 View PDF
The DES Public Hearing held on Wednesday May 13th at the Sherburne Gym in Sunapee drew a large group of about 250 people from both sides of the issue. In attendance were speakers from Newbury and other local towns, LSPA, NHLA, and Sullivan County Sportsmen. The topics were water quality and watershed, highway and boating safety, and the legal aspects of the intense development not meeting state and local regulations. Of particular interest was the data presented on the detrimental effects of such intense development on such a small lot.
Fish and Game Director Glenn Normandeau continues “It is important for the public to have a safe, adequate access to NH’s 6th largest lake”. He continues: “We plan to build an attractive, safe, free, user-friendly facility that will be an asset for the state.”
Attractive: On the 3.2 acre lot, 60% of vegetation will be eliminated and 9750 cu. yd. of soil will be removed; 15 lighting fixtures will be lit from dawn to dusk.
Safe: The town of Newbury select board and the Newbury Chief of Police are extremely concerned about entry and egress from Rt. 103, with its commercial traffic,to/from Birch Grove Road, a CL V road. “It’s not a question of if but when a major accident will happen.”
Free: maybe so for visitors, not for the Town of Newbury, which needs to patrol and provide services. F&G has never met with the Town of Newbury on this particular project. The current cost estimate for this project is $1.2MM.
User-friendly: The ramp is broadside to prevailing winds and currents, has a 14% grade, and obstacles in the water.
No mention is made about the intense development unsuitable to this site. By the State’s own Public Access plan a development of the type proposed by F&G is meant for a 15-30 acre site.
No mention is made that Lake Sunapee has 5 boat access points with over 75 parking spaces (more at peak times). No mention is made that Lake Sunapee already has a state owned boat launch at State Beach, with a DES permit to improve the erosion, parking and boat ramp there. No mention is made that thousands of visiting boats enjoy Lake Sunapee every year.
No mention is made that a far cheaper and truly safe plan is to improve the Stat Beach boat ramp even further; and put a less intense development at Wild Goose, one appropriate to the site, per the NH Access Plan.
The comment period has been extended to June 26th, 2009, regarding this wetland permit application F&G has made to DES Wetlands Bureau.
Written comments can be sent to: NHDES Wetlands Bureau, PO Box 95, Concord, NH 03302 (reference Proposed Boat Access Wild Goose site, Lake Sunapee, Wetlands Application #2008-02781).
On Thursday, May 21, an amendment to a water quality bill was proposed in Concord. A hearing will be held next Thursday, May 28th at 8:30AM in Concord either in the Legislative Office Building or the Capital building (Room TBD). The importance of this amendment is that it would establish a study committee on this specific F&G proposal. LSPA feels that this is reasonable, as there is engineering assessments that this intense development project as proposed will definitely harm the quality of Lake Sunapee, the drinking water supply for the Town of Sunapee, as well as other residents.
What you can do to help keep Lake Sunapee blue:
1. Write a letter to NH DES Wetlands Bureau, per the above.
2. Fill out the Petition for the creation of a Wild Goose study committee. (See PDF)
3. Attend the HB45 Senate vote Wednesday June 3rd in Concord, rm tbd.
4. Call LSPA for more info or write: lspa@lakesunapee.org
Date published on web site:
05-22-2009
|
