't broken to begin with or the fix, when carefully considered, is worse than the original situation.

There is also a generational aspect to viewing change. Often, after living with a situation for many years, people are comfortable with it that way and any idea of something different is threatening. It doesn't matter what the idea is, just that it something they are no used to. It's the reason people flock to McDonald's even though most of the food is not particularly great tasting or healthy. It is familiar.

So some things can, should, and will change. Other things shouldn't. The process to address what should and what should not WILL proceed. Get involved in the discussion and the process rather than howling at the moon.

[Belmont Resident]

This is an old story and has always happened. People move here because they love the area and then try to change it. Most of the people who "run" the towns are not locals, they are all people who moved here. And it always seems they have an agenda, at least to begin with.

I have told the story before but will tell it again. My friend who moved here about 12 years ago joined the newcomer's club and the then leader of the group said "Ok, now we are here, we are going to close the bridge and not let anyone else in. That is the truth!!

Change is inevitable, but I do think there has always been friction when the "new" come in and "take over". Most people don't like change.

You should here some of the horror stories I here from home owners in associations.
I have a friend who lives on the back side of Winnisquam and it is a small association with only I believe 2 full times residents. The main road is a disaster and needs about 10-20K worth of improvements. No one is interested in spending a dime on it because by the time they start using the road mud season is over and they don’t have to deal with the 10-12 inch deep ruts in the road or all the ice that builds up all winter long because of poor drainage.
The worst part if that the resident who lives here has volunteered to do most of the work himself, but no one wants to spend any money. Cheap, cheap, cheap.

[HomeWood]

We'll be moving up in about 17 years. It's long way off, I know.

I've been coming up to Moultonboro for about 30+ years and I don't think it's changed much. The houses have changed some, but that's all I've really noticed.

[JasonG]

The grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side....

[Belmont Resident]

We'll be moving up in about 17 years. It's long way off, I know.

I've been coming up to Moultonboro for about 30+ years and I don't think it's changed much. The houses have changed some, but that's all I've really noticed.

Until I moved here full time I never noticed. But then again I don’t get up and leave town for work like many do. I’m in the area all day and see first hand what a difference there is between in season and off season. There are a lot of things that have changed significantly that only someone who lives here full time would notice. Not all things that are changing are bad.
It has been slowly happening but never the less things are progressing towards being more crowded with more traffic. Meredith has become one of the worst places for traffic gridlock.
I’ve seen many times where traffic is backed up from the lights at the docks all the way to Moultonborough farms on a Saturday morning.
Moultonborough is one of the less crowded communities around the lake from what I've seen in my travels.

[HomeWood]

I forgot to mention the traffic. Then again, we really don't leave the house once we get there. I guess the full timers would notice the changes more than us vacationers.

[lawn psycho]

But isn't that type of attitude/comment a great reason for a town to develop an excellent Master Plan?

This would allow for growth, the attraction of new businesses, and new families into the area. Who says you can't keep the good qualities of a town and allow for growth at the same time? We should be developing the type of towns and communities that our kids will want to come back to someday to raise their families. Otherwise, "quaint" quickly becomes "run-down" - and who wants that?

Most master plans aren't worth a hill of beans. If something or someone comes along and has the bucks, the "plan" get ignored or reinterpreted for whatever is the flavor of the month. Zoning has teeth. A master plan is a paperwork exercise. Examples everywhere.

[tis]

Most master plans aren't worth a hill of beans. If something or someone comes along and has the bucks, the "plan" get ignored or reinterpreted for whatever is the flavor of the month. Zoning has teeth. A master plan is a paperwork exercise. Examples everywhere.

THat is so true. Wolfeboro has yet to implement the things that were in it's Master Plan it did in the 90s and has done another M.Plan since.

[no-engine]

There is always change, no matter where one returns to after a few years.
I've seen and heard about people visiting areas where I had been 25 years earlier, and there is so much change.
When I drive through town I grew up in, I see so much change.
MA engineers removed the large rotary at Cape Cod Bridge Route 3.
NH engineers are adding rotary/roundabouts: Nashua/Hollis, Meredith, Plymouth, and now Weirs Beach.
Not to start discussions of yay or nay, but we will always see change.

[Lakegeezer]

The change is Moultonborough is one to cheer. At the town meeting last weekend, the voters in attendance cheered when someone spoke up for milfoil spending and a $195,000 budget item for clearing it went unopposed. Without the support from both natives and newcomers, the attitude towards addressing milfoil would not have changed. Also, new steep slope regulations were strongly voted in last year, making it tougher to build without thinking about runoff pollution. There are still some squabbles about changes that seem overblown but in general, change is being done in proper moderation.

[Belmont Resident]

There is always change, no matter where one returns to after a few years.
I've seen and heard about people visiting areas where I had been 25 years earlier, and there is so much change.
When I drive through town I grew up in, I see so much change.
MA engineers removed the large rotary at Cape Cod Bridge Route 3.
NH engineers are adding rotary/roundabouts: Nashua/Hollis, Meredith, Plymouth, and now Weirs Beach.
Not to start discussions of yay or nay, but we will always see change.

I believe what some are saying is that some parts of the lakes region have turned into exactly what people come up here to get away from. It isn’t as noticeable to those who don’t live here but the changes are there and they continue. It will take a while but traffic on a regular day will become just as bad as driving in the major cities and already is in some towns on a summer weekend.
I mean look at the lake, there is very little shoreline that isn’t cluttered with houses. More and more trees are being cut down; some would like a shopping center or mall within walking distance.
Getting away is going into the mountains or lakes and leaving the crowds behind. Having to drive 10 miles or more for the loaf of bread you forgot or ran out of. That’s getting away. Lake Winnipesaukee isn’t a getaway any more it’s just an over crowded destination. Although the tough economy and gas prices have really taken it’s toll on the boating, eventually the number of boats on the water will again become overwhelming.