{"id":774,"date":"2016-05-23T12:21:17","date_gmt":"2016-05-23T16:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=774"},"modified":"2016-05-23T12:21:17","modified_gmt":"2016-05-23T16:21:17","slug":"lt-council-moves-forward-on-exit-4a-impact-statement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/?p=774","title":{"rendered":"LT: Council Moves Forward on Exit 4A Impact Statement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>From the Londonderry Times<!-- Jetpack Open Graph Tags --><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ <![CDATA[\n<span class=\"mceItemHidden\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\"><span><\/span>  (function(<span class=\"mceItemHidden\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\"><span class=\"hiddenGrammarError\" pre=\"\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\">i<\/span><\/span>,s,o,g,r,a,m){<span class=\"hiddenGrammarError\" pre=\"\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\">i<\/span>['<span class=\"hiddenSpellError\" pre=\"\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\">GoogleAnalyticsObject<\/span>']=r;<span class=\"hiddenGrammarError\" pre=\"\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\">i<\/span>[r]=<span class=\"hiddenGrammarError\" pre=\"\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\">i<\/span>[r]||function(){\n  (<span class=\"hiddenGrammarError\" pre=\"\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\">i<\/span>[r].q=<span class=\"hiddenGrammarError\" pre=\"\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\">i<\/span>[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},<span class=\"hiddenGrammarError\" pre=\"\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\">i<\/span>[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),\n  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)\n  })(window,document,'script','\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/analytics.js','ga');\n  ga('create', 'UA-48507496-2', 'auto');\n  ga('require', '<span class=\"hiddenSpellError\" pre=\"\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\">displayfeatures<\/span>');\n  ga('send', '<span class=\"hiddenSpellError\" pre=\"\" data-mce-bogus=\"1\">pageview<\/span>');\n\n<\/span>\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"single_page\" class=\"container-full-width\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"container-fluid\">\n<div id=\"container\" class=\"row-fluid\">\n<div id=\"content\" class=\" span8 content-sidebar-right\">\n<article id=\"post-32671\" class=\"post-32671 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-front-page category-londonderry category-news category-nh category-politics category-public-works\">\n<header class=\"entry-header\">\n<p class=\"entry-title\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/londonderrytimes.net\/2016\/05\/32671\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Council Moves Forward on Exit 4A Impact Statement<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong><a title=\"3:05 pm\" href=\"http:\/\/londonderrytimes.net\/2016\/05\/32671\/\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2016-05-20T15:05:46+00:00\">May 20, 2016<\/time> <\/a><span class=\"byline\"> by <span class=\"author vcard\"><a class=\"url fn n\" title=\"View all posts by Kathleen D Bailey\" href=\"http:\/\/londonderrytimes.net\/author\/kbailey\/\" rel=\"author\">Kathleen D Bailey<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n<p>What\u2019s done is done, especially if it was done by someone else a long time ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The Londonderry Town Council reviewed the latest Amendment, Amendment 7, to the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Exit 4A off Interstate 93. While they agreed by consensus to pay another $1,166,598.54 for the EIS update, they also pressed the project managers to ensure that Londonderry\u2019s investment stay capped at the original $5 million.<span id=\"more-32671\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Christopher Bean, principal in CLD, the firm doing the EIS, and Keith Cota, project manager with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT), were at the May 16 Council meeting to discuss the latest version of the EIS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Janusz Czyzowski, director of public works, presented the project as part of the 1990 settlement with Boston North, the original developers of the interchange, which obligated Londonderry and Derry to $5 million each.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The original EIS was begun in 1998, Czyzowski said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Bean reminded the Council that in September 2014, the towns agreed to have DOT take over. In January 2015 they signed a Memorandum of Understanding turning over the project, including final design and construction, to DOT.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In Amendment 6, the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) determined that the EIS needed an update and CLD held eight \u201ctopical meetings\u201d with an EIS Review Team. \u201cWe reviewed specific areas, with the meetings ending in March 2015,\u201d Bean said. \u201cWe finalized a revised scope and project schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cWhy do we need a supplemental EIS?\u201d Bean asked rhetorically. \u201cThe last official public meeting was in 2007, the draft EIS was in 2010. There have been a lot of changes since then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">These include different regulatory issues and a revised traffic study, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cWe needed to incorporate the widening of I-93 EIS from May 2010, and also the growth of Pettengill Road and the proposed Woodmont Commons,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cWe were asked by the FHA to resubmit,\u201d he summed up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Amendment 7<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Amendment 7 will be an 18-month process, tackling \u201cthorny issues\u201d such as the Beaver Brook watershed and chloride limits, Bean said. At the end of the process there will be a public meeting where they will discuss the expected impact and layout, before going into the final design process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The scope of the process includes project management and coordination, preliminary engineering, base mapping, and a new survey of the preferred alternative, he said. The document is expected to include the chloride issue; traffic and transportation; issues with congestion, noise, water and air quality; the Interstate Access Modification; and endangered species including the Northern Longhaired Bat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cThere will be indirect and cumulative effects,\u201d Bean said. The study will go with the \u201cpreferred alternative\u201d identified earlier and will be published and presented in a public hearing, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">At the end, Bean said, he hopes to have a final EIS and a record of decision so construction can begin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">But the Londonderry Councilors had plenty of questions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Capping the commitment<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The estimated person-hours for the EIS totals 19,428. The total cost for labor and expenses is $2,333,197, leaving Londonderry and Derry each with a share of $1,166,598.54.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Councilor Tom Freda asked, \u201cWhat happened to the EIS drafted in 2010?\u201d Bean gave a quick history of the project, pointing out that there was a public hearing in 2007 followed by a \u201cstop work\u201d order from the FHA in 2009. \u201cThe FHA wanted to see a reasonable range of alternatives,\u201d he said. \u201cThe towns fought it, and the EIS was put on hold.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In 2009 a new work order was issued and in May 2010 the I-93 EIS was published. \u201cWe had to make sure all that data was incorporated. In late 2010, we published a draft,\u201d Bean said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">At that time, he said, the resource agencies requested that they bring the developer on board. \u201cWe had additional studies and dual meetings,\u201d Bean said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In April 2013 the development was at an impasse and came to a halt. Then there was a \u201cnew round of interest\u201d from the towns to get it going again, to take advantage of the I-93 widening, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cWe have an aggressive time frame,\u201d Bean summed up. \u201cWe want to complete the EIS in 18 months, so construction can begin in 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Freda asked, \u201cWho paid for the work in 2007 and 2010?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cThe towns paid,\u201d Bean responded.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Londonderry Town Manager Kevin Smith said each town has paid $1.7 million so far. \u201cWe have $3.3 million left in our obligation,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Council Chair John Farrell worked a calculator and said, \u201cThat comes out to $120 per hour for 19,428 hours. How many full-time people do you expect to have on this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Bean responded, \u201cWe\u2019re talking 19 months and 1,000 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Farrell said, \u201cIf I\u2019m still in office in 2020, and still alive, are you going to come back and ask for more money?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cThe process has twists and turns,\u201d Bean said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cI want a \u2018yes\u2019 or \u2018no\u2019 answer,\u201d Farrell pressed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Bean said, \u201cThere may be hurdles, but we\u2019ll try to solve them before we get off-track.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cSo you can\u2019t commit that this is all we\u2019ll spend?\u201d Farrell said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Bean pronounced himself to be \u201ccautiously optimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Councilor Joe Green asked how the town would get updates, and Keith Cota said, \u201cIn the Memorandum of Agreement with the two towns, we have taken charge.\u201d He said he is on a steering committee with Smith, Acting Town Administrator Steve Daly of Derry, and Bean.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cWe will monitor the budget and monitor the scope of work,\u201d he said. He is also on a Technical Advisory Team with the Public Works directors of the two towns, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Councilor Tom Dolan returned to the budget question with, \u201cWill the budget be managed?\u201d and Cota said it would. \u201cUnder the Memorandum of Agreement, the maximum the two towns will pay is the $5 million.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">How did we get here?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Freda returned to the issue of the prior EIS. \u201cWhat value did we get out of the first two studies?\u201d he asked. \u201cRight now, half of the $5 million is going to the EIS. And why are two studies being done? In 2010, what was different from 1991?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cWe had a full intent of completing the project at that time,\u201d Bean said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Freda then added, \u201cWhat gave you the idea that there was going to be a 4A project, with no funding?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cThat was one of the hurdles,\u201d Bean responded. At the time, he said, efforts were being made with the Legislature to obtain money to fund the project.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cThat\u2019s the problem with the government,\u201d Freda said. \u201cThey spend money that isn\u2019t there. We spent $2.5 million for plans that will sit on a library shelf somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Bean responded, \u201cI agree that the money was not in place at the time. But it\u2019s not necessary to have it until you get to the \u2018record of decision\u2019 phase.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cWho are these people?\u201d Freda said of the town officials who obligated Londonderry to the plan. \u201cIt\u2019s a mystery to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">He added the scenario of a taxpayer coming up and saying, \u201cWhat the hell are you doing here?\u201d Freda said, \u201cIt\u2019s like getting the plans to build a house when the banker already said \u2018no.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Bean countered, \u201cThe EIS has to progress to a certain point in order to define the project that needs to be funded.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Green agreed with Freda. \u201cWhat do we say if a constituent comes up and says, \u2018You have already paid for this\u2019?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Smith added his perspective, saying, \u201cMy perception is that up to the summer of 2013 we had what should have been a state project, but it was run by the towns. It was essentially rudderless. In 2014 the DOT said, \u2018Allow us to take over, or there will be no project.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">There is funding now, Smith said, and DOT is now the project manager. \u201cThey will be keeping tabs on CLD and the other participants, to see that the timeline is met,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">But, Green said, \u201cWe are on the hook for $5 million, no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Freda queried, \u201cBecause we were rudderless, it\u2019s okay to spend the money? There was no accountability. This is really a shame \u2013 that was a significant amount of money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Freda added, \u201cWhat will the new study do that wasn\u2019t done in the one when we were rudderless?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Green asked Bean, \u201cIs there anything in the previous study that we can take forward with us?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Not much, Bean responded. \u201cSome of the information is still transferable,\u201d he said. \u201cBut in order to find out what, we have to review it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The bottom line, Councilor Jim Butler said, is that there was poor management several years ago. \u201cI don\u2019t like it better than anyone else, but we have to move forward,\u201d Butler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Farrell agreed. \u201cLet\u2019s go forward, get this done, and make sure it stays within the budget,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Since you\u2019re here anyway\u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Councilor Tom Dolan took advantage of having Cota present to ask him about what\u2019s coming up with Exit 4, the current exit off I-93 in Londonderry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cWe are doing a new traffic modeling plan,\u201d Cota responded. \u201cIt needs to be looked at again. With a new exit a mile north, that might have an influence on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Dolan observed that there are six or seven traffic lanes on the Londonderry side of Route 102, narrowing to two in Derry, and that bottleneck creates traffic issues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cThat\u2019s one of the motivators for another interchange,\u201d Bean noted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The Council discussed how to pay its share of the new EIS, whether from fund balance or other means, but determined to discuss that in a future meeting. \u201cIf we do it too quickly, we will do it wrong,\u201d Farrell said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">They agreed by consensus to go forward with Amendment 7.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From the Londonderry Times Council Moves Forward on Exit 4A Impact Statement May 20, 2016 by Kathleen D Bailey What\u2019s done is done, especially if it was done by someone else a long time ago. The Londonderry Town Council reviewed the latest Amendment, Amendment 7, to the draft Environmental Impact&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"From the Londonderry Tilmes\nCouncil Moves Forward on Exit 4A Impact Statement","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townunderground.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}