Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am also very concerned about the overdevelopment of Alton's natural resources.The most recent being the proposed 150 site RV Campground on the Merrymeeting River behind "Water Industries). In these hard economic times, it is understandable that the Town of Alton and it's business owners would want to draw "hundreds of visitors" to our beautiful area. However, in doing so,we should also think about the effect this would have on the fragile wetlands, river and wildlife that make this area so beautiful. Once we "open the door" on a major project like this, it cannot be shut again if we realize that "maybe developing this fragile environment was not the best decision for Alton, afterall". Alton has, in the past, let many beautiful parcels of land slip through their hands. (i.e. a Town Beach that we can be proud of) Let's all think about this one very carefully before we "change zoning laws" to allow this project to develop. I hope my neighbors are getting involved and educating themselves on what's happening with this "major game changer" for this area. Thank-you.
Land developers are a lot like miners. The move into an area, remove the resource and leave the waste piles behind. I this example they bought the mountain top, sold it for a profit and left the damaged view behind. That damage is a theft of public resources and public be compensated for the loss. What is Liberal about making the vandal pay for damages?
Here in Londonderry developers have bought a 600+ acre orchard and are planning an entire “new town” on the acreage. In order to make this work they are looking for several zoning and street variances as well as a new Exit from I-93. Our pro development republican town government looks like the variances are a given but the State is not about to fund the Exit ramp and the town cannot afford it. I have to admire the gall of these guys to assume the state and/or the town will spend millions of public money so their ill conceived project is profitable. As said elsewhere the town should have bought this farm and leased it to cover the financing costs. The town does not need or want this development but we citizens can do very little except lobby our State legislators to prevent the construction of the Exit Ramp. I hope the developers either run out of money or time and the town picks up the property at the bankruptcy sale.
BTW - I do not HATE NH Republicans. I just think they are short sighted fools at best and owned by developers at worst. On a Federal level I believe all the Republicans and most of the Democrats to be corrupted by their campaign contributors. They do not represent the citizens of this country but only the financiers that own their souls. That is not hate. It is disgust.
Whoa. So you think that the taxpayers of Londonderry should have come up with 7 MILLION DOLLARS to purchase the orchards from the Lievens family? That's what the developer paid for the 240 acres of Woodmont Orchards.
Apparently, we also should have paid Andy Mack Sr. the $900,000 asking price for the conservation easement on the 24 acres of Moose Hill Orchard at Pillsbury and Gilcreast. Remember, he included the clause that if the appraisal came in at less than $900,000, he could back out of the deal? Well, after 2 TAXPAYER-paid appraisals, that's exactly what happened. He withdrew his offer and accepted an offer to sell to Pillsbury Realty Development LLC, to go along with the rest of the acreage that they had bought up. How much did it sell for? $1,050,000. One million, fifty thousand dollars. That's alot of taxpayer funds, even with the matching grant money. Using the Woodmont sale as a comparative property, the proportional sale of the 24 acres would be approximately $600,000, not much higher than the appraisal came in.
A pro-development republican town government? The town of Londonderry has invested 11 million dollars in preserving open space over the last ten years, and has about 1 million left in the open space fund. Hopefully the next potential property for conservation easement won't be immediately adjacent to a 600+ acre development
Quote:
Originally Posted by GregW
Here in Londonderry developers have bought a 600+ acre orchard and are planning an entire “new town†on the acreage. In order to make this work they are looking for several zoning and street variances as well as a new Exit from I-93. Our pro development republican town government looks like the variances are a given but the State is not about to fund the Exit ramp and the town cannot afford it. I have to admire the gall of these guys to assume the state and/or the town will spend millions of public money so their ill conceived project is profitable. As said elsewhere the town should have bought this farm and leased it to cover the financing costs. The town does not need or want this development but we citizens can do very little except lobby our State legislators to prevent the construction of the Exit Ramp. I hope the developers either run out of money or time and the town picks up the property at the bankruptcy sale.
I still hope the Woodmont Developers go broke because without Exit 4 the idea won't ever work. Then the Town could bring $1,000,000 or less to the auction. It could them lease the farm to Moose Hill for the interest on the bond and taxes. It is not my fault the Developers paid far too much for the land. Too bad for them, but when you are speculating sometimes you win big and sometimes you lose big.
Whoa. So you think that the taxpayers of Londonderry should have come up with 7 MILLION DOLLARS to purchase the orchards from the Lievens family? That's what the developer paid for the 240 acres of Woodmont Orchards.
Yep. If people want to keep others from building, they need to buy the property.
If I own 80 acres of land that I wish to sell off a few lots over the years to pay for the taxes and when I retire I could sell it to a developer to build 100 houses, so I can have money for retirement, I should be able to do that. I don't have a pension or 401k like city folks, so my land and house is all I have to fund my retirement.
If people want to keep forests they way they are, they need to buy them. Its not their land, they have no say in the matter.
ValC - did you miss the part where I said lease the farm to Moose Hill for enough to pay the financing cost? It would have been a win for the town instead of this absurdity. IMHO Londonderry already has enough houses and population. What it needs is more industry up near the airport to employ all the kids we are so expensively educating.
Yep. If people want to keep others from building, they need to buy the property.
If I own 80 acres of land that I wish to sell off a few lots over the years to pay for the taxes and when I retire I could sell it to a developer to build 100 houses, so I can have money for retirement, I should be able to do that. I don't have a pension or 401k like city folks, so my land and house is all I have to fund my retirement.
If people want to keep forests they way they are, they need to buy them. Its not their land, they have no say in the matter.
Exactly. People want to preserve all this land, and fight development, all the while asking when the next Trade Joes's or some such other big box store is coming to town.
Maybe if people supported their local farms in the first place, and made their farming endeavor profitable, they wouldn't look to sell them.
I see the same thing out here in Colorado. Thankfully we have local farmers markets that draw many people and make it worth the farmers time/efforts.
In the end, you need to support private property rights along with embracing development. It's going to happen anyplace that worth a damn to live in.
the 'new' high school at prospect mnt serving alton, has made alton a much better place to raise kids. Suspect that might be one reason for the growth spurt.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Overdevelopment of Alton's Natural Resources
