Objections by Neighbors Surface and the Manchester BMA Considers the Prison Situation

As the details of the proposed prison surfaced, Manchester residents of the Hackett Hill region began to organize opposition to the plans.

Ironically, strong opposition to the prison was expressed by developer Robert Shapiro, Executive Vice President of the Waterford Development Corporation. Waterford was responsible for extensive residential development north/northwest of The Nature Conservancy's Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve.

The balance of the development occurred during 2000-2005 on land purchased by Waterford from Alliance Resources - a coalition of Manchester's two hospitals. The development was strongly opposed by the NH Sierra Club. Houses, apartment buildings and condos replaced extensive open space dotted with wetlands that were habitat to numerous plants and animals. No preliminary studies were done to see how the natural history of the area would be changed, and no alteratives to development were considered.

In Waterford's "Woodland Pond" Community, home building even took place on a lot that extended well into the watersheds of a TNC swamp complex. In another instance, the construction of "The Neighbors At Woodland Pond Community", a valuable animal corridor was destroyed that connected undeveloped land in Hooksett with the TNC Preserve. Not only the NH Sierra Club, but NH Audubon, and the Region 1 EPA felt that this area should be protected, rather than developed.

No consideration was given to the extensive deforestation that occurred, despite the fact that the trees destroyed had served as "carbon sinks" to prevent global warming.

Although the residential development project had slowed down in recently years, it has now resumed, with an extension of the "Neighbors at Woodland Pond" area. Extensive blasting has occurred - an undertaking that has furnished truckloads of rocks that have been hauled onto the Danais property for rock-crushng activity.

It is perhaps "poetic justice" that Waterford now apparently feels threatened with property devaluation from a relatively nearby development project!

It should also be pointed out that there is only a single entrance and exit point for the entire residential area - the point where Countryside Boulevard ends at Hackett Hill Road (see map on this website's home page) and a fire station with a single fire engine serves the entire area.

A petition expressing opposition to the prison was signed by 155 residents of the Countryside Boulevard area and presented to the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen at the January 17 BMA meeting. Also, about 25 residents spoke out against the prison in the public session that preceded the BMA meeting.

Among the points made besides property devaluation were: the prison would cause safety issues; people would be less likely to visit the TNC Preserve; and the property owned by Danais could be used for companies with greater economic promise.

a. April, 1998

b. April, 2011

The images can be compared with the current GIS map of the area shown on the home page of this website.

They show the enormous development that has occurred in a thirteen year interval.

The second image shows that a major part of the TNC Preserve will be sandwiched between the Countryside Boulevard residential properties and the Parking Lots ("phantom parking lots") on the Danais Property, The proposed prison would presumably be built on or near the latter area. It should be noted that despite any sort of "buffer", it is not only close to the Preserve, but also to JPSA and to residential properties on Hackett Hill Road - both in Manchester and Hooksett.

When the prison topic was eventually discussed by the aldermanic board, Planning and Community Development Director Leon LaFreniere proposed a zoning change that would limit correctional institutions (half-way houses and prisons) in Manchester to industrial zones - either the airport region or the East Industrial Drive region.

The proposal was referred to the Bills on Second Readings Committee for consideration.