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By Crystal Cobb
New Hampshire Herald
New Hampshire Herald
NASHUA: The fraud that developers didn’t want Nashua residents to know about the
Hayden Green development project.
A concerned citizen has brought to light what he thinks was a blanket approval for the
Hayden Green development project, claiming that the developers hid certain information
about the site throughout the approval process. The information he presented prompted
the Nashua Conservation Commission to request a moratorium on the project.
“Under the Patriots Act of protecting watersheds, filling goes against federal law,” Nashua
resident Geoff Daly said. Hayden Green was granted approval by the NH Department of
Environmental Services to build in the run off and onthe Pennichuck Watershed but
should not have been granted rights, Daly said.
The Conservation Commission is heeding these warnings and has requested a
moratorium on the development from DES. “The commission had tried for a while before
Mr. Daly’s presentation to receive information on this project,” David MacLaughlin, chair
of the Conservation Commission, said.
The commission is not able to take on an issue unless it is presented to them. After
Hayden, Green managed to by pass the commission’s approval, the commission had
been receiving bits and pieces of information on the development site.
“The citizens acted to come with their information and we as a commission were then able
to make a movement,” MacLaughlin said. “Compaction of the land will change the area’s
hydrology,” said Daly, a degreed engineer in terrain runoff. “The city could not afford the
aftermath of the change in topography, tax payers will end up paying for this mistake.”
MacLaughlin agreed.
“If we don’t get this right and fix the already made mistakes with this land, the citizens will
end up paying to pick up the mess this development will leave in its aftermath,” he said.
In Nashua’s Natural Resource and Conservation Plan, the parcel of land to be developed
is highlighted as a priority conservation area known as Parcel F. The Rizzo Report shows
Parcel F as falling within a category of non-developable land. Daly presented this
information to the Nashua Environment Commission, which judged that the Alteration of
Terrain permit granted to the Hayden Green project by DES should be revoked.
Daly has also run tests on the water in the Pennichuck wetlands and has found asbestos
contamination. He is now waiting for results of possible traces of MTBE, which he also
thinks can be found there. Daly is a member of the Merrimack River LLC; he has involved
himself in other city projects involving watersheds in Nashua, such as when Walmart
wanted to develop the Building 19 property on Amherst Street several years back. “If
Walmart wasn’t a good idea on what was a secondary runoff of the Pennichuck than
there is no way Hayden Green should be considered on a primary wetland of the same
area,” MacLaughlin said.
“Stopping this development of a retirement community will save the citizens from getting
sick,” said Daly, who believes the pollution in the watershed that he has found will
penetrate into the Pennichuck water supply for public drinking. MacLaughlin also agreed
with Daly’s claim that the developers did not follow the proper procedures in obtaining the
AOT permit.
“The developers kept suggesting their request for permit did not belong before the
commission and was streamlined in such a manner that it was not brought before us,
where typically, a request like this would be seen before the commission,” MacLaughlin
said. The time period for appeals has passed and this new motion to stop development
falls outside the customary review process, but Jim Martin of DES said the state “will be
happy to review what the conservation commission has sent him.”
Hayden Green development project.
A concerned citizen has brought to light what he thinks was a blanket approval for the
Hayden Green development project, claiming that the developers hid certain information
about the site throughout the approval process. The information he presented prompted
the Nashua Conservation Commission to request a moratorium on the project.
“Under the Patriots Act of protecting watersheds, filling goes against federal law,” Nashua
resident Geoff Daly said. Hayden Green was granted approval by the NH Department of
Environmental Services to build in the run off and onthe Pennichuck Watershed but
should not have been granted rights, Daly said.
The Conservation Commission is heeding these warnings and has requested a
moratorium on the development from DES. “The commission had tried for a while before
Mr. Daly’s presentation to receive information on this project,” David MacLaughlin, chair
of the Conservation Commission, said.
The commission is not able to take on an issue unless it is presented to them. After
Hayden, Green managed to by pass the commission’s approval, the commission had
been receiving bits and pieces of information on the development site.
“The citizens acted to come with their information and we as a commission were then able
to make a movement,” MacLaughlin said. “Compaction of the land will change the area’s
hydrology,” said Daly, a degreed engineer in terrain runoff. “The city could not afford the
aftermath of the change in topography, tax payers will end up paying for this mistake.”
MacLaughlin agreed.
“If we don’t get this right and fix the already made mistakes with this land, the citizens will
end up paying to pick up the mess this development will leave in its aftermath,” he said.
In Nashua’s Natural Resource and Conservation Plan, the parcel of land to be developed
is highlighted as a priority conservation area known as Parcel F. The Rizzo Report shows
Parcel F as falling within a category of non-developable land. Daly presented this
information to the Nashua Environment Commission, which judged that the Alteration of
Terrain permit granted to the Hayden Green project by DES should be revoked.
Daly has also run tests on the water in the Pennichuck wetlands and has found asbestos
contamination. He is now waiting for results of possible traces of MTBE, which he also
thinks can be found there. Daly is a member of the Merrimack River LLC; he has involved
himself in other city projects involving watersheds in Nashua, such as when Walmart
wanted to develop the Building 19 property on Amherst Street several years back. “If
Walmart wasn’t a good idea on what was a secondary runoff of the Pennichuck than
there is no way Hayden Green should be considered on a primary wetland of the same
area,” MacLaughlin said.
“Stopping this development of a retirement community will save the citizens from getting
sick,” said Daly, who believes the pollution in the watershed that he has found will
penetrate into the Pennichuck water supply for public drinking. MacLaughlin also agreed
with Daly’s claim that the developers did not follow the proper procedures in obtaining the
AOT permit.
“The developers kept suggesting their request for permit did not belong before the
commission and was streamlined in such a manner that it was not brought before us,
where typically, a request like this would be seen before the commission,” MacLaughlin
said. The time period for appeals has passed and this new motion to stop development
falls outside the customary review process, but Jim Martin of DES said the state “will be
happy to review what the conservation commission has sent him.”
Debris of Plastic tank Filter Pads, assorted metals, piping and large timber in woods west of Area
Building site.
Building site.