GB,
Your dock and boat house attract the fish that fisherman go after. Your swim area is in a public body of water. It sounds harsh but the same "the law is the law" that you bring up with Ames Farm applies to you. If you live in the lake you should learn to work with it. I doubt seriously that there's mutiples of hooks in the area. Looks like you have a solution to the minor inconvenience and you can just make occasional sweeps for hooks every now and then.
As far as reduced fisherman, that's the fundamental problem that concerns me. First, if we throw out the fact that last year's weather sucked, when you take a launch like Ames Farm away you will see less boaters.
The Alton public ramp sucks and parking is very inconvienent. Downings isn't bad but parking there can be a pain and if you pull out at prime time the wait sucks. Ames Farm has double ramps with open parking area. In the south west corner of the lake that was the by far the best place to launch for a trailer boater. So you got your wish, less boaters in your area. Congratulations. They either moved to a more convienient area near a launch or just said why bother and went to another lake. We won't know. I can guarantee you that less boaters means less revenue for the State of NH and area businesses.
The problem is over time as access is reduced further you'll have higher property taxes and more businesses will be empty. It doesn't happen in one year. It's just like NRZs. Once one area gets one, then someone else cries "why can't we get a NRZ?"
So now about Ames Farms. From my reading of the Town of Gilford meeting minutes, they Amnes had violations and rectified them. The boat launch had been operating since some time in the 60s which is how far back someone had to go to say they we'ren't continuously operating a launch. The accessory use of the clause is splitting hairs.
Now, explain to me why the petition also restricts the storage of boats if it's the boats on the water that are causing you grief? You state that you want Ames Farms to remain as-is but then wish to restrict them from having a public launch or even the ability to store boats. What you post and the potential actions of the petition signers do not agree.
The solution to this problem is to restrict development on the shores of the lake and to restrict private dockage. You and others may gasp at such a thing but they aren't making more shoreline. The lake will be here long after you and I are gone. I don't want to see something that I enjoy to be ruined for future generations because of poor long-term planning and over-development. It's the lake that is the resource, not the mish-mash of properties along the lake. The State of NH needs to aquire land and put in permanent launches. The Nix's of the world would try and fight such actions with classic NIMBY mentality. When I return as a NH resident this will be something I will fight for through the legislature.
Regarding the early morning noise, I too would find that irritating. I know that the tournaments were started farther off shore and start times were altered. So at least there was some willingness to compromise from Ames Farm. My question is what would you need to be satisfied or to make it a workable solution without restricting the use of a public ramp?
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