Portsmouth residents frustrated with trespassers

By: Chloe Leshner

cleshner@abc6.com

@cleshnerABC6

People who live in Portsmouth may love their waterfront property but they are frustrated that other people are taking advantage of it. They say tourists and trespassers have no regard for their small, quiet neighborhood.

Some neighbors say they’ve been dealing with the issue for years, people who want to fish or hang by the water leaving behind trash, being loud and even trespassing on their property.

There’s only a few houses on Railroad Avenue in Portsmouth, a secluded neighborhood with beautiful water views that home owners like Vicki Newbold feel lucky to call their own.

"We feel very privileged and very blessed," says Newbold.

But now she says she can’t go a day without visitors disturbing her peace.

"They’re people who are bringing their whole families here to essentially have a free day at the beach. They’re also not appreciating the view or the fact that they have water access. They’re coming down and it’s more than littering, it’s dumping," she says.

Her house has been in her family for a century and over time, they’ve watched the area change. The state made the land right next to her property open to the public and now there’s a parking lot so people can access the water. 

Newbold’s problem, the path people have to take to get to the public area leads them across her property. A street sign with a map giving the public directions even shows that.

Only a few neighbors live on the street year round and they agree that it’s a disturbance. Others understand people wanting to visit the scenic area and the confusion on what places are public.

"It says public access that way but it also says no trespassing and it’s a little hard to get across here when the tide comes in because if you don’t want to get your feet wet that’s a little tricky too," says Andi Pritchard, who lives across the street.

But Newbold wants some changes made that police can enforce

"The Portsmouth police have been very responsive but there’s not much they can do when there are no rules or regulations so how can anybody be doing anything wrong," she questions.

Newbold says she and other neighbors have worked with the Town Council, Department of Transportation and even state representatives to try to make a change but that nothing has ever come of it.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2017