Neighbors say Rochester chose 'absolutely wrong place' for new elementary school

ROCHESTER — Neighbors near a proposed new elementary school site at 753 Salmon Falls Road are speaking out in opposition to the project. School and city officials say the process is just beginning and they want to hear and address residents' concerns.

Residents of Tara Estates, an age 55-plus community and those living in the Ida Circle development, as well as abutters living on Salmon Falls Road, have raised many issues. Foster's Daily Democrat received dozens of phone calls from residents, and many spoke during a June 26 public forum.

Ray Wayman, who lives in the Ida Circle development, is very concerned with wetlands issues.

"Most of the back of that property is wetlands," he said. "With them digging and paving, I fear the surrounding properties will see flooded basements. We have water issues now."

Wayman noted the city paid $250,000 for the property.

"They got a deal, on a crappy piece of land," he said. "No one else wanted it."

Wayman said current plans for the school include only one 50-foot entrance to the campus.

"There is a right of way a couple of houses down from me, a paper street (not yet accepted by the city), but one that can be driven on," said Wayman. "We do not want school traffic using that as a second access/egress. We have attended meetings, and they say it will be for emergency use only. But with 270 cars estimated, we fear that road will be used if not gated off."

Rochester school plan proposal taking shape

Plans shown at forum on the school project June 26 described a 66,000-square-foot building, with parking for 75 cars, and a bus loop for 8-10 school buses. About 420 students would attend, and it was estimated 270 parents will drop off and pick up their children.

The new school project calls for a consolidation of elementary schools in Rochester. There are currently eight. The Nancy Loud and School Street schools would close, and the modular classrooms would be removed from Chamberlin School and William Allen School.

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School Superintendent Kyle Repucci said once the two older schools are closed, the district would redraw lines for elementary school enrollment.

The Salmon Falls Road site is 40.88 acres, but the building site will be about 12.2 acres as the back part of the land is primarily wetlands. Three Department of Environmental Services permits will be required, for alteration of terrain, wastewater discharge, and standard dredge and fill needs. The land has utilities available and city water and sewer will be provided.

'I fear there will be an accident'

Traffic on Salmon Falls Road, a busy road, and a connector to Route 108, is a major concern for residents.

"People drive fast," said Wayman. "I fear there will be an accident. Kids will get killed."

"People fly on Samon Falls Road," said Andrea Towle, who lives across the street from the proposed school site. "I have asked police several times to sit in my driveway. I am concerned already about Tara Estates, with often elderly people who have to get out of the development onto Salmon Falls Road. There is a dangerous curve, right here. I go to leave my driveway, look left and right, see no one and then suddenly there is a car speeding toward me."

Towle said Salmon Falls Road is a well-known shortcut used by people to connect to Route 108, to get to Dover, Somersworth, Rochester, even Kittery, Maine.

"Why would we put a school here and add buses and more cars?" she asked.

"I have nothing against a school," said Mary Ellen Slone, a resident of Tara Estates. "But this is absolutely the wrong place. It's dangerous. I can't imagine parents dropping off kids, picking them up. When I first heard this, I thought, 'My goodness this is not a good idea.' I have seen nothing to change my mind."

Paul Johnson and his wife, Pauline, have lived in Tara Estates for 20-plus years.

"Salmon Falls Road is definitely not the quiet street it was when we came here," Johnson said. "It doesn't seem the city is aware of the volume of traffic here, cars and big trucks. I really want to see a good traffic study done because I am very concerned about buses and people dropping off kids. This could be very problematic."

Kathy Baker, who said her house is next to the proposed entrance to the new elementary school, said she thinks Salmon Falls Road would need extensive improvements to support the project.

"There are no turning lanes," she said. "The road will need to be widened. ... Speed will need to be reduced greatly because otherwise it will be a massive problem. The land is wet and at a City Council meeting recently one councilor pointed that out and advised against the land purchase."

"Rochester is a big city," said John Junta, a resident of Tara Estates. "They do not need to put this school here. Five years ago, Salmon Falls Road was much quieter than it is now. With this; I can only see it getting worse. It's a recipe for disaster."

"All schools need to be a safe place," said Ann McKlusky, who lives in Tara Estates. "This is not it."

School and city leader assure residents will be heard

Because the new school is a municipal project, it is not required to seek approval from the city's land use boards, However, Superintendent Repucci said the district will work closely with those boards. He said the goal is for the project to be as transparent as possible.

City Manager Blaine Cox said he expects the School Board and superintendent to take the project through both the technical review process as well as the Planning Board process.

"The Planning Board typically allows public comment," Cox said.

"We are very early in the process," said Repucci. "We want to hear what people have to say. We will be able to answer questions because we will be doing a full traffic study, and are looking closely at the wetlands. By the next forum, at the end of July, we hope to have better engineering and architectural plans. I will say, on the wetlands that the site is downstream, and water flows down. I think a lot of the abutters wetlands issues stem from their own builders and that our site will drain away from them."

Asked about residents concerns for speeding, Repucci said a school can actually help with that.

"Speed limits drop by 10," he said. "The speed limit is 35 mph but in a school zone, it will be 25 mph."

Repucci said he hopes the district can work with residents, and work everything out in order to open the new school by fall 2025.

The next public forum on the new elementary school project has been scheduled for Monday, July 24 at 6 p.m. in the Rochester School Department boardroom.

Not everyone is opposed to new Rochester school

Michael Studa, who lives in the Meadow Court subdivision, said he has listened to his neighbors' concerns and understands the reasons behind their views. "Almost all live on the side of our subdivision where the proposed school will be built," he said.

He noted a housing development could have been proposed there instead, and that schools are closed evenings, weekends and during the summer.

Studa said Meadow Court is a typical residential subdivision and it never closes.

"Vehicles, pedestrians, dog walking, joggers, bicycles and skateboards can be seen and heard 24/7, 365 days a year," he said. "This proposed school may also have an area where I could play with my dog and grandchildren and take a walk after hours. There is an emergency access road from our subdivision into the proposed school property and it's my understanding that the city in some form raised the possibility of installing 'crash gates' that would enforce the policy of 'emergency access' only. That would seem to adequately address the issue of increased traffic in and out of the school area through our neighborhood."

Studa said it is his understanding that building a school would require the city to install sidewalks along Salmon Falls Road from Portland Street to Whitehall Road. That question was asked at the most recent public forum, but no definitive answer was given.

"Sidewalks would increase the safety along this stretch of road exponentially," Studa said.

Update on funds for new elementary school in Rochester

New Hampshire school building aid covers 60% of a project's cost and Rochester is poised to receive state aid. The state Board of Education's calculation is Rochester's planned school should cost $26.3 million. This means the state is expected to provide Rochester with nearly $15.8 million. That is about $4.4 million less than Rochester school officials were seeking for what they proposed as a $33.6 million school.

The City Council will have to approve the extra $4.4 million or the building plan would likely have to be changed. Cox said a date has not been set yet for the council to take up the additional school funding.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Rochester neighbors don't want school at 753 Salmon Falls Road