BRISTOL — It may not solve the drainage problem, but building a retaining wall at Cummings Beach could help to control the erosion, selectmen have decided. They asked engineer Mike Vignale of KV Partners to come up with specifications for a wall on the south end of the beach, including steps that would lead down to the shoreline.
Vignale originally was asked to come up with a plan to address the drainage from the parking lot to the culvert’s terminus, but when selectmen walked the beach on July 16, they concluded that his solution would not solve the problem. He conceded that at the Aug. 6 selectmen’s meeting, saying that taking out a section of pavement, as he proposed, “would have no effect on that.”
It would help to dissipate the water, he said, but it would not solve the culvert problem, where the pipe was becoming exposed.
A wall, on the other hand, would help to stabilize a section of the beach where fluctuating lake levels had caused erosion. A retaining wall also would create a flat area that would be a convenient sunning spot for those lacking the mobility to get to the shoreline, which is several feet lower at that point.
In their discussions, selectmen also talked about adding steps by the retaining wall to make it easier to get to the water. Selectman J.P. Morrison was concerned about the cost, if they were to put in granite steps, and said wooden steps would require more maintenance.
Board members present were unanimous in supporting the wall and asked Vignale to come back with the specifications and estimated cost to do the work, including the cost of steps. Selectman Don Milbrand was absent and did not cast a vote, but during the on-site visit, he had expressed support for doing the landscaping work, even if it did not address the original problem with the culvert.
Removing the section of pavement, as Vignale originally proposed, would mean forfeiting a couple of parking spaces, and Morrison opposed doing that unless other parking spaces could be created to replace them. Vignale said that could be accomplished.
Sewer To The Lake
Selectmen gave Town Administrator Nik Coates authorization to sign an agreement for updating plans to extend municipal sewer lines to Newfound Lake if the town is successful in obtaining a United States Department of Agriculture grant that would cover three-fifths of the cost. The grant would provide $30,000, and the town could use $20,000 from the sewer department capital reserve fund to do the work, Coates said.
Before signing the agreement, Coates said he would have the town’s insurer go over it to make sure it conforms to Primex requirements.
Morrison noted that, by giving Coates the authorization, it would not commit the town to anything if the grant did not come through.
“It’s about time we got some sewer to the lake,” Morrison commented.
Chair Rick Alpers noted that the town had done the engineering work in 2009, and it just needed to be updated for current pricing.
“Underwood Engineering is looking at what was on the shelf, fully designed,” he said. “Once the study is updated, we could move toward planning for town meeting with some sort of funding request for the Phase 1 work.”
The first phase of the project would extend the sewer to about 350 customers, while the next phase would reach a more densely populated section by Newfound Lake, with 800 potential customers.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, former selectman Shawn Lagueux offered a cautionary warning, saying the zoning ordinances as currently written would allow rapid development around the lake, once sewer was available, and he suggested pairing any sewer extension with a review of the town’s zoning.
It was concern about unbridled development around Newfound Lake in the late 20th century that stalled earlier efforts to extend municipal sewer to the lake. Density requirements are much looser when municipal sewer is available.
Bill Dowey, a member of the Bristol Economic Development Committee, said, “It becomes very important to us at the EDC that we have this water and sewer in place.”
Coates explained that participants in a meeting the previous week had agreed that municipal sewer access was one of the most important things that major employers look for when considering where to build and locate.
Fireworks, Fiber, and Fuel
While everyone agreed that the town’s Fourth of July events went very well, the exception was the fireworks display, which was late in starting and had several fireworks fail while the crowd was there, only to be sent skyward after most people had left.
It was the third year in a row that American Thunder had failed to fully deliver on its contract with the town, and selectmen discussed what it would take to end their ongoing contract.
Morrison pointed out that next year’s celebration will be part of the town’s bicentennial celebration, and said they should not risk having another failed showing.
Selectman Les Dion noted that no one from the company had apologized for the botched show this year and suggested it might be time to seek a more reliable company.
Board members decided to ask American Thunder representatives in to discuss their future with the town.
Selectmen formally accepted a $137,369 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission that covers the cost of extending fiber optic cable for three miles to provide high-speed internet and “backhaul” for cellular and wireless needs for businesses, residents, and municipal offices. The system would tie into the lines already in place to serve the Newfound Area School District, with another tie-in possible with a fiber optic line from Franklin.
Reviewing oil and propane bids from Rymes, the current supplier, and Dead River Company, the selectmen agreed to switch to Dead River, based on its lower rates.
Public comment
While Barbara Greenwood reported on the number of positive comments she was hearing from people about the town’s potential purchase of the former Newfound Professional Building to serve as town offices, Paul Simard complained about the process.
Simard said that, while the price is good, he would not be surprised to see the cost exceed $1 million by the time all the renovations are done. He said the selectmen never told the public that they would be trying to purchase the building and complained that residents have never seen a “real report” on what the space needs for town offices are.
In fact, when officials tabled a warrant article at town meeting that sought to build a new town hall and renovate the police department, they explained that LRGHealthcare had put the building up for sale and that they needed time to look into its suitable and affordability for the town.
In proposing the original town hall plans, and through several public meetings, the space needs committee had cited the square footage and storage requirements to serve the town for the next 25 years.
Simard said, “I don’t want us to see we have a good price on this building and the next thing we know, we’re well over $2 million. … The need is not the town office; the need is the police department.”
He added, “[Former selectman] Mike Bannan commented in the ’90s, if we build it, they will fill it. I guarantee in 10 years it will be filled with people looking busy on their computer screens.”
Alpers, interpreting the remarks to mean that Simard was objecting to the closed-door negotiations with LRGHealthcare to agree on a purchase price, interrupted and said it was like any real estate transaction. When Simard tried to correct Alpers, the chair cut him off and moved on to the next person.
John Sellers picked up the argument. “Negotiations are private, but is there a problem with sharing that we’re potentially buying that building?”
