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LACONIA, NH — Only 400 people will be allowed on Weirs Beach at any one time for the foreseeable future, the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.
The five-member commission voted unanimously June 15 to set the limit, which is less than 20 percent of the beach’s rated capacity of 2,200 people.
The decision came after Recreation and Facilities Director Amy Lovisek recommended that between 300 and 400 people would be a safe number to allow on the 450-foot-long beach, given the latest social-distance guidelines designed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Lovisek said when she went to the beach last Friday the people who were there were abiding by the guidelines, including the 6-foot social distancing rule.
“People seem to get it,” Lovisek said.
With the height of the summer season at hand, Lovisek said the department is looking to hire six beach caretakers who will act as gatekeepers, keeping count of people as they enter or leave the beach. In addition, the caretakers will also ensure that the beach is free of litter, and that the facilities in the bathhouses are regularly cleaned.
The plan is for the caretakers to work in teams of three, covering two shifts, Lovisek said.
Weirs Beach, along with the city’s other beaches, officially opens on June 27.
If the beach reaches the 400-person limit, the caretakers will tell others that the beach cannot accommodate more people, and advise them to go to another beach. She said that, in the event someone refuses to cooperate with the caretaker, either she or the assistant director would be called in to deal with the situation. Police would be called to enforce the limit only as a last resort, she explained.
While the commission enacted the restriction on the Weir Beach capacity, they also decided to loosen restrictions which had been put in place earlier because of the COVID crisis.
Commissioners gave permission for three different organizations to hold baseball games from now through the end of July at Memorial Park and Robbie Mills Field.
They also voted to reopen the outdoor basketball courts at Leavitt, Tardif, and Wyatt parks. The courts will reopen as soon as signs urging social distancing can be prepared and installed.
“If social distancing is not being followed we may need to revisit this” decision, commission Chairman Mitch Hamel said.
The commission also voted to allow events at the city’s three park clubhouses, with restrictions. The events cannot involve more than 50 people, and those attending must adhere to the current state guidelines, which include wearing face masks and keeping 6-foot social distancing.
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