Jane Rice: Locals should be concerned by proposed Castle exception

To the Editor:

Moultonborough and area residents should be concerned about the proposed special exception for high impact recreational events at Castle in the Clouds expected to attract crowds of up to 4,000 visitors. I am opposed to the idea of a permanent approval in any case, but when I consider the impacts of traffic, noise, and impact on the facilities at the Castle, particularly the septic system (cesspit), I am especially opposed to this one.

If the Castle Preservation Society wants the high impact events described in the application, the town should retain the right to approve each large event, and if previous events have had a negative impact on the environment and the neighborhood, the town could choose not to grant approval again. Just because the property is in a rural area does not mean that it is sufficiently buffered from impacting the wildlife on the surrounding Lakes Region Conservation Trust property, or disturbing homes along Old Mountain Road and Severance Road.

I realize that CPS needs to utilize the large field for some existing popular events as a fundraising activity for the many improvements that they have made to the Castle buildings, but repeated large-scale events negatively impacting the surrounding area are not what I and many other donors to CPS and LRCT signed up for, and are also not in keeping with the character of a historic house museum.

I am surprised that they even feel that this is an appropriate request. The purpose of CPS is to maintain and make available to the public the historic resources of the property, not to be an event venue for thousands of visitors on multiple occasions per season.

Please attend the Moultonborough Zoning Board hearing at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5, to voice concerns.

Jane Rice

Moultonborough