Gilford Selectboard approves contract for preliminary design of trail system at Lakes Business Park

GILFORD — After some roadblocks in previous years, and the project essentially being scrapped, the trail system at Lakes Business Park is entering the preliminary design phase, following the selectboard’s approval to spend money on contract.

Vice Chair Gus Benavides made a motion to accept an offer from DuBois & King for the services of $22,000, to be paid from the Lakes Business Park Trust Fund, and authorize Town Administrator Scott Dunn to sign the contract, on April 22.

“I know this has been a long time coming, quite some time coming, and I know I am looking forward to finally seeing the trail system,” said Chair Chan Eddy.

Dunn said money will be spent on conceptual plans and cost estimates for a public trail system in the business park, located on Hounsell Avenue. He said a wetlands permit was previously approved.

“We are going to have a local engineering firm take some preliminary designs we had done maybe six or seven years ago, and update them so we know they’re consistent with the language in the deeds and wetlands permit,” Dunn said on Wednesday. “And, to make sure they are practical and pragmatic.”

Dunn said this is a form of “taking the next step” toward building trails. He said the town had a previous proposal layout and preliminary cost estimates. This was used to apply for a state grant which the town ultimately did not receive.

“So, at that point in time, this project was cast aside,” Dunn said. “But now that we have a new agreement with the city, we can move on this.”

Phase I of the business park was initiated by the City of Laconia in the 1990s, consisting of five now-occupied lots.

The original inter-municipal agreement between Laconia and Gilford goes back to May 2001. Dunn said it was an agreement around taxes, approved by voters at Town Meeting, as well as by the Laconia City Council.

In 2002, Gilford joined with the city to develop 19 lots on 113 acres of land on Hounsell Avenue as part of Phase II. Dunn said these are all occupied commercial lots.

The agreement's stated goals were to “encourage development and redevelopment of properties located within both municipalities by making improvements to infrastructure and utilities, and to establish a time frame for development.” The contract included a clause for automatic termination upon completion of the project.

“It was predevelopment, with a lot of lawyers who crafted the agreement,” Dunn said. “But now that the park has been fully developed, lots are sold, we went to the city to amend the agreement.”

In February, the city council and Gilford selectboard approved a successor agreement. In the amended agreement, Gilford will fund the capital replacement trust fund for upkeep and any other infrastructure. Gilford’s obligations would be capped when the balance of the fund is $1 million, and the town will not exceed $50,000 per year for contributions.

The town also pays Laconia 25% of property taxes from land and buildings in Phase II, which is a section located in Gilford.

The Gilford Selectboard approved this agreement at their Feb. 11 meeting.

“The language, as approved, will allow us to sunset this agreement in 2040,” former Selectboard Chair Kevin Hayes said during that meeting. “In the meantime, the money that is sent to them will be used first to fund the $1 million fund that will be used to build the trail system that was never built when the park was constructed, because there was not enough money.”

Voters at Town Meeting approved adding $50,000 to the Lakes Business Capital Trust Fund by a vote of 631-335. Dunn said with the new agreement condition of contributing this portion to the fund on a yearly basis, there is now an excess of $900,000 in the fund.

“I don’t anticipate any other infrastructure improvements needed there,” Dunn said. “We paved the roads years ago, and prior to that, we used funds for underground utilities. So, moving forward, the thought is most of this will be used for the trails.”

Dunn said thinks DuBois & King will get working right away, but he does not have an estimated timeframe. The trail creation will likely be a project that will take several years, he said.

Dunn will be working with city leaders, and he said when the draft products are ready, they will proceed accordingly.

“Kirk [Beattie] will present it to city council, and I’ll present it to the selectmen, and we’ll see where it goes,” Dunn said. “It’s a slow process. It will be public when designs are materialized.”