China Pond eatery move to marina hits a parking snag

The parking area would extend north of the building between Depot Pond and White Mountain Highway. (Lebanon Voice photo)

MILTON - China Pond's plans to move into expanded quarters in the former Ray's Marina have hit a snag over parking.

Owner Mike Nie had wanted to have space for 20 cars in a parking lot that starts at the north end of the building and extends northward down White Mountain Highway.

The plan would have had some parking facing the railroad tracks with others facing the highway with a traffic lane down the middle, one entrance and one exit, Milton Selectman and selectman liaison to the planning board Mike Beaulieu said earlier this week.

Recently Nie pulled back on his plan before the Planning Board, while he continues to work with the state in hopes of having his parking plan approved.

Meanwhile, Milton Economic Development Committee and Planning Board member Bob Bourdeau said the MEDC has drafted a letter of support for Nie's parking plan to give to state regulators.

"The Economic Development Committee would like to see that space developed and move forward and have offered to help him," Bourdeau said on Thursday.

Nie was immediately unavailable for comment, but told The Lebanon Voice last April he hoped to open his new restaurant sometime in 2016.

His plan was to have two separate eateries in the former Ray's Marina headquarters building with the use of other space still to be determined.

An earlier plan had called for a 14-space parking lot.

Ray's Marina closed in 2012 due to sluggish boat and RV sales, and while the former marina's buildings on the Cumby's side of White Mountain Highway have been converted into a mini-mall, the lakeside headquarters have remained shuttered with no plans until Nie bought it late in 2015.

China Pond, which is now located in the downtown Cumberland Farms plaza, in its new digs would remain a take-out restaurant with the other eatery - targeted for basic American food - having a 30-seat capacity.