LAND UTILIZATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 45 



the three towns serviced both year-round and summer residents because 

 of the scattered location of open country properties (see Figures 3, 4, 

 and 5, pages 14, 15, and 17), and summer residents demanded no more 

 or better service than their year-round resident neighbors. 



Town roads servicing only summer properties were less than 10 

 per cent of the total mileage in the three towns. Most of the town roads 

 servicing only waterfront properties originally were constructed and 

 maintained by abutting waterfront residents, were taken over by the 

 towns at the request of private owners, and later were improved and 

 maintained as public roads. But only a fraction of the total mileage of 

 waterfront roads has been taken over by the towns, because property 

 owners wanted the privacy of limited access. 



In a few instances dead-end roads to abandoned open country prop- 

 erties had been restored and maintained after the properties were ac- 

 quired for summer use. Most of the roads servicing only open country 

 summer homes, however, were maintained formerly to year-round oc- 

 cupied properties, or as links in local connecting arteries, so that no new 

 highway costs were introduced after the transfer of properties to recrea- 

 tional use. In Francestow n, all roads were kept open during the winter 

 to maintain accessibility in case of fire. In Sanbornton and Tuftonboro, 

 town roads servicing only summer homes were plowed either not at all 

 during the winter or only upon occasional week-end request; this meant 

 a saving in winter maintenance costs, an item of considerable expense to 

 most rural towns. The general summary statement of local officials was 

 that town road costs were not affected materially by the demands of 

 summer residents, and that over a period of years, the added road 

 costs necessitated by servicing summer properties were nearly off- 

 set bv the savings in winter maintenance costs made possible by this same 

 class of properties. 



Summer residents made no demands for school services, since none 

 sent children to the local schools. A few year-round families with chil- 

 dren of school age had come to the towns originally as summer residents, 

 but cases of this nature were not common, since children generally were 

 out of school before parents retired to summer properties. 



The county taxes levied against towns were for carrying on functions 

 of county government, chiefly probate and criminal court proceedings 

 and public welfare, not related closely .to the existence of summer homes. 

 To the extent that increased employment was afforded to local people 

 by summer residents, both county and local welfare costs were reduced, 

 at least seasonally. A quantitative appraisal of the situation was impos- 

 sible because of the difficulty of predicting the extent of emigration that 

 would have taken place if summer residents had not furnished at least 

 seasonal work for local residents. 



The higher county tax levied upon the town of Sanbornton (see 

 Table 19) was due mainly to the construction of the nearby Belknap 

 Count)' Recreational Area, a winter and summer outdoor sports area 



