Current use of railroad right of way is best use for most people

To The Daily Sun,

I am writing in response to the article regarding the City of Laconia doing a study regarding the removal of the railroad tracks, and exploring the WOW Trail. As a property owner, very close to The Weirs, with the railroad tracks passing through my own property, I see firsthand the actual use of the railroad track's right-of-way on a year-round basis. The Scenic Railroad has offered our community another way for tourists to see the lake. The Scenic Railroad is an attraction and it is a business and it has benefited our tourist-based economy. I am pro-local business and we should all be pro-tourist-based economy. There are many people who utilize the Scenic Railroad who wouldn't be able to walk run or bike. So we are eliminating a way to enjoy our great place to these tourists and bus tours. Currently, people do utilize the tracks and next to the tracks for running, walking and biking. The other use for the tracks, is a state corridor trail for snowmobiling. This corridor goes from Northfield all the way to Lincoln, and connects the ENTIRE state, making it possible for someone on a snowmobile to ride basically from Southern N.H., all the way to Canada if they wanted to. People also snow shoe, cross-country ski and walk on the tracks in the winter.

So, I ask, why on earth would the city spend $10,000 on a study, and what actually would it study? It seems much simpler to me, and that we already know most of the answers. Speak to the community, and take an afternoon to walk these tracks from South Down, through the Weirs and into Meredith. You will see, how many property owners the WOW Trail will be effecting in a negative way. You will see how many families will have their privacy taken away. You will see how the only reason the train or the WOW Trail will get to enjoy the views of the lake is because these private land owners have maintained their waterfront properties views for years and years! You will see that the tracks give access to people recreating AS IT IS currently. Snowmobilers have access to the lake and restaurants and gas stations because of the railroad tracks.

My family owns a powersports business in Laconia, and just our store completes 1,100 state of New Hampshire snowmobile registrations between December and March. Just our one store! There are other registration stations in the Lakes Region and there are people who ride their snowmobiles through the Lakes Region from other parts of New Hampshire, so that 1,100 is just showing a portion of the snowmobilers this would be affecting. And if you take away this portion of the state corridor, suddenly you are disrupting the entire state's winter tourism for recreation, because you can't get north or south on the tracks, which is a major trail in the state. And it is limiting access to our own attributes! People ride from other areas to the Lakes Region to come to our restaurants, purchase gas, see the lake, get on the lake and much more.

The city of Laconia, now wanting to plow the bridge sidwalk and cut off access to get gas at Cumberland Farms in The Weirs, and fencing off Weirs Beach in the winter, just continuously is limiting people from recreating and accessing the lake and accessing our own local businesses!

In conclusion, what we need to consider, is the use of the railroad tracks and the right of way in the way that currently exists, makes it so MANY people can take advantage of this space that goes from Laconia to Meredith, AS IT IS! Whether they are old, young, active, unable to walk, or wanting to use their recreational vehicles. And it is not creating a paved road, where crime can happen, people can litter, et cetera, through families' private yards. We utilize it in every way shape and form possible now, and removing the tracks and the snowmobile trails, slims it down to ONLY ONE USE! Never mind spending an EXORBITANT amount of money to do so. It just doesn't make sense to keep limiting access in the Lakes Region. Why isn't the current use the best use? I just don't picture people booking a hotel room In Meredith, so they can walk the WOW Trail to The Weirs. But I do know that people book a hotel room in Meredith so they can ride the train, use their snowmobile, and visit attractions in the Lakes Region!

Lisa Meeken

Meredith