Sponsor seeks fund to permit Hampton Beach pier; department warns full funding and design typically required before permitting

Senator Kevin Raybould introduced Senate Bill 241 to establish the Hampton Beach State Park Pier Fund, a dedicated fund administered by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) to support siting, permitting, design and construction of a public pier at Hampton Beach. Raybould said the request would initially fund permitting and design (he suggested $2 million for permitting and to spur grant-seeking for construction), and described the pier as accessibility infrastructure for people with disabilities as well as a potential draw for visitors.

Raybould said earlier studies had estimated construction costs as high as $18–24 million but that his request would be limited to permitting and design and rely on grants and donations for construction; he emphasized the pier’s accessibility function rather…