This page is dedicated to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
These questions are not generated by lawyers or marketing professionals.
These are actual questions asked (or overheard) by Hudson residents.
As always, we invite Green Meadow Inc. to respond to these questions.
We only ask that they include supporting facts, not propaganda.
1.) Why doesn't Green Meadow Inc. have any real factual data
(traffic, economic or environmental analysis) on their website,
similar to what W/S Development had when they were involved with this project?
SaveHudson.com - We believe the Green Meadow website (www.SagamoreCrossing.com) is a marketing tool,
viewed not only by Hudson residents and officials, but also potential tenants and investment organizations.
Therefore, it is crucial for Green Meadow Inc. to project the illusion that their proposed development is not only
beneficial to Hudson, but also solves Hudson's imaginary "problems" and is heartily welcomed by all residents.
People would obviously reach a different conclusion if GM provided data that contradicted many of their statements.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
2.) Is the information on SagamoreCrossing.com accurate?
SaveHudson.com - There is no real information on the Sagamore Crossing website, just proposals.
However, the reduction in proposed retail development size (down to 1.25 million sq. ft.) appears accurate.
We studied factual information from W/S Development, GPI, Gove Environmental Services, Applied Economic Research
and the town of Hudson (traffic analysis, environmental, and economic impact presentations made to Hudson officials)
and discovered many contradictions to the statements made on the Sagamore Crossing website. Some of these include:
Traffic "solutions" providing less than 10% of promised traffic improvement.
Traffic "solutions" resulting in 40% traffic flow degradation.
Access road and interchange design both under-capacity (projected volume exceeds capacity by 50%)
Lowell Road volume (north of executive drive) exceeding current capacity by 200%
Environmental impact analysis excluding wildlife with a natural waterfront or migratory habitat.
- Wetland impact reduction 15-20% (not the 25-40% listed on the Sagamore Crossing website)
Economic impact predicting loss of local Hudson businesses, to be later replaced with upscale alternatives.
Marketing analysis concluding Nashua / Hudson area not able to support "Lifestyle" development of this size.
- Implied 100-acre "open space" a combination of required 20-acre buffer and 70-acre wetland easement.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
3.) Will the 20-acre public park will be a benefit to Hudson?
SaveHudson.com - Absolutely, if it actually becomes a public park.
Remember, this is a retail development, with outdoor parks and recreation designed specifically for shopper retention;
which means keeping trendy consumers on the site to increase exposure to the upscale retail "experience".
In addition, Sagamore Crossing will be built entirely on private property, so the park will never really be public.
Attorney Jay Leonard has told the Hudson selectmen in very non-committal terms,
that the proposed park "will now be open to the public, if that's what everybody wants".
(Source: Hudson 12-04-07 BOS workshop )
Surely, Mr. Leonard is not implying that town officials or residents would be against a public park.
Instead, considering "everybody" includes all parties involved with the development,
Leonard has carefully left the option open for Green Meadow Inc. to deny future public access.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
4.) Why is the river-front park so small?
SaveHudson.com - The proposed river-front park is 20-acres, only 5.3% of the 375-acre Green Meadow property.
One reason for the small size could be that retail property = profit, and there is no profit in open space.
Another reason could be that NH law requires a 150-foot buffer between the river and any development:
"RSA 483: Where existing, a natural woodland buffer shall be maintained within 150 feet of the reference
line. The purpose of this buffer shall be to protect the quality of public waters by minimizing erosion,
preventing siltation and turbidity, stabilizing soils, preventing excess nutrients and chemical pollution,
maintaining natural water temperatures, maintaining a healthy tree canopy and understory,
preserving fish and wildlife habitat, and respecting the overall natural condition of the protected shoreland
(Source:
http://www.des.state.nh.us/cspa/483B.HTM)
The 20-acre river-front park is 5,100 feet in length, which means it averages just 170.8 feet in width,
a mere 20 feet over the required 150-foot buffer.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
5.) Can residents use the remaining 100-acres of open space for sports or picnics?
SaveHudson.com - You mean the remaining 80-acres of "open space".
The 100-acres of "open space" touted by Green Meadow includes the 20-acre river-front park,
which may or may not be public, or open to the public.
That leaves 80-acres of proposed "open space".
However, 70-acres is prime wetlands that will be under a
conservation easement, so it will probably not be available for public use.
We believe the remaining 10-acres are wetland buffers or parking lot buffers,
but we can't be sure until Green Meadow actually provides a site plan.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
6.) Will Sagamore Crossing provide jobs for Hudson?
SaveHudson.com - The proposed Sagamore Crossing development
will provide many jobs for surrounding communities,and possibly Hudson.
(Retail tenants have no obligation to hire Hudson residents)
Most of these jobs will be low-paying retail positions .
Great for High school students or extra holiday money,
but not enough to actually afford a home in Hudson or add to the tax base.
It will also create short-term jobs for the construction firms and subcontractors that will build Sagamore Crossing.
This does not necessarily mean construction jobs for Hudson, or even NH residents, although it is a possibility.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
7.) Will Sagamore Crossing be beneficial to Hudson?
SaveHudson.com - We do not believe Sagamore Crossing will be beneficial to Hudson.
We agree there are some beneficial elements, such as tax revenue and some retail jobs,
but there are far more elements that are not beneficial to residents.
For example:
Traffic:
Green Meadow: Claims their traffic "solutions" will improve traffic in Hudson, but will not provide supporting data to the public.
SaveHudson: A 2006 traffic analysis by GPI (Green Meadow Inc. consultants) shows traffic will severely degrade.
Taxes:
Green Meadow: Claims "your taxes will not increase due to Sagamore Crossing"
SaveHudson: Other towns that embraced retail development (Nashua, Salem) have seen substantial tax increases.
Wildlife:
Green Meadow: Inquiries about wildlife impact introduced then ignored on the Sagamore Crossing website.
SaveHudson: GMI clearly downplaying impact to wildlife caused by the loss hundreds of acres of open space.
Wetlands:
Green Meadow: Claims "wetland impact will be reduced by 25%"
SaveHudson: GMI has a completed NHDES Dredge and Fill permit and will "impact" over 5 acres of wetlands.
Local businesses:
Green Meadow: Claims local businesses will not be "adversely affected"
SaveHudson: Economic impact analysis shows local retail being replaced with upscale alternatives.
Safety:
Green Meadow: Promises a “safe design of the interchange and roadways"
SaveHudson: NHDOT has several safety concerns with the Green Meadow interchange design,
which Green Meadow will apparently address "at a later date"
Pollution:
Green Meadow: Claims there isn't any information available to comment on this issue.
SaveHudson: 14 million projected trips annually will produce the following emissions:
117.6 metric tons of Hydrocarbons
877.8 metric tons of Carbon Monoxide
58.4 metric tons of Nitrogen Oxides
257.6 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide
Clearly, Green Meadow Inc is attempting to cast the above issues in a positive light when possible,
and ignore them when not, possibly due to the fact that they need to portray Sagamore Crossing as being
beneficial to the community or public purpose (not necessarily Hudson) for two very important reasons:
1.) In order for the NHDOT to grant access to the Sagamore Bridge.
(Source: Hudson Planning Board meeting - 12/12/2007)
2.) In order to invoke possible eminent domain:
The United States Supreme Court decision (Kelo vs. City of New London, Conn.)
defined “public purpose” as promoting economic development which could include the
resale of the property to private parties for such development.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelo_v._New_London)
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
8.) All we've seen are traffic plans for Sagamore Crossing! Will there be traffic plans for Hudson roadways?
SaveHudson.com - Relax. There will be more than one traffic plan for this particular development:
First, there is the plan for access to the development, which Green Meadow Inc. is now trying to get approved.
The Sagamore Crossing website claims this plan will improve traffic in Hudson,
but data from a 2006 Greenman-Pedersen Inc. traffic analysis indicates the following:
Less than 10% actual traffic flow improvement.
About 50% unchanged traffic flow.
Over 40% degraded traffic flow.
Second, there is a "preliminary plan" for improving the projected 30 intersections that will be impacted
by the traffic surge created by Sagamore Crossing. Green Meadow Inc. acknowledged this plan during a BOS workshop:
"Selectman Robinson said one of the concerns before, not only with those two intersections, was the amount of
traffic coming through Hudson, whether it be through Salem, the Dracut Roads, the Robinson Roads, and asked if
the traffic engineers would be doing a study of what that impact would be for Hudson. Atty. Leonard said yes and,
in fact, they've already done a preliminary study on that. Part of that will be answered in this discussion and part at
another point, which he could answer in a very complete way" (Source: Hudson BOS workshop 12-4-2007)
Apparently, this "preliminary traffic plan" for local Hudson roadways (which is unavailable to the public),
can simply be addressed "at another point" as it lacks importance when compared to on-site roadway plans.
Considering traffic is such a large issue, we are surprised Green Meadow Inc. did not submit preliminary
local traffic improvements first, to appease residents concerned about the consequences of this development.
If they have enough information to present a preliminary access road plan,
why not present a preliminary local plan as well, and simply update the plan later when confirmed uses are determined?
We believe this action is intentional, to prevent subjects such as the factual results of traffic "solutions"
or land acquisition issues from being raised until after the approval process for their access roads is complete.
This would delay any potential negative reaction or actions from residents to halt their development.
The recent defeat of the Nashua Super-Walmart by local residents was a powerful lesson for retail developers.
Obviously, Green Meadow Inc. would not want a similar event to occur in Hudson.
Green Meadow Inc. - No real response to date
9.) Will Green Meadow Inc. really make traffic in Hudson better?
SaveHudson.com - A 1.3 million sq. ft. retail development that attracts a projected 14 million cars annually
will obviously not improve traffic conditions in Hudson, even with the proposed access road and interchange
(which was recently deemed unacceptable by the NHDOT)
In fact, traffic data from Green Meadow Inc. consultants shows traffic will degrade substantially.
Hudson Chairman of the Board of Selectman Shawn Jasper
made the following comments to Attorney Jay Leonard during last years BOS workshop:
"Hopefully, they will find the town cooperative, as it should be,
with anyone who comes in and seeks to have the lawful use of their land and, at the same time,
recognize that they need to make sure the traffic is better than it was when it started.
Obviously, they can’t make the traffic worse because it is already bad"
(Source: Chairman Shawn Jasper - Hudson BOS workshop 12-4-2007)
The town of Hudson makes it clear in the above statement that they expect Green Meadow Inc.
to make roadway improvements that will make traffic better than it is today.
This request is only fair to Hudson residents,
who should not bear the traffic burden of this development while Green Meadow Inc. profits.
However, you will not see this commitment from Green Meadow Inc.
Instead, Green Meadow Inc. has made the following pledge:
"The preliminary traffic studies conclude that, in ten years,
if we build the proposed development and include the road improvements,
the traffic conditions will be better than if there was no development and no road improvements"
(Source: www.SagamoreCrossing.com/wymh.html)
Traffic studies performed by GPI (Green Meadow Inc. traffic consultants) contradict this statement,
showing an additional 14 million cars annually with local traffic improvements will seriously degrade traffic.
Green Meadow Inc. has yet to propose any of the roadway improvements outlined in the above study.
We believe Green Meadow Inc. will need to make substantial improvements to local Hudson roadways in order
to meet the requirements of both the town of Hudson and the State of New Hampshire.
We have yet to see any feedback from Green Meadow Inc. in this regard, perhaps due to potential land acquisition issues.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
10.) How will Green Meadow Inc. acquire local land that might be needed for future roadway improvements?
SaveHudson.com -
1.) Town-owned land or right-of-way could be purchased by Green Meadow Inc.
2.) Privately-owned land or right-of-way could be purchased by Green Meadow Inc.
3.) The town could take privately-owned land by eminent domain.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
11.) Eminent domain? Green Meadow Inc. says that's not part of their plan !!
SaveHudson.com - Eminent domain is a very real threat to Hudson residents.
We agree eminent domain is not part of the traffic plan that Green Meadow Inc. has
currently proposed because that plan does not cover local Hudson roadways.
Let's look at their proposed plan:
Now let's see what Hudson property is owned by Green Meadow Inc.:
Owner | Parcel # | Address | Acreage | Value |
| Green Meadow Inc. | 234-005-000 | 11 Steele Road | 46.02 | $532,500 |
| Green Meadow Inc. | 234-006-000 | 15 Steele Road | 0.696 | $218,300 |
| Green Meadow Inc. | 234-001-000 | 43 Steele Road | 346.047 | $4,391,600 |
| Thomas P. and Phillip J. Friel III | 234-034 000 | 273 Lowell Road | 13.717 | $1,302,500 |
(Source: Hudson town assessor's office)
Clearly, Green Meadow Inc. owns all the property outlined in their traffic "solution".
What about local Hudson roadways?
The second (or third) traffic plan will address the 30 local intersections identified during a
2006 scoping meeting as being impacted by a 1.3 million sq. ft. retail development
Sagamore Crossing is:
1,250,000 square feet retail
400,000 square feet hotel
+ 175,000 square feet office space
---------------------------------------------------
1,825,000 square feet (1.825 million square feet)
Unless Green Meadow Inc. owns, or plans to purchase land in these areas,
eminent domain becomes a real and economically-viable option for Green Meadow Inc.
Green Meadow Inc. - No real response to date
12.) What land might be needed for this project?
SaveHudson.com - Certain tracts of land in Hudson might be needed by Green Meadow Inc.
to complete the required traffic improvements to Hudson roadways.
Green Meadow Inc. has a "preliminary plan" for local traffic improvements
(not available to the public), so they are likely aware of exactly which land will be involved.
Based on a 2006 traffic analysis by GPI,
these 30 intersections were identified as being impacted (50 trips or more) by a 1.3 million sq. ft. retail development:
1.) River Road at Chailifaux and Philbrick Streets.
2.) River Road at the proposed Connector Road
3.) River Road at Dracut Road and Steele Road..
4.) River Road at Stuart Street.
5.) Dracut Road at Stuart Street.
6.) Dracut Road at Sherburne Road.
7.) Lowell Road at Rena Ave. and Sprague Drive
8.) Lowell Road at Sam’s club and Wal-mart driveways.
9.) Lowell Road at Sagamore Bridge Road.
10.) Lowell Road at Wason Road and Flagstone Drive
11.) Lowell Road at Executive Drive
12.) Lowell Road at Pelham Road
13.) Lowell Road at Central Street
14.) Library Street at Central Street.
15.) Library Street at Ferry Street (Rt. 111)
16.) Library Street at Derry Street (Rt. 102) and Highland Street.
17.) Ferry Street at Derry Street (Rt. 102) and Chase Street..
18.) Sagamore Bridge at DW Highway eastbound.
19.) Sagamore Bridge at DW Highway westbound.
20.) Sagamore Bridge at interchange eastbound
21.) Sagamore Bridge at interchange westbound
22.) Sagamore Bridge between Rt. 3 and DW Highway eastbound.
23.) Sagamore Bridge between Rt. 3 and DW Highway westbound.
24.) Sagamore Bridge between interchange and DW Highway eastbound.
25.) Sagamore Bridge between interchange and DW Highway westbound.
26.) Route 3 at Exit 2 Northbound.
27.) Route 3 at Exit 2 frontage Road Northbound.
28.) Route 3 at Exit 2 Southbound.
29.) Route 3 between Exit 2 and exit 4 Northbound
30.) Route 3 between Exit 4 and exit 2 Southbound
If you live on one of the roads listed above, a portion of your land may needed by Green Meadow Inc.
However, in order for Green Meadow Inc. to invoke eminent domain:
1.) They must contact the land owner in an attempt to purchase the land at fair market value.
To our knowledge, this has not happened.
2.) They must prove their development is beneficial to the public.
This action has already been started (see Question 14 below)
Green Meadow Inc. - No real response to date
13.) When will Hudson residents know whether eminent domain will be invoked?
SaveHudson.com - Releasing that sort of information could allow Hudson residents time to plan an organized
defense against possible eminent domain proceedings, so it is beneficial for Green Meadow Inc. to delay any
local land acquistion plans until after their access road and interchange have been approved.
While not lawyers, we believe Interchange approval could establish a legal precedent as both the town and state would have approved roadways leading to Sagamore Crossing, thus acknowledging awareness of said development and the consequences.
We also believe the town could be held responsible for interchange maintenece costs, since the access was town-proposed.
This could make it difficult for the town to deny further Green Meadow Inc. plans without threats of litigation.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
14.) Why would Green Meadow resort to eminent domain?
SaveHudson.com - Two possible reasons are time and money.
Negotiating fair market value with Hudson land owners could be costly and time consuming,
Therefore, it would be economically beneficial for Green Meadow Inc. to simply imply that their private
retail development is somehow an "asset" to the town. This could justify possible eminent domain takings,
thereby saving Green Meadow Inc. substantial capital expenditures and more importantly, time.
Such implications have already been made:
"We are planning, looking for support of the business community and the town;
the board of selectmen must say this is good for the town"
(Source: Attorney Jay Leonard - Hudson Chamber of Commerce breakfast 10-31-07)
http://www.sagamorecrossing.com/pdfs/11_02hlnews.pdf
"They do need to also recognize that it’s very important,
and it would be a bad mistake, if this were not considered an asset of the town
because the only way a town can generate revenues is with improvements to land,
so that has to be balanced with the other interests that has been discussed"
(Source: Attorney Jay Leonard - Hudson BOS workshop 12-4-07)
Green Meadow Inc. - No real response to date
15.) Will Green Meadow Inc. really fix Hudson's "problems"?SaveHudson.com - Green Meadow Inc. claims their development will provide solutions to "problems" in Hudson.
In reality, these "problems" exist only as a consequence to the Sagamore Crossing development.
"They do need to also recognize that it’s very important,
and it would be a bad mistake, if this were not considered an asset of the town
because the only way a town can generate revenues is with improvements to land,
so that has to be balanced with the other interests that has been discussed"
(Source: Attorney Jay Leonard - Hudson BOS workshop 12-4-07)
In the above quote, Green Meadow Inc. implies that there is a revenue problem in Hudson that can
only be solved by land improvement, suggesting their 1.3 million sq. ft. retail development is somehow "improvement".
The Friel family made the following comments in the Hudson-Litchfield News (HLN):
"It’s premature to estimate numbers until plans are finalized, but the increase in
revenue for the Town generated by Sagamore Crossing should be sufficient to
stabilize tax bills and also to pay for some improvement to the infrastructure,
which the Town has not been able to do" (Source: http://www.sagamorecrossing.com/pdfs/openletter_6.pdf)
This statement implies that town officials somehow lack the capacity to fix fictional infrastructure problems:
In reality, the town of Hudson has plans for infrastructure improvement (reference Hudson Master Plan).
The problem: Hudsons master plan does not include an interchange or access road for the Green Meadow retail development.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
16.) I thought Green Meadow Inc. cared about Hudson residents?SaveHudson.com- Green Meadow Inc. implies concern for Hudson residents, especially when stating how immediate action is needed to address the local Hudson traffic "crisis".
This helps project the illusion that the Friel family is somehow "saving" Hudson by building their profitable retail outlet.
Since the only traffic changes they have proposed are site-specific and their immediately-needed "solutions"
will not actually be built until after Sagamore Crossing is developed, we somehow doubt their sincerity.
Retail developers are typically only concerned with how much money residents have,
and the proximity of that money to their development. They rarely care about the host town.
As an example, let's look at how town officials describe Hudson:
"The Town of Hudson is located on the east bank of the Merrimack river.
It covers approximately 29 square miles and is home to about 25,000 people.
Hudson offers quiet open spaces and an abundance of recreational opportunities including two golf courses,
the Robinson Pond recreation area, a skate park, and a number of sports fields and facilities"
(Source: http://www.ci.hudson.nh.us)
Now let's see Hudson in the eyes of a retail developer:
(Source: http://www.atlantictambone.com/pdfs/Hudson_Village_Brochure_Final.pdf)
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
17.) Will my taxes go down due to the tax revenue from Sagamore Crossing?
SaveHudson.com - No. Taxes in Hudson will not go down due to tax revenue from Sagamore Crossing.
Other towns who have let retail run rampant have actually seen an increase in taxes. (
See details)
We asked the Board of Selectman this same question. Here is the response:
"Currently the combined town and school budgets are growing at about 2 million per year,
so the reality is that while depending of whether the voters decide to use this new money to fund projects
which have gone wanting or use it to reduce the rate of growth in the tax rate, no reduction is likely"
(Source: Selectman e-mail response)
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
18.) Can town officials stop this project?
SaveHudson.com - No. As elected or appointed officials they must remain impartial through out the entire process.
Green Meadow Inc. has a right to develop their property as they see fit.
Town officials can only ensure that regulations are met and all outstanding issues are addressed to their satisfaction.
To date, the town has done an excellent job in addressing the issues at hand.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response required
19.) What happened to W/S development?
SaveHudson.com - W/S development dropped their plans to build the 2.1 million sq. ft. River Place in May 2007.
The Project Manager made the following comments soon after the announcement:
“By the time construction in Hudson got under way,
Nashua Landing and Pheasant Lane would already be open for business,
giving them a significant edge in signing many of the high-end restaurants
and nationally-known retailers River Place had coveted.”
The introduction of the Nashua Landing project persuaded
W/S Development that both projects could not successfully co-exist.
“The Nashua market will really only allow for one Lifestyle center,
and we both thought that Nashua Landing was that project,”
(Edward Vydra, W/S Development Project Manager)
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070517/NEWS01/70517004)
Apparently, golf course management has given the Friel family economic insight not available to professional retail developers.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
20.) What is "secondary impact development", and how will it affect local businesses?
SaveHudson.com - Secondary impact development or "Halo effect" is the concept of additional retail
(particularly big-box retail) flooding the area of a newly constructed mall or Lifestyle center,
in an attempt to capture the new customer base (and roadway access) generated by such a project.
One selectman indicated 1.5 million sq. ft. of secondary retail development for every 1 million sq. ft.
of primary retail development, based on internet information (SaveHudson.com has not verified this information).
That would equate to an additional 1.875 million sq. ft. of retail development,
for a cumulative total 3.125 million sq. ft. of retail, well above the original 2.5 million sq. ft. proposed by River Place.
The rapid retail expansion on D.W. Highway after the Pheasant Lane Mall was built is an excellent example of this concept.
Town officials are already aware of this concept, thanks to a presentation by Applied Economic Research.
In this presentation, local retail was projected to be replaced by alternative (big-box) retail.
Click here to read more on how local retail will be effected
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
21.) What local businesses will be effected by Sagamore Crossing?
SaveHudson.com - That is difficult to answer since Sagamore Crosssing has no tenants at this time.
However, a typical lifestyle center is made up of a majority of the following components:
Restaurant / fast food
Women's clothing, shoes and accessories
Home furnishings, including entertainment and electronics
Personal care / services (hair and nail care, gym, etc.)
As long as these businesses do not exist in the Hudson area, they will not be effected by Sagaomore Crossing.
See complete ICSC chart
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
22.) Will any wetlands be impacted?
SaveHudson.com - Yes. Green Meadow Inc. has indicated that wetlands impact will be reduced by 25%.
Considering the original "impact" was 6.75 acres, this leaves 5.06 acres "impacted"
Green Meadow Inc.also has a completed Dredge and Fill application on file with the NHDES,
so "impacted" clearly means the destruction of wetlands by draining dry and filling with soil.
In addition, if the proposed 1.25 million sq. ft. Sagamore Crossing is built,
there is no mechanism to prevent further growth and wetland impact at a later date.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
23.) What happens if traffic predictions are wrong, just like at the retail development in Millbury, MA?
SaveHudson.com - The town of Millbury, MA now has to find $5.9 million to improve local roadways because the
traffic consultants mis-calculated the actual traffic impact of the Blackstone Shoppes lifestyle center.
The developer (W/S Development) offered to pay the engineering cost for the design, but not the labor or materials.
We expect the same response (or less) from Green Meadow Inc.should actual traffic conditions not reflect GPI's predictions.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
24.) Will the town residents get to vote on this?
SaveHudson.com - No.
Even though the consequences of this development will impact Hudson residents,
they will not have the opportunity to vote for or against this development.
There are some who believe that since Green Meadow Inc. is private property,
the owners can develop it however they please.
They validate this belief using an example of a private resident being forced to have the
town vote on a simple home improvement or addition, such as a shed.
This is true to a point.
As a homeowner, you would have to notify those residents who would be impacted by your home improvement.
These would be the abutters to your property, who would have the option of presenting their concerns to the planning board.
If the planning board found the abutters concerns valid, your project could be denied or substantially changed.
The difference between this scenario and Green Meadow is this development will impact all Hudson residents.
Residents may have option to present their concerns, but the applicant (Green Meadow Inc.) is not bound to
make any changes to their project.
In the past, residents concerns have been noted, but basically ignored (see last question)
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
25.) A selectman recently asked Green Meadow about pollution. What's that all about?
SaveHudson.com - This dedicated Hudson selectman was referring to a question raised by Hudson Grassroots Central.
Air pollution is typically overlooked as it cannot be detected by the basic human senses
(touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste) However, the health effects of pollution are extensively documented,
so we will not delve into potential health risks (yet).
Using emission data from the EPA (http://www.epa.gov/oms/consumer/f00013.htm)
and trip generation data from the 2006 GPI traffic study, we can predict the amount of toxins that could be released
by traffic traveling to and from the Sagamore Crossing development. We are using small car emission rates,
which are substantially less than truck or SUV rates. Therefore, the actual predicted emissions would be higher.
| Small car emissions | Hydrocarbons | Carbon Monoxide | Nitrogen Oxides | Carbon Dioxide |
| Emissions per mile: | 2.80 grams | 20.9 grams | 1.39 grams | 18.4 grams |
Average Sagamore Crossing trip (through Hudson only) | 3.0 miles | 3.0 miles | 3.0 miles | 3.0 miles |
| Average emissions per trip: | 8.4 grams | 62.7 grams | 4.2 grams | 55.2 grams |
| Annual trips (per GPI trip estimate): | 14,000,000 | 14,000,000 | 14,000,000 | 14,000,000 |
| Annual emissions (in grams): | 117,600,000 | 877,800,000 | 58,380,000 | 257,600,000 |
| Annual emissions (in metric tons): | 117.6 | 877.8 | 58.4 | 257.6 |
Green Meadow Inc. - "Attorney Leonard said in terms of smog, he can't answer that because he didn't believe there
was any information on that" (Source: 12-4-2007 BOS workshop)
SaveHudson.com: Jay - There is plenty of information available online concerning smog and air pollution.
Please reference the following EPA link: (http://www.epa.gov/oms/consumer/f00013.htm)
We look forward to your response.
26.) This same selectman also asked Green Meadow about quality of life. What did he mean?
SaveHudson.com - The Hudson selectman was again referring to a question raised by Hudson Grassroots Central members.
Quality of life is the degree of well-being felt by an individual or group of people.
Unlike standard of living quality of life is not a tangible concept, and therefore cannot be measured directly.
Furthermore, quality of life consists of two components.:
The first is a physical aspect which includes such things as health, diet, as well as protection against pain and disease.
The second component is psychological in nature.
This aspect includes such things as stress, worry, pleasure and other positive or negative emotional states.
It is virtually impossible to predict the quality of life of a specific individual,
since the combination of attributes that leads one individual to be content is rarely the same for another individual.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_of_life)
Consequences from the Sagamore Crossing development would decrease the quality of life for Hudson residents by:
Introducing additional automobile exhaust toxins into the atmosphere (declining health)
Introducing run-off toxins into the water table (declining health)
Degrading traffic flow throughout major roadways in Hudson (adding stress)
Green Meadow Inc. - "Attorney Leonard said with regard to quality of life,
the way to plan for that is to identify areas of town that are appropriate for a particular use.
Open space is important to a town, but open space should be were it can be used and function best.
It doesn't function best across from the retail that is in Nashua,
or in the area of Lowell Road where they already have a Sam's and a Wal-mart, with industrial buildings.
This isn't were they want the open space as much as the development because development will only go were it wants to go.
You don't want to put development 20 miles out of town, or on the outside edge of town.
He's not even sure what that question is.
They want to do things responsibly and he appreciates that they need to address the impacts of the development,
but he didn't even understand what it means when someone says "quality of life." "(Source: 12-4-2007 BOS workshop)
SaveHudson.com - Jay should have said the last sentence first and stopped there.
Jay claims to "appreciate the need to address the impacts of the development", after ignoring those same impact issues.
Jay also claims to not understand quality of life, after he explains how to plan for quality of life through development.
Ironically, It appears that professional retail developers recognize (and market) those same quality of life values found in NH:
"Nashua is the second largest city in New Hampshire and the center of a diverse and dynamic region.
It is well endowed with urban amenities as well as the charm of the traditional New England landscape.
The combination of an excellent quality of life and proximity to Boston, the seacoast,
and the White Mountains makes Nashua an attractive growth center for New England."
(Source:http://www.nashualanding.com/overview.html)
One Hudson resident in attendance commented that Mr. Leonard did not understand
"quality of life" because there was no dollar value attached to the question.
A harsh remark for sure, but perhaps deserved after the apathy shown by Mr. Leonard toward Hudson residents.
By the way,we think placing retail development 20 miles out of town is an excellent idea.
We thank Mr. Leonard for his suggestion.
27.) Why doesn't open space function next to retail, as Green Meadow attorney Jay Leonard stated above?
Green Meadow Inc. - "Attorney Leonard said with regard to quality of life,
the way to plan for that is to identify areas of town that are appropriate for a particular use.
Open space is important to a town, but open space should be were it can be used and function best.
It doesn't function best across from the retail that is in Nashua,
or in the area of Lowell Road where they already have a Sam's and a Wal-mart, with industrial buildings.
This isn't were they want the open space as much as the development because development will only go were it wants to go.
You don't want to put development 20 miles out of town, or on the outside edge of town.
He's not even sure what that question is.
They want to do things responsibly and he appreciates that they need to address the impacts of the development,
but he didn't even understand what it means when someone says "quality of life."
(Source: 12-4-2007 BOS workshop)
SaveHudson.com - Open space functions everywhere (after all, it preceded all development by millions of years)
This is why open space destinations are popular for vacations and big cities all have open space parks.
Mr. Leonard claims "open space will not function best across from Nashua retail or in the area of Lowell Road" .
However, we can't help but notice the following:
28.) Has the state approved the Green Meadow traffic "solutions"?
SaveHudson.com - The NHDOT recently performed a complimentary review of the interchange and access road designs
presented by Green Meadow. The DOT found their designs to be unsafe in several areas. The NHDOT also offered several
recommendations for what they would expect from Green Meadow for this project to move forward, including wider traffic
studies and details on who would pay for construction and maintenance of the proposed roadways.
Green Meadow Inc. - Attorney Jay Leonard suggests addressing the NHDOT recommendations "at a later date".
(Source: 5/14/08 Planning board meeting)
29.) Will Green Meadow address the NHDOT safety concerns with their interchange "solution" ?
SaveHudson.com - To be honest, we fully expected Green Meadow to present changes to their interchange design
at the May 14th, 2008 Planning Board meeting in response to the NHDOT's safety concerns.
Instead, GM has opted to address these concerns and the recommendations made by the NHDOT "at a later date"
The only reasons we can think of for not addressing these are:
1.) Green Meadow is only interested in a cost-effective interchange design, not a safe design.
2.) Green Meadow cannot afford the design they proposed and need the town pay the costs for this roadway.
Remember, the town must apply to the state for access to the Sagamore Bridge and convince the state that the
proposed roadways are for public benefit, not for the benefit of a private retail development.
Should that happen, we believe the town would bear some responsibility for the roadway cost and maintenance.
Green Meadow Inc. - No response to date
30.) Has Green Meadow Inc. addressed Hudson residents concerns, as they claim?
SaveHudson.com - Green Meadow Inc. has claimed to listen to residents concerns,
but we will let you judge for yourselves.
Let's see how Attorney Jay Leonard has responded to questions about the original River Place.
Remember, the purpose of this meeting was to address the concerns of Hudson residents:
December 7, 2005: One of the first Green Meadow Inc. public input planning board meetings:
OK, Let's count how many actual answers Jay Leonard provided to residents:
1.) A Power Lane resident asked how the developers would get into the property initially.
Attorney Leonard responded that the highway interchange would be done first,
which was why they had asked for a master plan. That's one.
2.) A Fairway Drive asked how big the buffer would be for herself and her neighbors.
Attorney Leonard said the buffer was in the process and her concerns would be addressed
specifically when her concerns were specific, but the developers recognized those concerns and
would answer those questions when the time came.
3.) A Robinson Road resident asked if the Friels had considered selling the property to the Town of Hudson,
or giving the town some open space.
4.) A Power Lane resident asked if any thought have been given to keeping one of the two golf courses,
saying it would be a shame to lose both at the same time.
5.) Another Fairway Drive resident asked who would control the buffer zone and what type of language would be
put in to protect the abutters' interests. She also asked what the access to the proposed residential area would be,
questioning if the inhabitants of that proposed housing would be going through the existing neighborhood or going
through the mall.
Attorney Leonard responded that these were all good comments and that he truly
believed the development team would be able to satisfy all of these questions,
but he could not answer them now because that was all part of the process.
6.) A Hazelwood Road, asked how many specialty stores would be in the proposed center,
as compared to how many were in Hingham and the other places mentioned.
Attorney Leonard reiterated that the developers would be able to
address these issues more specifically as they went forward.
7.) A Bruce Street resident said the proposed bypass road would result in her having traffic to her back yard
and she questioned if this would feel like a "village."
Attorney Leonard said he thought this question would be answered in the process—
adding that there would also be some residential development and the people would like to live there,
and adding further that he thought it would be a very nice place to live.
8.) A resident asked if the golf driving range would be outside the development or part of it.
Attorney Leonard said the driving range was not part of this proposal but that the access road ran across it,
adding that the driving range would be staying longer than the golf course. That's two.
9.) The same resident then asked if the red dotted lines on the plan represented a road connection to Sams' Club.
Attorney Leonard said the dotted lines were intended as a thought, not a sure thing;
he noted that an access to the Friel property had been preserved from the Sam's Club
access road when the original Sam's Club development had been processed,
for access both to the golf course and to the Vectron site, but it was just a possibility.
10.) A planning board member asked if regional impact of the increased traffic to Nashua and Tyngsboro had been considered.
Attorney Leonard said that was definitely in process,
saying the Friel family had done a regional traffic study about eight months ago
and had handed that over to W/S Development, which had since then done their own traffic study,
looking as far out as it goes, and the State would require more traffic studies.
He said the traffic was known to be a big issue and it would be taken care of.
Out of 10 questions, Jay Leonard only provided tangible answers to 2 or 3 (depending on your view)
If this were an exam, Jay would have received a grade of 30%, well below failing.