Council extends Plantation and Colonial emergency lane designation; schedules hearing on Faugus and Prescott

The Laconia City Council on Monday extended the emergency-lane designation for Plantation and Colonial Roads and scheduled a public hearing for consideration of emergency-lane extensions on Faugus and Prescott Avenues.

During a public hearing on Plantation and Colonial Roads, resident Frank Marino, who said he has lived at 52 Plantation Road for about 40 years, told the council he understood the road had historically been treated as an emergency lane and urged that the city formally declare it one again. "It was my understanding that it was always an emergency lane," Marino said. The council and staff described the current action as an attempt to formalize a status that had been unclear for decades and noted the designation’s short expiration was tied to ongoing litigation.

City staff and the city manager explained the designation provides the legal authority for continued maintenance and emergency access while a lawsuit proceeds and that the current designation will expire Oct. 31, 2025, or on the date of the Belknap Superior Court decision in case number 211-2024-CV-00054 (Joy Sabato et al. v. City of Laconia), whichever comes first. Staff said the short expiration is intended to align municipal authority with anticipated legal developments.

The council voted to declare Plantation and Colonial Roads emergency lanes with the stated expiration. For Faugus and Prescott Avenues, staff recommended and the council approved scheduling a public hearing for the May 27 regular council meeting to gather public input before taking action.

City staff said an emergency-lane designation allows the city to maintain the road for emergency access; it does not require immediate improvements beyond existing maintenance. The council noted that designations expire and must be renewed while the underlying legal matters are resolved.