Since mid-1998, there has much discussion concerning the
fate of the Hackett Hill property. Should development be allowed to
fragment the 800+ acre property, which primarily consists of forested
wetlands and uplands, or can it be preserved in entirety?
The two alternatives are linked to two differing philosophies regarding the "value" of the property. A "master plan" for the development of the property has recently been completed. The major goal of the plan is clearly to achieve economic gain. In contrast, The Merrimack Valley Sierra Club favors "zero development" of the Hackett Hill property. Its goal is to follow the statement of purpose of the Club - "to explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the Earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the Earth's ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives."
The
Sierra Club goal can seemingly be achieved in two specific fashions.
If the property remains unfragmented by development it has immense
value as a "living laboratory" for educational and research purposes.
Furthermore keeping the property in its natural state will help to
combat ugly urban sprawl - the heavy, slow-moving traffic and
proliferation of strip malls and similar commercial activity which
appears when major development sites are established at a city's
periphery. Hopefully Manchester's citizens will pay heed to the
Sierra Club's reasoning.
The Master Plan for the Hackett Hill development was presented to Manchester's Board of Mayor and Aldermen on September 5, 2000 at a regular BMA meeting. In a "public forum" preceding the session, at which brief comments from the public were allowed, the Chair of the NH Sierra Club, Aline Lotter, a Manchester resident, stated the Club's opposition to the property's development. She emphasized the natural beauty of the land, pointed out the sprawl-promoting aspects of developing it, and called for a public meeting on the issue.
The
Master Plan presentation was given by Gordon Leedy, Managing Director
for Land Development for VHB (Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.). It
concentrated on describing the locations where clusters of buildings
might appear on the property, how roads and highway access routes
could be built to funnel traffic to the property and within it, the
generalities of a marketing plan and an assessment of costs and
possible financial benefits of the overall undertaking.
It was noticeable that the Master Plan contains numerous references to the fact that the natural setting of the Hackett Hill property will provide an economic advantage, i.e., to attract businesses anxious to locate in such surroundings. Yet conversely the plan itself may result in gradual significant damage to some of these resources, and calls for immediate destruction, rather than preservation of certain other natural communities.
According to the plan, a portion of the property
containing highly sensitve and threatened natural communities will
exist as an EPA-mandated "Preserve" to be under the jurisdiction of
The Nature Conservancy. The Preserve will supposedly serve as an
"amenity"to businesses located nearby, yet the proximity of the
development is such that the Preserve-located forested wetlands could
be severely impacted in the course of time.
In addition, the plan calls for development zones to be located in the non-Preserve portions of the property so that the buildings located here will be visible from the Everett Turnpike against a backdrop of greenery, and workers in the buildings will also have unobstructed views of downtown Manchester. However these effects, and the proximity of the development to roads located within the property, can only be achieved by severe habitat destruction - massive deforestation and likely loss of wetlands or damage to them.
Importantly, work on the Master Plan was not preceeded, or
accompanied by any significant conservation studies. Thus it is
difficult or impossible to provide specifics
about the impact of the suggested development on the abundant
wildlife and plant forms located on the property
and the habitats which they occupy.
Finally, claims of any economic benefits which the development may produce should be carefully scrutinized. Citizens should realize that the development is a long term project, and that according to the master plan, the city would not "break even" on the scheme until 12 years have passed. Moreover this assessment is based on the assumption that few or no problems will occur as the development proceeds, and that the over-all state of the economy does not deteriorate.
Note: The Hackett Hill Master Plan was strongly rejected by the publc at a November, 2000 meeting of Manchester's Board of Mayor and Aldermen, and was never voted upon by the BMA.
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF HACKETT HILL REVEALS THAT DEVELOPMENT WILL CAUSE EXTENSIVE DEFORESTATION BACK TO "A CRIME AGAINST NATURE"