Court Battle Over Proposed Strawbery Banke Ice Rink

A proposed ice rink at Strawbery Banke will be in limbo for roughly the next two weeks as a judge decides its legality.

A group of about 20 residents in the nearby Gates Street neighborhood filed a legal challenge to the plan for "Puddle Dock Pond," arguing the noise and activity would negatively affect their quality of life.

Strawbery Banke officials have said the rink would be a community gathering place for a healthy activity like skating.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment approved the rink in June. The Gates Street neighbors asked a judge to overturn it. 

Both sides gathered in Rockingham County Superior Court Friday morning to argue their case in front of Judge Kenneth McHugh, who didn't issue a ruling. He took the matter under advisement and is expected to make a decision in about two weeks.

The $300,000 rink would be 12,500 square feet—about a third smaller than a professional ice rink. It would operate seven days a week during the winter. There would be a Zamboni and a skate-sharpening area. Plans also call for a cafe that would serve hot drinks and alcohol.

Lawyer John Springer, representing the Gates Street neighbors, likened it to a commercial operation that would intrude on the neighborhood.

"This is a commercial rink," he told McHugh. "It has nothing to do with a historic museum."

Lawyer Peter Loughlin, representing Strawbery Banke, disagreed with Springer's characterization.

"The goal of this ... is not to make money," Loughlin said. "(It's) a place to learn and gather."

Proponents of the rink raised more than $17,000 through an online fundraising campaign for legal fees for the court battle.