The Sand Hill Reservoir Advisory Committee conducted a town-wide survey on what residents would like to see at Wilton’s popular swimming, fishing and kayaking spot and is prepared to present their findings to the Select Board next month.
Committee Chair Bart Hunter said the committee plans to finalize its recommendations for the property during its next meeting, scheduled for Dec. 3, and present them to the Select Board during the next available meeting.
Committee Secretary Karon Walker said the committee has created a list of both general and specific recommendations to discuss during its Dec. 3 meeting. She said there are some issues the committee has reached a consensus on, including that the reservoir should be left in as natural a state as possible, that the dam at the reservoir should be managed separately, and that the use of the reservoir this year may be an outlier due to COVID-19, and that should be taken into account when making decisions.
The survey, which had 361 responses, indicated the number one obstacle residents had to enjoying the reservoir is that there is nowhere to park, with more than half of people saying that was a problem.
A total of 78 percent of respondents said there should be designated parking spaces created at the reservoir.
The reservoir does not have a designated parking area, and the parking along the road had been glutted this summer with visitors both to the reservoir and to nearby Garwin Falls, which does not allow parking on the roadside in the area and is currently closed to the public.
Residents also showed a strong preference that leashed dogs be allowed at the reservoir, that the beach could be expanded, and that a portable toilet be made available.
About 42 percent of respondents thought the reservoir should be made available to Lyndeborough residents as well, 30 percent to towns serviced by the Wilton Recycling Center, 19 percent thought it should be open to residents of other towns who pay a fee, and 13 percent thought it should be open to everyone free of charge.
More than half of respondents agreed that ongoing maintenance should be either through private fundraising or included in the town operating budget. About 34 percent supported seasonal memberships or day passes and 28 percent an annual warrant article to pay for maintenance.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.