Natt King: CruCon purchase would impede effort to enhance village

To The Daily Sun,

Moultonborough’s master plan and its iterations, along with municipally sponsored charrettes, confirms stakeholders desire to promote and vitalize the downtown village. Once referred to as “The Corner,” it remains the hub of the town and the focal point of activity. It is home to our schools, an outstanding public library, a primary house of worship, banks, facilities of doctors and therapists, police, fire and ambulance services, child care facilities, and historical buildings.

Acquiring the over sized CruCon building impedes current efforts to enhance our village district while limiting past enhancements. West Moultonborough is physically and cognitively associated with Center Harbor. While Center Harbor village is very nice and quaint with its historic and public buildings, once readers travel east on Route 25, there are no buildings of historical consequence.

The Corner is far more central a location than the CruCon locale. East Moultonborough is home to a number of thriving neighborhoods such as the census designated area of Suissevale, Balmoral and Skyland Park, among others. Relegating town offices to an area away from the core of the community is unreasonable and inconvenient.

It would be beneficial to get as much information for an addition to the town offices as was offered of the CruCon proposition. Reviewing designs and costs for an addition versus jumping on this relocation offer is critical to making an informed decision as to which option is the better. It would be premature to make that decision without all the necessary information being available. Justifying revenue expenditures with cultural and quality of life expectations is a challenging task. I’m sure that the town can sustain its business to the public in the current offices while a more thorough and thoughtful presentation is prepared for next years warrant.

Natt King

Moultonborough