The Select Board agreed to close the road leading to the Jaffrey town beach on Contoocook Lake this summer, as usual, but whether the town will extend the beach over the road is still up in the air.
Traditionally, the town erects barriers blocking off the beach from traffic, and the beach is extended over the pavement for the summer months. Last year, however, after an early influx of out-of-town visitors that descended upon the beach while the state was under lockdown protocols at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the board made the decision that while the town would still close the road, it would not extend the beach, leaving it about half its usual summer size.
The board has not yet made a decision on the matter for the 2021 season, Town Manager Jon Frederick said Wednesday.
COVID-19 and the potential for overcrowding remains a lingering issue for the town, Frederick said.
“That’s still a concern we’re weighing,” Frederick said.
Last year, the decision to shorten the beach was in hopes that it would discourage an influx of out-of-town visitors. The board also explored the idea of limiting the parking lot to only town residents, but an examination of the deed revealed that the parking lot was gifted to the town with the condition it be used for only Jaffrey residents. While the beach is still open to out-of-town residents, they are now required to park at other nearby public lots, such as Wellington Field, and walk to the beach.
This year, the town is looking at tightening some of its road ordinances with some common sense parking restrictions that would not allow parking in a public roadway, for instance, in anticipation there may be some issues related to people attempting to park on the road leading to the beach as a result of the new parking lot rules.
However, Frederick said, there is another issue that may require a shortened beach again this year – planned road repairs.
Frederick said the road has been a problem area for years, as it currently drains toward the beach, with rainwater cutting furrows in the beach sand and washing it into the lake, and causing constant erosion of the beach.
“It needs to be addressed and it is part of our current road plan for the year,” Frederick said.
Frederick said it is not out of the question that the beach could be extended over the roadway – repairs to the drainage and grading of the road could be done in the fall after the close of the beach season. However, he said, that decision would be heavily influenced by the schedule of whatever company might be hired to do the work.
The Select Board typically officially opens the beach for the summer around Memorial Day, and will revisit the issue of whether to extend the beach before that point, Frederick said.