Work on Lakes Business Park trail system soon to begin

GILFORD — City councilors approved spending funds from a mutual trust with the Town of Gilford to begin planning for the development of a trail system at the business park during their meeting on Monday night.  

Gilford town leaders requested approval from their city counterparts to allow spending $22,000 from the Lakes Business Park Capital Replacement Trust Fund, to begin a conceptual design development for the trail system.

The Gilford Selectboard is next scheduled to meet on Wednesday, April 22. There was $956,277 in the account as of Monday evening. 

“When they do this, and no doubt they probably will take it in part, but I just want to make sure that something is done with the trail system when they design it,” Ward 2 Councilor Bob Soucy said. “We know we have a homeless problem up in that area, a lot of camping taking place, and somehow, hopefully, there’s something we can work into that to help control it.” 

“If it's prudent, I’ll bring it up with their town manager as a comment,” City Manager Kirk Beattie said.

Councilors and Gilford’s selectboard struck an agreement in February, for governance of the business park, a joint economic development effort located on Hounsell Avenue. 

In May 2001, the original agreement was signed, overseeing joint activities between Laconia and Gilford related to the business park. At Town Meeting in 2025, Gilford voters authorized their selectboard to negotiate a successor agreement with the city for the industrial area.

The goals of the original agreement were clear: to “encourage the 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 agreement was set to terminate automatically upon completion of the “actions and responsibilities” detailed in subsequent sections.

During their meeting Feb. 9, councilors unanimously approved the successor agreement, mostly pertaining to spending trust funds for the next phase of the project, which will eventually result in developing a recreational trail system there. 

The Gilford budget will continue to fund the capital replacement trust fund, for upkeep or additional infrastructure with mutual consent from Laconia, so long as Gilford’s obligations are paused or capped when the balance of the fund hits $1 million. Gilford’s annual contributions are not to exceed $50,000. 

The parties agreed Gilford will pay Laconia 25% of property taxes collected on the land and the buildings in Phase II of the park within Gilford, less the money to be deposited into the capital replacement fund. 

The amended agreement is effective Jan. 1, 2026, and will terminate as of Dec. 31, 2040, except for the balance of the trust fund, which will remain available until depleted. Laconia and Gilford leaders agreed to work together to develop the trail system. Funds for the trails will come from the trust fund and any grants, donations or other funding sources available.

Members of Gilford’s selectboard approved the agreement during a meeting on Feb. 11. Chair Kevin Hayes said the money will fund a $1 million account to develop the trail system. 

In an April 7 letter to Gilford Town Administrator Scott Dunn, engineer Nicholas Sceggell of DuBois & King proposed professional engineering services to Gilford for the trail project. 

The firm would review work previously completed on the proposed trail network by Fluet Engineering Associates in 2005, and conceptual work identified by the park committee in 2015, and they’d provide the location of existing trail areas identified for re-use or reconstruction before preparing design documents. 

The firm anticipates the engineering fee to be $22,000, Sceggell wrote, and would likely begin work within four weeks, if Gilford leaders accept their proposal. Overall, their services would include land planning and conceptual design. 

“Thank you for allowing DuBois & King the opportunity to help you develop recreational trails at the Lakes Business Park in Gilford and Laconia,” he wrote.