SUMMARY REPO RT

Re-Imagining Laconia:
What is Important for
Laconia to Thrive and Grow
in the Future?
A NH Listens Summary Report

October 8, 2014

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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

New Hampshire Listens is a civic engagement initiative of the Carsey

School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire.

Our Mission:
To bring people together for engaged conversations

Our Work:

Create engaged community conversations on local and statewide issues

Serve as a resource and support network for new local Listens groups
Cultivate a network of facilitators for public engagement and action

Our Principles:

Bring people together from all walks of life

Provide time for in-depth, informed conversations
Respect differences as well as seek common ground
Achieve outcomes that lead to informed community solutions

New Hampshire Listens

www.NHListens.org
NH.Listens@unh.edu
(603) 862-0692
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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
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SUMMARY

Event

Project Team

Re-Imagining Laconia: What is Important for

Laconia to Thrive and Grow in the Future?

Michele Holt-Shannon
Bruce Mallory
Quixada Moore-Vissing
Eleanor Kane

Date

October 8, 2014

Location

Duration

The Belknap Mill, Laconia, NH

Three hours

Question

Par ticipants

What is important for Laconia to grow and thrive

for a successful future?

91 Community Members

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

SUMMARY FINDINGS
The Laconia community conversation held on October 8, 2014, which brought together almost 100
participants for three hours of small-group discussion, converged around six primary themes, including:
1. Economic Development Opportunities for Laconia that Honor the Citys Natural
Beauty and Rich History
Participants discussed the importance of job creation and business development in Laconia that build on
existing tourist industries and expand options for year-round, sustainable employment. There was an interest
in encouraging new local start-up businesses as well as attracting high-skilled employers from technical,
engineering, and professional industries. Many participants expressed an interest in revitalization and
development of the downtown as well as other areas in the community. There was value expressed in
balancing growth and development with Laconias traditional history, charm, and natural beauty.
2. Laconia as a City for Everyone, Including a Range of Income Levels
Participants talked about economic disparities in the community, and how these disparities affect a variety of
factors related to life in the city. Though participants may differ in their views about how to address varying
income levels in the city, there was interest in making Laconia a place that all people could enjoy. In particular,
groups talked about how to balance affordable and attractive housing, especially for young families.
Participants also discussed ways to address issues of homelessness and poverty in the community, especially
for children.
3. Laconia as a City Supportive
P R of
OYouth
JEC

T TEAM

Many participants expressed an interest in supporting children and youth. This ranged from conversations
about how to improve K-12 education in the community to the development of community spaces and
programs that support youth outside of school. There was also an interest in supporting young adults in their
twenties and thirties by creating jobs, housing, and entertainment appealing to these age groups. There was
talk about the importance of job opportunities, career training after high school, and higher education, both
for young people and Laconia residents at large.
4. Valuing and Taking Care of Laconias Natural Beauty
In addition to the economic opportunities that could be generated from the citys natural resources, many
participants talked about their love for Laconias natural beauty such as mountain views and various bodies
of water. There was an interest in keeping Laconias natural resources clean and usable for everyone. Groups
also discussed ways to build tourism and outdoor recreation industries in the community.
5. Making Sure Everyone Can Get to and Around Laconia Easily
Many groups commented on a need for more effective public transportation both around Laconia itself and
to and from Laconia. This was seen as a way to support populations that could not drive within the
community, such as seniors or youth, and as a way to attract tourism, business, and residents to the area.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
6. Telling a Positive Story about the Laconia Community
Participants expressed an interest in re-framing how people talk about Laconia within the community and to
others outside the community by placing emphasis on all the assets that Laconia has to offer. This positivity
could help to convey the potential and strengths of Laconia to prospective businesses, residents, and tourists.

THEMES

activities support change area back diversity beach

need

new beauty bring buildings open

business center city

property

way system create

development draw economic

education attract events downtown

beautiful existing theatre

family friendly good problem

town growth help high home week hospital youth better

income

community jobs

improve low natural parking

kids

laconia

lakes school local make current weirs

people

opportunities great year

place bike population public region resources connect river
services state trail families transportation use programs
want water college work group WOW young

housing

train

FINAL REPORT

Re-Imagining Laconia:
What is Important for
Laconia to Thrive and
Grow in the Future?

A NH Listens Summary Report

October 8, 2014

CONTENTS
Contents

The Community Conversations9

Focus Questions.9
Key Findings.. 10
Economic Development Opportunities ....................................................................... 10
City Supportive of Youth and Education ...................................................................... 11
City for a Range of Income Levels ................................................................................ 12
Natural Beauty and Outdoor Spaces............................................................................ 12
Getting Around Laconia ............................................................................................... 12
Telling a Positive Story ................................................................................................. 13
Other Concerns ........................................................................................................... 13
Participant Attendance and Evaluation Summary ........................................................ 13
Who Attended the Event? ........................................................................................... 13
Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 15

THEMES

The following appendices to this report are located at http://nhlistens.org:

Appendix A: Commission Membership
Appendix B: Invitation to Participants
Appendix C: Discussion Guide
Appendix D: Small Group Notes
Appendix E: Summary of Participant Evaluations
Appendix F: How NH Listens Collects and Reports Findings

The Community Conversations

The City of Laconia and the Orton Foundation worked with New Hampshire Listens to design a community
conversation about Laconias past, present, and future. In particular, the conversation was focused on
what factors are important for Laconia to grow and thrive for a successful future. The conversations were
open to anyone who wanted to attend, and took place on the evening of October 8, 2014 from 5:30-8:30.
The participants in the conversations spent three hours in a facilitated discussion about their priorities
and concerns for the future of Laconia. Over 50 people registered in advance to participate in these
conversations, and 91 people total attended the event.

Focus Questions
The City of Laconia, the Orton Foundation, and NH Listens worked collaboratively to develop a set of focus
questions to guide the discussion. Participants were asked four core questions with clarification questions
under some headings that include the following:
1. How do you imagine Laconia today?

What makes Laconia unique from other communities in the region? What sets it apart?

Why are you here? What keeps you here?

What makes you feel connected to the Community?

What would you miss in Laconia if it was gone tomorrow?

What would you change about Laconia to make it a better community?

2. What do we know about Laconia?

(Participants were encouraged to review information about Laconia in the discussion guide for
this question.)
3. What is important for Laconia to grow and thrive for a successful future?

Do you have additional observations from the data or community feedback summary that would fit
our Brainstorm list?
Can you see any themes or ways to categorize the observations that have been made so far?
Do you think there are people in Laconia who are not here tonight but would say something that
hasnt been said yet about these observations or themes/categories? What might they say, or what
other perspectives might be missing from our discussion so far?

4. How would you re-imagine Laconia?

How is Laconia doing in this area now?

What is going well, and what would you like to change?
What should we be working towards in each theme/category; what should our goals be to achieve
your preferred vision for Laconias future?

The information section of the discussion guide (Appendix C) was used to expose participants to a variety
of data, but the focus of the conversation followed the participants interests and concerns. Facilitators
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asked questions like What do you notice about this information? often following up with prompting
questions such as What stands out to you? or What is most important to you? or What seem like the
most critical aspects of this topic?

Key Findings
Participants at the conversation on re-imagining Laconia expressed a range of perspectives, all of which were recorded by
facilitators and are provided in Appendix D of this report. Some of the most commonly discussed topics include the
following, though even within these topics a range of values and ideas were expressed:

Creating Economic Development Opportunities for Laconia that Honor the Citys Natural Beauty and Rich History
Laconia as a City Supportive of Youth
Laconia as a City for Everyone, Including a Range of Income Levels
Valuing and Taking Care of Laconias Natural Beauty
Making Sure Everyone Can Get to and Around Laconia Easily
Telling a Positive Story about the Laconia Community

Other issues that were seen as important but discussed with less frequency include concerns about drug use and safety
within Laconia, and a desire to include more people in the community in final decision making than were able to attend
the October 8th event. What follows is a detailed description of outcomes of the conversations, based on an analysis of
all small group notes to identify areas for further consideration and action (all small group notes may be found in
Appendix D). The results of the conversations, as presented in this report, will be shared with all those who participated,
as well as with the City of Laconia and the Orton Foundation.

Creating Economic Development Opportunities for Laconia that Honor the

Citys Natural Beauty and Rich History
Economic Development Opportunities
All of the groups at the conversation (11/11) discussed the importance of economic development that supports rather
than detracts from Laconias natural beauty and rich history. Participants in several groups commented that Laconia can
be challenging for business development. There was an interest in re-framing Laconias reputation and corresponding
practices as a community supportive and friendly toward business development and growth. As steps toward a businessfriendly Laconia, participants suggested consideration of existing regulations, zoning, and taxes. Participants also talked
specifically about the need to attract high tech, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and management jobs. These
high-skilled jobs would create year-round opportunities for work as an alternative to entry-level and seasonal jobs
related to Laconias tourism industry. Other participants discussed the tourism industry as a great strength on which to
build outdoor recreation business opportunities. Though there was an interest from some participants in attracting large
national companies to the area, other participants placed value on attention to cultivating local business growth. Several
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groups talked about the importance of job opportunities suitable for young professionals and families. Another pathway
to job opportunities was high quality educational opportunities and expansion of workforce training, which will be
further discussed in the Laconia as A City Supportive of Youth section.
Revitalization and Growth of Laconias Downtown and Beyond
The majority of groups (9/11) spent time specifically discussing renovation and development of Laconias downtown and
other areas. Some participants felt that an aesthetic and cultural revitalization of Laconia might encourage business
development. Participants discussed ways to make Laconias downtown, waterfront, and other areas more attractive to
new residents, tourists, and businesses by putting some resources and energy into maintenance and renovation. These
priorities included filling empty store fronts with new businesses and keeping up properties with landscaping, painting,
and maintenance. Several groups talked about the importance of preserving Laconias historical buildings as well as reusing existing spaces like churches or train stations in new ways (i.e. a coffee shop in an old train station that embraces
the existing space). Some groups expressed an interest in increased cultural opportunities like arts and theater. Several
participants commented specifically on restoring the Colonial Theater. Other participants talked about building more
businesses near the waterfront areas so that people could enjoy the river walk and Weirs Beach. There was an interest in
creating more diversity of businesses such as coffee shops, art galleries, bookstores, ice cream parlors, indoor arcades,
bars, and restaurants. Some groups also talked about building more year-round events like festivals, sled races, and
attractions at Gunstock to try and attract people to the area. By putting resources into restoring and developing Laconia,
groups saw opportunities for economic development both in the short term (new businesses mean new jobs) and in the
long term (a cultured and aesthetically pleasing community may attract new businesses and individuals to the area).

Laconia as a City Supportive of Youth

All of the groups at the conversation placed value on creating a community supportive of youth (11/11), and virtually all
of the groups (10/11) also spoke specifically about the importance of educational opportunities in the city. Many groups
expressed concern about the reputation and quality of the Laconia public school system. Some participants talked about
high student poverty rates as measured through incidence of free and reduced school lunch. Other participants
questioned if Laconia offers enough college preparation courses. One group suggested that school leaders might increase
public awareness regarding what is going well in addition to what needs improvement. However, some concerns about
the schools and youth populations were not related as much to the schools specifically as they were to other forces
external to the schools. For instance, groups expressed concern about declining school age populations as well as young
people leaving the area for college or job opportunities. There were also some concerns expressed about adequate
parenting and care for children in the community. Groups expressed an interest in creating a community that helps youth
at various age levels to learn and grow. For instance, participants suggested that younger children might benefit from
playgrounds as well as extracurricular opportunities through organizations like the Boys and Girls Club. For older youth,
groups expressed an interest in developing college and career readiness in the schools and the community, as well as

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increasing postsecondary opportunities through job training and higher education offerings. However, discussions about
workforce training and higher education were not limited to young people, but were seen as an avenue for individuals of
all ages to advance their professional and academic training. Workforce training was seen as a means toward economic
development in the city.

Laconia as a City for Everyone, Including a Range of Income Levels

There was conversation in the majority of groups (9/11) about how to keep Laconia affordable, attractive, and safe for
everyone. There was discussion about how to balance needs for people with different income levels. In particular, a
desire was expressed in many groups to keep and attract those in their twenties and thirties to the area, including young
families looking to put down roots in a community. Almost all of the groups discussed the issue of housing (10/11).
Groups talked about how to meet the needs of all income levels through a range of housing types. Some participants felt
there was an overabundance of low-income housing and that low-income housing and issues of homelessness might
deter businesses and renters or home buyers from the Laconia area, particularly downtown. Higher end properties could
be a means to attract higher-skilled jobs through business development in the area. Other participants felt there are not
enough good quality affordable housing options. As a result, low and middle income individuals might struggle to find
adequate and affordable living situations, and families and young people could be deterred from living in the area.
Groups discussed issues of homelessness, high child poverty rates, and income disparities. One group pointed out that a
cold weather shelter or adequate temporary housing could address issues of homelessness. Some groups also
commented on Laconias role as a county seat for welfare and other aid, and how this could affect income levels in the
community. Some groups discussed the importance of keeping properties attractive and in good condition, especially in
the downtown or tourist areas. Overall, there seemed to be an interest in keeping Laconia open as a community for
people from a range of income levels to enjoy in a manner that felt comfortable to all groups.

Valuing and Taking Care of Laconias Natural Beauty

All of the groups (11/11) expressed appreciation for the natural beauty of Laconia, including bodies of water and nearby
mountains. It seemed that Laconias lakes, river, and Weirs Beach were viewed as particular assets of the area. Groups
talked about how to continue and build on Laconias strength as a city near multiple outdoor recreation opportunities
such as boating, skiing, hiking, and biking. Participants commented on the clean air and beautiful vistas in the area. Some
participants expressed concern about keeping the beaches and other areas clean so that everyone could enjoy them. As
mentioned in the Economic Development section, there was a desire to balance business growth with the natural scenery
and resources in the area.

Making Sure Everyone Can Get to and Around Laconia Easily

The majority of groups (9/11) commented on the need for more effective public transportation around the Laconia area.
Public transportation such as bus services was seen as an opportunity for seniors as well as other populations to be able
to access basic services like the library, hospital, and grocery store without use of a car. Some participants praised
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Laconias walkability as a pedestrian-friendly city. Other groups were interested in public transportation through the use
of trains and the railroad, which could be a way to bring tourism in as well as connect Laconia residents to other regions
of the state. A couple of groups commented that Laconia is difficult to get to since it is not right off of the highway.

Telling a Positive Story about the Laconia Community

All of the groups (11/11) discussed the array of resources Laconia has to offer. Nearly all of the groups (10/11) talked
about how much they value the existing Laconia community, or how they want to build upon the existing community to
bring people even closer. Groups talked about how Laconia is a city with a good sense of community that is familyfriendly. There was a concern that sometimes the positivity about Laconia was not communicated to others, both within
and outside the community. Participants also discussed ways to encourage further connectedness and communication
among different groups within the community. These suggestions were often partnered with the other priorities
mentioned above; for instance, more variety of culture and activities downtown could bring people together, and public
transportation might make it easier for people to connect and get involved. Overall, there was an interest in sharing
these positive feelings with others in a way that may re-frame or change peoples views about the city of Laconia. As one
group commented, Laconia is a jewel.

Other Concerns
About half of the groups brought up concerns about drug use (5/11) and safety (6/11) in the Laconia area. Some groups
commented that drug use in the city was problematic and/or seemed to be increasing. There were also some concerns
expressed that crime is increasing and general safety is an issue.

Participant Attendance and Evaluation Summary

NH Listens gathers basic demographic data to provide information on who was able to attend the community
conversation. Its important to note that the content of this report has been generated from the people who
attended the event and, consequently, does not represent all voices or viewpoints in Laconia. Still, the
demographic information presented here indicates a healthy mix of backgrounds and experiences, ensuring that
the conversations summarized in this report may be seen as representative of significant segments of Laconias
population.

Who Attended the Event?

Of the 91 people who attended, 68 completed the evaluation survey. The following information is generated from
those 68 responses, and a full summary of the evaluation data may be found in Appendix E:

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The average age of participants was 57.4 years old. About a quarter of participants (26.2 percent)
were retired, while only one participant (1.9 percent) identified as a student.

The majority of participants were male (64.9 percent, compared to 35 percent female).

Though participants had varying levels of education ranging from a high school education through
graduate school, the majority of participants (67.6 percent) had earned a Bachelors degree or
Graduate/Professional degree. 94.1 percent of participants had attended some college or had
earned a college degree.

When it came to political leanings, there was a fairly even distribution of political perspectives.
There was about the same amount of participants who identified as liberal or somewhat liberal
(27.8 percent) as there were participants who identified conservative or somewhat conservative
(26.2 percent). 45.9 percent of the participants identified themselves as politically moderate,
signifying that their views fell somewhere between conservative and liberal.

98.5 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the facilitator did not impose his or
her ideas or values on the group. Only 1.5 percent disagreed. This indicates the vast majority of
participants felt facilitators were impartial in the process.

98.5 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that everyone had an equal chance to
express his or her views. Only 1.5 percent disagreed. This indicates almost all participants felt that
the conversations were inclusive of all points of view.

92.5 percent of participants felt they understood how the results from the conversation would be
used to inform steps. Only a small percentage of participants (7.5 percent) felt unsure of what the
next steps would be.

98.5 percent of participants surveyed were glad they participated in the re-imagining Laconia
conversations. Only 1.5 percent did not feel glad they had participated.

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Figure 1. Participants self-reported highest levels of education achieved. 1

Figure 2. How would you describe your political leanings?

Data in all graphs represent percentile responses.

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Figure 3. The facilitator did not impose his or her ideas or values on the group.

Figure 4. It seemed as though everyone had an equal chance to express their views.

Figure 5. I understand how the results from this conversation will be used to inform next steps.

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Figure 6. I am glad I participated in these community conversations.

Conclusion
Ninety-one people from the Laconia community participated in conversations centered on what
factors are important for the city to grow and thrive for a successful future. A range of ages, genders,
and political perspectives were represented at the event. Attendees final recommendations and key
areas of concern centered on a few distinct areas, although there were different views about how to
approach these issues depending on the range of perspectives present in the group. The priority
topics for final recommendations included:

Creating Economic Development Opportunities for Laconia that Honor the Towns Natural Beauty and Rich History
Laconia as a City for Everyone, Including a Range of Income Levels
Laconia as a City Supportive of Youth
Valuing and Taking Care of Laconias Natural Beauty
Making Sure Everyone Can Get to and Around Laconia Easily
Telling a Positive Story about the Laconia Community
The primary purpose of the public engagement conversations described in this report is to guide the
city of Laconias next steps as it develops the next city master plan and strives to make Laconia a
place a thriving, attractive place for all those who live, work, learn, and play here.

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NH Listens
Carsey School of Public Policy
University of New Hampshire
NH.listens@unh.edu
www.nhlistens.org
603 862-2821

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