The Island View - from Barndoor

Passions about New Hampshire International Speedway owner Bob Bahre's plans to build a "large house" — in his attorney's words — on a Hopewell Rd. waterfront lot in order to shelter 70 vintage automobiles and provide living space for the collection's caretaker are running a little hot all over town, but nowhere is the temperature higher than on Barndoor Island. And the islanders are not speaking with a totally unified voice.

Bahre's proposal to build the 44,000-square-foot-structure on Clay Point, next door to his existing mansion, is currently before the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA). The board has met three times on the subject already — most recently for more than four hours on Nov. 17 — and will take it up again on Dec. 7.

The short version of the story is that Town Code Enforcement Officer Brian Boyers denied Bahre a permit to build the structure in the "lake shore residential" zone. Bahre appealed to the ZBA, which has the legal ability to overturn an administrative zoning decision. Four of the five members of the Board of Selectmen — Pete Shibley excepted — have waded into the fight on the side of Boyers.

Barndoor Island lies perhaps 1,000-feet off the north face of Clay Point and two miles south of the Wolfeboro town docks. Residents on the southwest portion of the 88-acre island have a perfect view of Bahre's compound and, if testimony given at the ZBA meeting last week in any indication, some like what they see and hear and some don't.

Ron and Nan Bettencourt have lived on the island for 29 years and they politely describe Bahre's home as an "attractive nuisance" that will only get worse if he is allowed to add another huge building on an adjacent lot. An emotional Ron Bettencourt told the ZBA that Bahre has indirectly turned the "tranquility" of Barndoor Island into a "nightmare".

Bettencourt said boat traffic in the straight between Clay Point and the island has increased substantially since Bahre built his mansion because of the number of the people who drive by to get a look at the compound. He also talked about the noise pollution caused by construction vehicles and the large cigarette boats that idle for prolonged periods at Bahre's docks before "hitting the throttle" and "halting all other hearing in our area for minutes at a time".

"Do you realize how much louder noise carries over what?" he asked.

Bettencourt described the Bahre compound as being "lit up like a small city" at night and further complained about the helicopter traffic that approaches Clay Point from directly over the island.

"Put it at the speedway," he urged Bahre, "not in a residential zone".

Joseph DeVelis, much younger than the Bettencourts but also with a long history on Barndoor Island, had a much different point of view. He noted the Clay Point property in question used to be a boys' camp and has always been responsible for its share of noise.

DeVelis said he has witnessed no real increase in boat traffic in the straight since Bahre built his mansion — "a thing of beauty". It has always been a heavily traveled waterway, he said, because boats traveling back and forth between Wolfeboro and Alton Bay use it to avoid the rougher waters of The Broads.

More than anything, though, DeVelis told the ZBA that Bahre should have a pretty wide right to do what he wants with his property. "We live in America," he said. "God bless him. . .let him do it."

If Bahre is denied his right to build on Clay Point, DeVelis concluded, "then take Live Free or Die off the license plates."

Letters to the Zoning Board from a number of other Barndoor Island residents supporting the Bettencourt's view were also allowed into the record.

"Barndoor Island is resistant to growth," said DeVelis.