Gilford School Board Thumbs Nose at Environment
All due respect to Ms. Allan and Mr. Blandford but if we were talking about destroying the environment to build a Wal-Mart on the Meadows property, they’d be the first in line to “circumvent the process and cause a lot of heart burn”. Is it okay to destroy this environment just because you like what’s going to replace it? Their application to alter terrain takes quite a few liberties in describing these wet lands as mostly dry fields. Additionally, there seems to be a lot of huge discrepancies in the location of the wet lands and the elevations being used in the applicant’s description of this property. It seems to me that the Meadows Committee is stalling so that they can do the testing during the driest time of year or not at all if possible. The alteration of terrain application is requesting permission to remove the top soil and lay in drainage pipes followed by replacement of more drainable soils. Make no mistake about it; this is going to permanently affect water runoff in that entire area, including Gilford Beach, for an eternity.
The citizens of Gilford should be concerned about the application to “Alter terrain” at the meadows due to the severe impact to the environment. The proposal is an unnecessary risk to the environment and there is no reason the existing fields can’t be used as they are. Letters of concern should be sent to the NH Department of Environmental Services to assist them in their consideration of this application. It’s important for DES to hear from concerned citizens in order to make a more informed decision about this application. I would be happy to provide anyone the contact information and address for NHDES if you need help obtaining it. Please contact me at terry@gilfordgrok.com . Often times we hear concerns of citizens about issues that have been debated in committee and board meetings for months. How many times have we heard those concerns stifled because those concerns were raised way too late in the process? This is the unfortunate part of the government process. Perhaps by design, it isn’t ever clear when it’s the right time for citizens to voice their concerns. In regards to the Meadows, now is the time to speak out!
