Silvia Brooks: The Lakes Region could become one large city

To The Daily Sun,

Should the Mayor live within the city of Laconia? Certainly. That is the law and it is a good one. But I believe it is time for the city to change. In horse and buggy days villages were 6 miles apart. Six miles was a sensible distance for a farmer to go by horse and buggy to buy supplies or to sell produce. Times have changed. It is time for Laconia to change.

Many people in Gilford, Gilmanton and Sanbornton attended Laconia schools. Others grew up in Laconia and married into the nearby towns. Now they drive here to work or to shop. Their town may have a different name but truly are Laconians.

It is time for a change in government. All of Belknap County should be one big Lake City with Gilford and Glendale and Sanbornton and Winnisquam and the Weirs all as neighborhoods. Consolidating in this way is nothing new. Conway did it long ago. The big commercial section kept booming along, Center Conway stayed a small town and West Side remained farm land. Quint and Side Track are still little towns where people know their neighbors.

Think of the savings to be made with coordination of purchasing when there is one school district. one police department, and one fire department,

Transportation planning for Park-N-Ride and for the elderly and disable would be better coordinated. The hospital is the biggest employer; could a bus pick up employees at a Park-N-Ride to drop off for 7 a.m. at the hospital and then be available for transporting elderly to a doctor’s appointment for 8? Could the day care center arrange to pick up employees' children at the hospital parking lot?

There are people who will resist. “We have always had our town meetings.” Well town meetings are great fun. But, your town meeting in Gilmanton won’t have any effect on what is happening in Belmont or Laconia. The town meeting in Sanbornton won’t have an effect on industrial zoning in Laconia. Isn’t time that we work together.

What other things could be changed for the better? Would there be less friction if you knew that the neighbors had the same interest in a nice place to live because they lived in the same city. What would you add to the list? Where do we need some coordination?

1. AIR BnB’s

2. More magnet schools

3. Greater influence about what technical classes are offered at Lakes Region Community College for high school students

4. Create a more equitable ridership for the disabled and elderly transports so that low income individuals would be able to use it for transportation to employment.

5. How about a trolley system to integrate the towns in the summer, connecting Laconia, Lakeport, Weirs Beach, Meredith, Gilford and Alton? How about a scenic route through Sanbornton through Meredith?

6. UBER taxis

Silvia Brooks

Lakeport