Read article : Conway selectmen OK 2 shuttle signs for Baths | Local News
CONWAY — The owner of Fast Taxi of North Conway says her recently launched shuttle service to Diana's Baths could be successful if it were supported and sufficiently promoted — something that might not be possible given Conway selectmen's insistence on strict adherence to the town's sign regulations.
The popularity of Diana's Baths, which is a series of waterfalls and cascades managed by the U.S. Forest Service, has resulted in overflow parking along West Side Road.
Selectmen were worried that people walking in the road could get hurt, so earlier this year, the town and state posted the road with "no parking" signs, and a $100 fine for parking offenders was implemented.
Now, however, cars are queuing to get in the Forest Service lot, and people are parking up the road and walking down to the site.
To help alleviate the problem, Fast Taxi has begun offering a shuttle service ($6 round-trip) from Eastern Slope Inn and John Fuller School. It will run through Labor Day.
But ridership has been all over the map, Fast Taxi owner Katy Robbart said in a phone interview Wednesday. While Friday had pouring down rain, there were 25 riders Saturday, three Sunday, four on Monday and 34 on Tuesday, which was a surprise, she said.
"If everyone wants it to work, it can work," said Robbart, adding, "I want to do this if people want it. I'm not interested in bucking the tide."
The Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce had reached out to Robbart about offering the shuttle.
And at Tuesday's selectmen's meeting, the chamber's executive director, Janice Crawford, pleaded with the board to allow signage to direct tourists to the shuttle.
She called the signage simple "way-finding signs" and said they would be made from recycled political signs.
"We are trying to come up with a solution," said Crawford, who said several signs were placed last week: one near Diana's Baths; one at Pine Street and White Mountain Highway; one at West Side Road and River Road; one on private property at the community lot by the Eastern Slope Inn on River Road; and one on the corner of Route 16 and River Road.
But the sign at Pine Street was removed because it was on a state right-of-way, and the sign near Diana's Baths was removed at the request of the forest service.
Town Manager Tom Holmes said the question was whether to allow temporary signage to help the shuttle service become successful.
Selectman Steve Porter pointed out that the signage described by Crawford would be against town regulations.
"What if Cafe Noche all of a sudden wants to do something along the same lines?" asked Porter. "It opens a Pandora's box."
Town Planner Tom Irving, crediting Public Works Director Paul DegliAngeli, said one solution could be a "way-finding sign program" where the town could add the shuttle service signs to existing ones directing people to Diana's Bath.
"That could be a legitimate governmental purpose that is being served within the town's right of ways," said Irving. "Private property, which Selectman Porter raised, is an issue because if you allow one class of citizen or one group to do this, you would have great difficulty not allowing anybody else to do the same thing."
Irving said the town could "face a constitutional challenge" if it allowed signs for the shuttle and not anyone else.
Crawford said maybe the shuttle service could be considered an event, and that could make the signs legal.
Porter and Crawford sparred over whether visitors to the Baths are a benefit to the town. Porter said the large number of visitors are beating up the Baths, but Crawford insisted the Baths help drives tourism, which builds the tax base.
She then asked selectmen to contact the chamber before making decisions that would affect tourism such as posting the road "no parking."
Board Chairman David Weathers replied that selectmen were addressing a safety issue, and it had nothing to do with tourism.
After a lengthy discussion, selectmen ultimately voted 3-1 to allow a shuttle sign near the existing Diana's Baths sign on River Road at the intersection of West Side Road through 4 p.m. on Sept. 4.
Selectman Mary Carey Seavey was absent, and Selectman Carl Thibodeau voted in the minority.
On Wednesday, Robbart said a shuttle sign was installed at the intersection of River and West Side Roads. She said they also were allowed to have a sandwich board by Eastern Slope Inn.
Robbart said she takes the signs down at the end of each day when the shuttles stop running.
At two points in Tuesday's discussion, resident Mark Hounsell, who is also a county commissioner, gave Crawford an earful for adding to the foot traffic at Diana's Baths.
He also criticized her for asking to be informed about meetings that affect tourism. He said she can read the selectmen's agenda like everyone else.
"The people in this town appreciate the businesses in this town; we appreciate the tourist business," said Hounsell. "But they are not the shadow government that some people would have them be."
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