This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

An Irreplaceable Resource

Regarding Peter Lewis’s letter to the editor (June 13, “Courier is Poisoning the Local Landscape”), I thank him for 34 years of public service. Having a son and daughter who are also public servants (Coast Guard and emergency services, respectively), I know firsthand the sacrifice and dedication. However, I think that it’s wildly inappropriate for him to comment on issues in a neighborhood where he does not live. I live directly behind the Lace Factory and am sure that if full-sized tour buses and excessively loud music prevented Mr. Lewis from enjoying his property, he would have a much different opinion.

Mr. Lewis infers that the issues in the Landing neighborhood are the complaints of a single, disgruntled resident. In fact, several area residents have approached the owners of the Lace Factory about these issues and received no relief. We do not object to the Lace Factory as a business; we object to its refusal to recognize that it’s operating in a residential neighborhood. Noise from events frequently exceeds 70 decibels. For perspective, a lawn mower averages 90 decibels.

Regarding Mr. Lewis’s comments about the Valley Railroad, the neighborhood opposed the expansion of the railroad because it brought nothing to the town of Deep River or the neighborhood except increased traffic on our narrow roads. The only benefactors would’ve been the owners of the Valley Railroad. We didn’t object to the busing of passengers to Deep River Muster but to their doing so without following town regulations.

The Landing neighborhood is an irreplaceable resource for all of Deep River. Those of us who live here have invested our resources in a quality of life that’s unique to our town. We will continue to work to preserve those investments and ensure our concerns are taken seriously by town government.

Lawrence Stewart

Deep River