Gunstock gets pushback on proposal to have state pay for paving

CONCORD — Gunstock commissioners made their case to have the state pay to pave the recreation area’s parking lot, saying it would benefit the environment and the economy. But lawmakers questioned using state money to pay for a project at the county-owned facility.

Stephan Nix, chairman of the Gunstock Area Commission, told the House Finance Committee the cost of paving the 5½ acre gravel lot would be a “win-win” for the state and the county.

The bill puts the price of the project at $890,000.

Nix explained that paving would allow for better control of water that runs off the lot into an abutting pond, and so would lessen the chance of pollutants getting into the pond. At present, silt from the lot washes into the pond during heavy rains, Nix said. The pond feeds into Poorfarm Brook which flows down toward Route 11, where it empties into Lake Winnipesaukee at Ellacoya State Park.

In addition, paving the lot would provide better access for people who park there in order to hike in the Belknap Mountain State Forest that abuts Gunstock’s property.

While Gunstock charges people to use the ski lifts and other facilities, it is required by law to provide free access to those who come to the area for “passive recreation” such as hiking, Nix noted.

Fellow Area Commissioner Brian Gallagher said that the unpaved lot is a safety hazard, particularly in the winter when, depending on the temperature, the surface can be frozen solid or muddy.

As the second-largest employer in Belknap County and a four-season resort that attracts upward of 250,000 visitors annually who patronize local businesses and pay their share of state rooms and meal tax and turnpike tolls, Gallagher said paving the lot was a good investment.

But committee member Patricia Lovejoy asked, “How would this be different from spending state money for Pat’s Peak?” a private ski area in Henniker.

“Some infrastructure problems have become more challenging,” Gallagher said. “We need help to stay competitive.”

Another member of the committee, state Rep. Mary Beth Walz, similarly asked, “Why should we put taxpayer money into this?”

Nix responded that capital projects are expensive and so Gunstock “looks to other revenue sources for funding” to make infrastructure improvements.

He noted that in the past that Gustock has benefited from state highway grants to help pay for a new bridge on the main access road into the area, and funding through State Parks programs, as well as federal funds.

Also testifying on behalf of the bill was state Rep. Peter Spanos.

“Some ask why now? Why Gunstock?” Spanos said of the request for state money. Replying to his own question, Spanos, of Laconia, answered “Belknap County is part of New Hampshire.”

A working group of the committee is expected to delve deeper into the bill next Tuesday. The full committee is tentatively scheduled to consider the bill on Feb. 5, according to the House calendar.