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Frequently Asked Questions About Waterfront Development... 

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GENERAL QUESTIONS

  1. What is the Cochecho Waterfront Advisory Committee?

  2. When will the development of the City-owned land begin?

  3. Why has it taken so long to build something on the river?

  4. Why are there so many design drawings for the land?

  5. In the 1996 Moderate Density drawing there is an amphitheater pictured on the waterfront.  Why would the City spend money building a band shell in Henry Law Park if there are plans for one on the waterfront.

DREDGING THE RIVER AND TOXIC CHEMICALS

  1. Aren't there toxic chemicals buried in the river?

  2. So the levels were not very high but does that still constitute a health hazard?

  3. Didn't the City close the soccer field because it was contaminated?

  4. Then why didn't the City open the field?

  5. Why would the City want to put more contaminated material on the fields?

  6. How long will the dredging take?

  7. Isn't it better to leave the toxic sediment alone?

  8. How can I find out more about the dredging of the Cochecho River?

General Questions:

What is the Cochecho Waterfront Advisory Committee?

The Dover City Council established the Cochecho Waterfront Advisory Committee at their April 14, 2004 meeting.  The City Council resolution stated that the committee shall be, "made up of 11 members representing the community of Dover as widely as possible. The Mayor, with the consent of the City Council, shall appoint 10 members from various backgrounds such as engineering, architecture, real estate, land conservation, and at least one person living in or near the neighborhood. In addition the Mayor shall appoint a Council member to serve as a regular member."

The committee will be tasked with "present(ing) a redevelopment plan consistent with the Cocheco Waterfront Design Charrette (July, 1996), and (presenting) a potential developer to the City Council for consideration as soon as practical."

Members of the Committee.

When will the development of the City-owned land begin?

It is difficult to tell when the first shovel will go into the ground on the waterfront, however, it looks like the current City Council (2004-2005) will be the first Council to actually start the building process.

Why has it taken so long to build something on the river?

The City has been preparing the land for development since 1990.  A number of factors have caused the process to seem like a long one.  We tend to forget that the economy was in a major recession for a significant portion of the 1990s.  Very little major development went on anywhere in the country during that time.  The Chamber has always believed that there should be no rush to develop such an important piece of City property.  We only have one chance to do it right. Experts in developing similar properties have said that it is not unusual for a development process to take 10, 15 or even 25 years.  They have also said that the understandable desire to achieve instant results should be resisted in all except the smallest steps. However, the major reason for the delay was that there were so many things to do to prepare the site. In 1991, the property was encumbered by a sewerage treatment plant, the public works facility and unknown environmental hazards.  The property had not been surveyed and most importantly, the community had not established guidelines for what should happen on the land.  That did not happen until 1996. 

Why are there so many design drawings for the land?

In order to create as many ideas as possible that might be incorporated into the final plan for the development of the waterfront.  From the beginning, the City has felt that it was important to get as much input from residents as possible about the potential uses of this valuable resource.  The 1990 Waterfront Task Force brought in the first concrete ideas for the land.  Each succeeding design was the result of a group of residents coming together to refine the results of earlier designs. The 1995 Charrette took the earlier efforts of the Task Force and proceeded to develop a list of general goals and specific design guidelines for future development.  In 2002, the Chamber partnered with the volunteer help of AG Architects, to create several designs that included street-level views of a possible future plan for the waterfront. These designs are part of the ongoing effort to refine and update the community vision for the waterfront.

Why would the City spend money building a band shell in Henry Law Park if there are plans for one on the waterfront?

There has been a band shell in Henry Law Park for many years.  In the 1990s the shell had fallen into disrepair and the Dover Rotary Club offered to rebuild it for the City.  The amphitheater pictured in the design charrette drawing was simply an idea that a participant in the charrette had for a feature that would fit the community's vision of the final development.  Over the years, the designs had been developed to provide ideas for what the final plan for the waterfront could look like. 

Dredging Questions:

Aren't there toxic chemicals buried in the river?

Yes. However, the City's consultant for the project, GeoInsight, Inc., did a study of contaminants that showed that the levels of contaminants were not very high.

So the levels were not very high but does that still constitute a health hazard?

No. A risk assessment for humans, done by GeoInsight indicated that there was no risk to humans.  

Didn't the City close the soccer field because it was contaminated?

The City closed the field when a question was raised about the health risk to kids playing on the field.  A risk assessment done by the NH Department of Health and Human Services showed that there was no risk on the fields to kids participating in sports.

Then why didn't the City open the field?

The ball field contains spoils from a dredging of the river that was done in 1984.  The City plans to construct the new containment cell in the vicinity of the field and it was felt that it didn't make sense to schedule games for the field when it was going to be out of use soon anyway.

Why would the City want to put more contaminated material on the fields?

The Waste Management Division of the NH Department of Environmental Services has said it best.  The bottom of the new containment cell will be lined with plastic and will become a new cover to the old containment cell.  After the new dredge spoils are placed in the new containment cell the cell will be capped with plastic and covered with soil.  NHDES gave the City a waiver to construct the cell because it becomes a new cover to the former cell and to the old landfill.  According to NHDES it is a three way win for DES and the City.  (1) A double cover for the old landfill, (2) a new cap for the old containment cell and (3) a new state of the art, monitored, containment cell for the newly dredged material.

How long will the dredging take?

The State of New Hampshire sets the time frame for dredging (the dredge window). It is usually mid-November through mid-March to prevent, as much as possible, disturbing marine life.  It is the US Army Corp of Engineer's intention to do the dredge in one cycle.

Isn't it better to leave the toxic sediment alone?

From colonial times mills, tanneries and factories disposed of their wastes into the rivers. There is still some controversy over the best way to deal with toxic materials found in the nation’s rivers, however, more and more scientists knowledgeable about dredging agree that leaving it in place is not the best option.

The NH Estuaries Project report "State of the Estuaries" printed in February of 2000 states "Today most of the suspended sediments in the Great Bay estuary result from the perpetual action of wind and tide. These forces re-suspend sediment particles and redistribute them within the estuary. Sediment borne contaminants, such as heavy metals and other toxics are often redistributed as well. Chromium - a waste product of the early tannery industry located primarily on the Cochecho and Salmon Falls rivers - is distributed throughout the Great Bay system, providing evidence of this process."

A study done for the Hudson River Foundation by a group of scientists and engineers concluded that "no data indicate that dredging operations themselves will directly affect public health.  Despite claims to the contrary, construction projects similar in magnitude to and larger than the proposed Hudson River dredging (40 miles vs the Cochecho’s 3 miles) occur regularly in densely populated areas and are accommodated by the affected communities." The group also concluded that "the large quantity of PCBs residing in the sediments of the Upper Hudson River are not permanently sequestered, but rather are currently leaking back into the water, comprising the largest single source of PCBs to the river."

How can I find out more about the dredging of the Cochecho River?

For additional information about the dredging you may call the City of Dover's Environment Projects Manager, Dean Peschel at 743-6094 or dean.peschel@ci.dover.nh.us. or Dover Planner, Steve Bird at 516-6008.

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