There has been a lot of talk on social media and around town. I thought I would share a little and offer some insight to folks.
Rye Harbor, Hampton Harbor, and the Portsmouth Commercial Pier are all managed by the Pease Department Authority. Please see my attached image of who the board members are and how they got there. At present, they are attempting to make a decision and change, not for the better, at Rye Harbor.
I purchased my building and worked all winter on repairs and renovations to open Vintage Fish Company, a tackle, bait, and gear store. I also own and operate a fishing charter in the harbor aboard my boat, Valhalla.
We had begun to hear about plans Governor Sununu and the PDA (Pease Development Authority) had for Rye Harbor in the spring of 2021. I went to the PDA and spoke directly with the Executive Director, Paul Breen. He used me as a sounding board and described their idea of destroying and removing all of the “shacks” and building a large retail space for stores and restaurants, similar to the rest area building on I93 in Hooksett. My response was, “I own my building and pay property tax to Rye. What you’re suggesting is taking my asset and handing me a monthly lease agreement. I’m not interested.”
We want to thank Adam Baker for this Contribution. Submit yours to steve@granitegrok.com
He then said, “What if we pay you for your building?” Again, “I am not interested.”
Currently, in August of 2024, a former employee of the PDA applied for and was awarded a grant of leftover Covid money in the amount of 1 million dollars, to be spent building a raised platform to put the shacks on to protect them from the rising ocean and winter storms. That’s great, but we didn’t ask for that and don’t want it. The PDA voted last month to spend $250k (1/4 of the grant money) to Appledore Engineering to devise a plan to construct a new building in the parking lot across from the existing shacks, taking away valuable parking and then they plan to destroy and remove all of the shacks.
Neil Levesque, who lives in Rye, keeps a boat in the harbor, and uses the facility to commercially fish, is on the PDA board and several subcommittees and has been instrumental in getting this to the point it’s at now.
Please help Save Rye Harbor and the Shacks! Tell Neil Levesque, The PDA and Governor Sununu we don’t want this. We need your help to stop this.
Thank you,
Adam Baker
Vintage Fish Company
