The Concord Monitor
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South End-ers concerned about wetlands
Proposed shopping center in middle of debate

By COURTNEY WEILL
Thursday, August 24, 2000

Despite a steady drizzle, about 20 people tramped through 5-foot-high vegetation last night to examine how the proposed shopping center between South Main and Hall streets would affect the South End Marsh.

The Richmond Co. wants to build a 300,000-square-foot retail development, which would feature a grocery store and two small retail shops on the north side of the property and a "big box" regional retail store on the south side where the marsh lies.

The developer's representatives led the inquisitive group of conservation commissioners and anxious residents around the site for about an hour, pointing to bright orange stakes that delineated the corners of the retail building amidst purple loosestrife flowers, ferns and cattails.

The site walk was a follow-up to the initial discussion of the developer's wetlands application at the Concord Conservation Commission's August meeting. The commission will revisit the wetlands application at its Sept. 13 meeting, giving the public a chance to voice their concerns before the commission makes their report to the state wetlands bureau.

Under current plans, about a third of an acre of wetlands would be filled, and four acres in addition to the marsh would be set aside for conservation, said Deborah Dietz, an engineer for the developer. The company will provide conservation easements to protect all the uplands that surround the marsh.

"We tried every which way to rotate this building so that we could diminish this impact, but the layout wouldn't work," Dietz said.

The wetland encroachment is necessary to provide a fire lane around the rear of the 163,000-square-foot building, which is flanked by 660 parking spaces.

The site plans didn't sit well with many of the residents, who value the deer, foxes, rabbits and birds that the wetland draws through their backyard.

"They should either pivot this monstrosity so it has no impact on this wetland area or shrink the size of the building," said Peter Engel, who lives on South Main Street.

Corinne Stoney, a former teacher who lives on South Main Street, worries about the development's impact on migrating birds. Stoney loves seeing the different species, such as Canadian geese, that fly through the marsh each year.

"It's like a whole canopy of birds in my backyard, and they all descend into that wetland," she said.

While the residents focused more on the wildlife, the commissioners bombarded the company's representatives with technical questions.

Several people questioned the accuracy of the plan's delineation of the wetlands, and the commission requested the company's data sheets to verify its accuracy.

"I think the wetland area may be bigger than it is in the plan," said Chris Kane, who works for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and lives in the South End.

In New Hampshire, an area is considered a wetland if there is a predominance of wetland vegetation, standing water and a saturation of the soils, Commission Chairman Bruce Gilday said.

The seven present commissioners also questioned the absence of a buffer between the development's 4 1/2-acre stormwater retention pond and the open water of the marsh.

Gilday asked for more information about how they would treat the runoff water and ensure that the sediments, anti-freeze, oil and salt cleaned from the water could not overflow into the pond. The retention area would also require excavation and tree clearing right next to this natural ecosystem, he said.

Neither the commissioners nor the developer's engineers knew the surface area of the marsh's open water. If it is more than 10 acres, it would fall under the category of great ponds and be subject to more stringent regulations, Kane said.

Jim McCallion, who lives on South Main Street, worries that people underestimate the size of the pond and therefore the amount of wildlife present in the area.

"Most people think it's a little puddle," McCallion said. "You don't realize how large that pond is."

The wetlands application is just the first step in getting the proposed development approved.

The city and the Richmond Company are still negotiating a development agreement, which would feature a tax increment financing (TIF) district to pay for infrastructure improvements to the site. A TIF district, which was used to fund the Horseshoe Pond development, allows revenue from businesses that move into the district to go toward paying off the debt.

That agreement must garner approval from the city council, who will probably hold a public hearing on the development at its October meeting. If the TIF district fails, the project could be abandoned.

The developer also plans to hold neighborhood meetings in early September to explain its proposal and mitigate resident concerns before the plan is presented to the city.