Weirs Beach Project Ribbon Cutting

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

How's about parking at the new parking lot behind the local fire station, at the Weirs Community Park, over on the other side of the channel, up behind the Alpenrose Plaza, or the community center, or somewhere, back there? Could be that is FREE parking, and about a ten minute walk, or less?

Named the Weirs Park, or the Weirs Community Park, a City of Laconia property; there's a thread from September 4, 2014, with photos by the webmaster, and this park has public rest rooms and it might have a free to use parking lot ...... do not know .....about a ten minute walk or less, across the channel bridge from the new, high priced, parking spots.

You will not pay a lot of money to park at the Weirs Community Park! Hopefully, this is true?

Can I ask a dumb question .....like why in whole wide world .....would anyone want to go to Weirs Beach?

Now, if the www.wowtrail.org ever, ever, ever, gets built, going from Lakeport all the 9-mile way to Meredith ..... down through the heart of Weirs Beach ...... a bicycle trail ..... for walking, jogging, bicycling ...... no motorized vehicles ..... that would make the Weirs a horse of a different color!

It's great as long as it's not going through your back yard.

[fatlazyless]

Located a ten minute walk from the beach at Weirs Beach, the Weirs Community Park has a parking lot with about 50-parking spaces, no parking meters, and a sign at the entrance: "Parking for Park Users Only."

There are walking trails through the nearby level forest area, and a new rest rooms building.

Once the Wow Trail gets constructed from Lakeport to the Weirs, on the Paugus Bay railroad, State of N.H. right of way, this seems like a good place to park your car, unload your bicycle, and go hit that famous Lake Winnipesaukee www.wowtrail.org

Maybe the City of Laconia will decide to add a parking meter kiosk to their Weirs Community Park p-lot to help pay for everything? Seems like a good idea?

Maybe add a bicycle rack, and a picnic table as well?

What do you think?

[mneck1814]

Originally Posted by Biggd

It's great as long as it's not going through your back yard.

I know this is a controversial project and I certainly don't intend to add to it, but I wanted to share a first hand experience with a successful rail trail in our back yard, about 50 feet out the back door.

My grandparents have a camp on Mascoma Lake in Enfield that directly abuts what is now the Northern Rail Trail. When the discussion first began to turn the vacant rail bed into a multi-use trail,we also had reservations about the impacts on our enjoyment of camp and the lake. I am happy to report that 20 years later we have grow to love the easy access to the trail and the benefits that it brings. We worried about potential break-ins as there are not any full-time year round homes near the camp, but surprisingly we haven't been broken into since before the trail opened, before the trail it happened every couple of winters. Our theory is that the camp was isolated before and now there is a regular stream of walkers, cyclists, snowshoers, XC skiers, snowmobilers, etc. We also worried about vagrants, but to be honest there are less now than when it was an abandoned rail bed.

Our family uses the trail regularly throughout the summer season and we even find ourselves driving out to camp in the off season to park and use the trail.

The Northern Rail Trail brings a lot of business into the restaurants and stores in downtown Enfield, too, something that the Weirs and Laconia could benefit from.

[StardogChampion]

The last two places I lived, one was near the Minuteman Bike Trail and the other adjacent to the Rockingham Recreation Trail.

The Minuteman was great, especially for walking downtown Arlington to the restaurants, shops, etc. without having to walk down busy Mass. Ave. It was also great for jogging. Like the WOW it was paved. It was always busy with families, commuters, etc.

The Rockingham we had direct access to through our backyard. It was quieter and unpaved but was great in the summer for mt. biking, running, etc. and in the winter was great for x-c skiing. My neighbors used it all the time for snowmobiling. When we sold the house most everyone who made an offer (multiple offers) commented on the direct access to the trail as one of the reasons they did so.

I'd love a rail trail in my backyard again.

[AC2717]

I think what one of the major issues is the crime that might be associated with it. Like the three last rail trails mentioned they were either in remote areas or in a decent to well off area. I have one in Maynard MA near my house that goes from Acton through Maynard, through Hudson, to Marlboro center.

Now I don't have a specific dog in the fight here and I am just using deductive reasoning, here

Laconia does not have the greatest element of the human species living in and around the "Downtown" area, if you will, and connecting it to the Weir's Tourist area is seen as a way to spread out that element, and would be a spot of contention.- proof is in the police logs

I think this might not be as big as an issue if this potential issue didn't exist, say putting one from Meredith Bay to Center Harbor or from the Weirs to other parts of the lake.

[Outdoorsman]

Something tells me that the last 3-4 posts were intended for the WOW trail thread and not this one