ARCHIVE A - 1998-2000
ARCHIVE A - 1998-2000
An 800+ acre "urban forest" is located in the northwest corner of Manchester. (see MAP) Some of its numerous wetlands contain Atlantic white cedars, venerable black gum trees and giant rhododendrons. In 1998, city officials announced plans to purchase the property, and to fragment it by development, rather than to protect it in entirety.
In March, 1999, the city of Manchester purchased the Hackett Hill property, and concurrently released finalized EPA-approved protection-development plans. A so-called "Preserve", to be donated to The Nature Conservancy, will actually include development "islands" that are closely adjacent to, or within, the watersheds of the most sensitive forested wetlands, and unquestionably put these swamps at risk.
In the late spring and early summer of 1999, as the city of Manchester continued its plans to develop portions of the Hackett Hill property, the Merrimack Valley Sierra Club led opposition to this undertaking. In the November 1999 election, Bob Baines was elected mayor of Manchester, but supported the Hackett Hill development plans of his opponent, Raymond Wieczorek. In the spring of 2000, the Sierra Club regrouped and reaffirmed its "zero development" policy.
A comprehensive list of birds likely to be found on the Hackett Hill property, as well as the particular habitats these birds generally occupy. Those species that were seen/heard during a calendar year are identified, and a number of these birds are described in detail. Since birds are especially sensitive to fragmentation of the "greenspace" they occupy, the planned development of the property would undoubtably cause a significant loss of resident birdlife.
On September 5, 2000, consultants presented Manchester's Board of Mayor and Aldermen with a "Master Plan" for replacing the city's last large wildland with roads and buildings. The proposed scheme, which is clearly contrary to modern urban planning, will cause widespread habitat destruction and demonstrates a complete lack of respect for the natural world. A MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENT MAP, WHICH SHOWS THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF A PLANNED "CORPORATE PARK" TO A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY DONATED TO THE NATURE CONSERVANCY FOR A "PRESERVE", CAN BE SEEN HERE!
On November 25, 2002, The Nature Conservancy officially opened the trail system it had constructed on part of its 596 acre ecological preserve - "The Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve." TNC has prepared a map which identifies the boundaries of the Preserve and shows the trail's location. The map, which also shows additional conservation land on Hackett Hill authorized for purchase and/or annexation by Manchester's Board of Mayor and Aldermen, can be used to visualize present and future development threats to the Preserve's integrity. A brochure that described the Preserve and shows the trail system in more detail has been prepared by the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Inventory. The brochure is available at the trailhead kiosk or can be downloaded from TNC's Web site.
Many members of the Merrimack Valley Sierra Club and many other members of the public spoke against the development plans and urged aldermen to leave the property alone. (A transcript of the public meeting and a copy of the Master Plan can be viewed or purchased at the City Clerk's Office in City Hall.) At the close of the public meeting, the Hackett Hill issue was sent to the Lands and Buildings Committee (then chaired by Alderman William Cashin.) However, the BMA never voted on the corporate park Master Plan.
Meanwhile, the Sierra Club and
Amoskeag Fishways have led members of the public on numerous hikes
to the Hackett Hill property, and in this fashion the public has
become increasingly aware of the consequences of development. On
several occasions, Letters to the
Editor
have appeared in the Manchester Union Leader or New Hampshire
Sunday News which were written by hike participants. They indicate
there is strong support for "zero development" of the property and
its use for education and the enjoyment of the public.
The Hackett Hill corporate park development became a campaign issue in Manchester's biennial primary and general city elections in September and November, 2001. The "new" aldermanic board assumed office on January 1, 2002 but no vote on the development plan was taken during 2002 and 2003.
Plans to proceed with the development ignored the facts that (1) the master plan was rejected by the public at a public meeting; (2) The master plan was never voted upon by the 2002-2003 Board of Mayor and Aldermen; and (3) the development in many instances would be directly adjacent to the boundaries of The Nature Conservancy's ecological preserve, would involve extensive deforestation, and would place buildings in close apposition to abutters' properties.
From 2004-most of 2006, there were numerous happenings that concerned development plans for the project now termed "The Northwest Business Park."
A MASTER PLAN REAPPEARS AND DRAWS CRITICISM
In 2004, Manchester's Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved plans for the Hackett Hill business/industrial park which were originally presented in 2000 and highly criticized by the public at that time. At present, environmentalists continue to object to the loss of open space and continue to express fears that the park's construction will affect the integrity of The Nature Conservancy's ecological preserve - The Manchester Cedar Swamp - since the protected area will be located "back to back" with roads and buildings if the park is constructed. Furthermore, they point out that the City's assumption that "financial rewards" will be forthcoming from the project is not accurate.
PLANS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION HINGE ON THE SALE OF FRENCH HALL
Importantly, the progress of the plans is highly dependent upon the sale of French Hall, the former home of UNH-Manchester, which is situated so that it will serve as the "gateway" to the park. On several occasions, it has appeared that a sale was imminent, but no decision was made. Meanwhile, the City announced a plan that would afford "protection" of the Preserve during any construction, but the "protection" was extremely limited. (A panoramic image may slightly increase download time.)