Winnipesaukee Forum - Barber's Pole no-wake-zone controversy results in new law

Barber's Pole no-wake-zone controversy results in new law

From Laconia Daily Sun - CONCORD —

Governor John Lynch last week signed legislation introduced on behalf of Safe Boaters of New Hampshire to ensure that when the Department of Safety considers restricting the use of public waters that all abutting property owners are informed of the proposal before the scheduled public hearing.
House Bill 342 was filed in response to a proposal in 2010 to designate the channel at Barber's Pole in Tuftonboro a no wake zone. A group of residents on nearby islands petitioned the Department of Safety, which held a public hearing. Many abutters were not notified and only learned of the proposal after it was approved by the Commissioner of Safety on the strength of testimony presented at the hearing dominated by its supporters. The decision was appealed and reversed after another public hearing.
The bill requires the petitioners to notify all abutters by certified mail, much like local planning boards, and requires the state to post notice of the hearing on its website two weeks prior to the hearing. The past law provided only that the Department of Safety place a legal notice announcing the proposed change and public hearing in a statewide newspaper, which escaped the attention of many seasonal properties.
Scott Verdonck of Safe Boaters of New Hampshire said that changing the law will help to ensure that those most immediately affected by proposals to restrict the use of public waters have an opportunity to fully participate in the decision-making process.