Nashua Planning Board to continue review of controversial asphalt plant
Apr. 5—Modified plans for a proposed asphalt manufacturing facility near downtown go before the Nashua Planning Board tonight , even as intense community opposition to the project persists.
The board heard nearly five hours of testimony last week against the project, which is part of the redevelopment of 145-148 Temple St. The board received another 392 emails urging it to reject the plans because of environmental and economic concerns.
Newport Construction Corp. now is asking to build a drum plant. Its original proposal was for a hot batch mix plant.
A drum plant is quieter than a batch plant and would have a 20-foot tower, compared to a 40- to 50-foot structure.
Last week, attorney Andrew Prolman told the board and a standing-room-only crowd that the use is permitted under the city's zoning. The site was purchased by the construction company in 2013.
During a presentation, Newport owner Rick DeFelice explained how the plant will have a "load-out building," an enclosed area that trucks pull into where emissions and steam from the asphalt are captured by a ventilation system.
The company operates a similar plant in Westford, Mass.
The state Department of Environmental Services will oversee the plant's adherence to environmental regulations, Prolman said.
Attorney Amy Manzelli, who represents Riverfront Landing LLC, said the DES won't consider how property values will be affected. She said the use is inappropriate for downtown, and the plant will increase pollution, including diesel emissions from trucks.
Several high school students spoke against the plan, including Dante Castellano, a junior at Nashua High School South, who is a member of NH 350 Youth Team and president of the Planet Earth Club at the school.
"The proposed space for the asphalt plant is very close to the heart of downtown Nashua," he said. "As a concerned student environmentalist, who plans on living here for quite some time, the addition of an asphalt plant certainly wouldn't be something that would keep me here. Nashua should be a model for other communities in New Hampshire, not a city to look down on."
The site is about a half mile from Main Street.
Stanford Road resident Elaine Lihzis said she texted about asphalt plants to her daughter, who is a chemist and does air quality testing.
"She responded back in all caps, 'DO NOT LET THEM BUILD ONE NEAR YOU,'" she said. "This was my first warning."
She also mentioned the low-income, minority neighborhood where the project is being proposed.
Others mentioned the opportunity for community development in the area, including the expansion of the Heritage Rail Trail and possible future commuter rail station.
Prolman said the ordinance requires a proposed use to co-exist and not impact surrounding uses, which are currently general industrial.
"We feel like we are being judged by projects and properties that may or may not exist in the future," he said.
