The following letter was delivered to the Manchester Planning Board and explained by Pat Mattson, Hackett Hill Issue Chair for the Merrimack Valley Sierra Club, at the June 13 Planning Board public meeting.
To the Planning Board Members:
This letter pertains to the application by the Waterford
Development Corporation to subdivide properties on Hackett Hill Road
and Countryside Boulevard so as to create 115 residential building
lots. The NH Sierra Club has adopted a policy which calls for
complete protection of any remaining undeveloped land in the Hackett
Hill area. We are hopeful that you will not approve the Waterford
application. We also feel that a moratorium on development in this
entire area is called for while the consequences of development are
investigated and made known to the public.
The planned development is extremely likely to have direct or indirect effects on certain natural communities - both on the Hackett Hill property and the land which abuts it. Of particular concern is the development planned for Lot 17, which is within the watershed of a number of specialized swamps. The construction of homes on this lot would therefore jeopardize several sensitive plant species - in particular, giant rhododendrons (a state-threatened species), black gum trees and rare Atlantic white cedars.
The development planned near Millstone Brook, north of
Countryside Village, is also of great concern. The brook continues
southward into the property owned by The Nature Conservancy. Here, it
is bordered by several stands of giant rhododendrons. Scientists have
observed that the construction of Countryside Village in the 1980s
had noticeably harmful effects on the brook and the giant
rhododendrons. Now, two additional large development projects, a set
of single family homes and a luxury apartment complex, are planned in
close proximity to the brook, north of Countryside Boulevard - thus
further jeopardizing the rhododendron colonies to the south.
A logical approach to any development project is first to prepare a conservation plan. A thorough study should be made so as to identify plant and animal species on the property to be developed, and to obtain information about the location and size of the species' habitats. It can then be decided if development should or should not take place. The Waterford Corporation chose to proceed in an opposite, illogical fashion. No attention was paid to wildlife concerns as their plans proceeded. They did not make their inquiry to the Natural Heritage Inventory until February 20, 2002. The Sierra Club feels this behavior shows a serious lack of concern for the natural world.
Under the circumstances, a formal or informal moratorium on
development in the Hackett Hill area seems highly appropriate. There
are recent precedents in various parts of the country for this type
of action, i.e., large scale private property development projects
have been halted while their possible effects on natural communities
are thoroughly investigated.
In the case of the Hackett Hill properties, it seems quite possible that data collected during a moratorium will suggest that alternate uses of the property are warrented. These findings could then be used to generate grant funds for the purchase of conservation land. Environmental education and passive recreation programs - activities which are inconsistent with development-associated traffic, noise and pollution - could be planned. Property values in the city's northwest corner would increase substantially. Furthermore, this approach would avoid the drain on city services and facilities caused by large-scale residential development.
The New Hampshire Sierra Club believes that our suggestion for a moratorium will ultimately improve Manchester's image and the quality of life for its citizens. We strongly recommend that you give it serious consideration.