Council Hears Ice Skating Rink Plan

Next winter Portsmouth area residents may be able to enjoy Strawbery Banke on skates if museum officials and volunteers are able to build a proposed $300,000 outdoor ice skating rink.

Lawrence Yerdon, president and CEO of Strawbery Banke Museum, told City Councilors on Monday night that their goal is to create a facility that will be enjoyed by families with a multitude of programs.

Children would be able to learn how to ice skate and after school programs could be offered, including ice dancing programs and even Yoga skating.

Yerdon said the Ice Skating Theatre of New York would come once a year and perform. There would also be free weekday and weekend sessions along with pickup pond hockey games. 

He said families would also be able to enjoy hot dogs, hot chocolate and other refreshments while warming up at an outdoor fire.

Yerdon said it will cost $300,000 to build the rink, operating expenses are $350,000 and earned income and sponsorship is about $350,000.

“We think it’s a great idea and we think it’s going to serve the public as well as the city of Portsmouth and the Seacoast,” he said.

Councilor Nancy Novelline Clayburgh asked him about the noise, lighting and parking. Yerdon said lighting would be minimal and the rink would be located between the visitors center and the other small buildings.

“Whenever the music is too loud and is a problem for the neighborhood, we either turn it down or turn it off,” he said.

Councilor Tony Coviello asked why they need a generator and a chiller instead of just allowing winter to create ice as needed for pond hockey.

Yerdon said last winter, there were only five days of ice, and in order to add something like this it is necessary to be able to operate it regardless of the weather.

“I think there is a pretty good chance of raising the money because we have a lot of community support and sponsors,” Yerdon told Assistant Mayor Robert Lister.

Councilor Ken Smith asked him about parking and traffic safety in the wintertime when winter storms narrows the streets in the South End. He also asked him if they considered foregoing the shows in the first year and just going with the other programs to allow time to work out all of the potential kinks regarding traffic and parking.

Some South End residents said they oppose the proposed outdoor ice skating rink because they feel it will be a detriment to their quiet residential neighborhood.

Kathy Baker spoke against the proposal because Strawbery Banke is not zoned for such a use and would need a variance.

Mary Krempels of Gate Street said he is opposed because of hours of operation, lighting, noise level and public safety. She said it will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days per week, or almost 84 hours per week, nearly double the amount of time the museum is open. She said an industrial compressor will be cycling on and off, 24 hours per day, to maintain the ice.

She said the Zamboni would also be noisy, which would be out several times a day to maintain the ice for skaters.

“In closing, I would say this plan is like an assault on our neighborhood,” she said.

But other South End residents said they are very excited about the idea of having an outdoor skating rink at Strawbery Banke.

Lee Roberts of Portsmouth, another South End resident, said, “We’re very excited about the skating rink, but I prefer to call it a pond.”

She said Strawbery Banke could modify the proposed hours and do without too much music.

“I think this is a wonderful idea. I am totally behind it,” she said.

City Manager John Bohenko said the council doesn't have to take any action regarding the plan, which will have to go through the regular land use process to gain necessary planning approvals.

Councilor Brad Lown called the proposal “ambitious” and “exciting.” He said it is expecially commendable that they want to build and operate the ice skating rink with all private funds.

Yerdon told Novelline Clayburgh that Strawbery Banke hopes to generate revenue from the ice skating rink down the road after breaking even the first year.

“It will come down to how much the rink gets used,” he said.

Mayor Eric Spear said the project “is very exciting for Portsmouth and very exciting for Strawbery Banke.”