Hudson Planning Board alternate William Cole finds it difficult to refrain from commenting on the proposed Riverplace development, although he must keep his views to himself as a board member prior to formal consideration of the plan.
In fact, he already has said too much prior to introduction of the plan to the board. As such, he should step down from the board when the Riverplace plan is considered. It’s plain from his e-mails that Cole doesn’t fancy Riverplace will be the bonanza that others think it may be for Hudson.
As a resident of the immediate residential neighborhood that would be affected by the proposed development, his perspective understandably will be different than from someone who lives across town and won’t have to put up with traffic and other effects of such a sprawling complex.
However, members of planning boards and zoning boards of adjustment, from past court rulings, must refrain from airing their opinions before a case actually is presented to them.
Board members are supposed to act like jurors and keep an open mind until all the facts are before them.
Once a plan officially is presented, board members are free to ask questions, comment on various aspects of the plan, give their opinions and request revisions before taking a vote.
Apparently, the developer of Riverplace, W/S Development, isn’t taking any chance with Cole being on the board from the get-go. The company is asking Cole to step down.
Once off the board, Cole could speak up at public hearings the planning board must conduct.
His participation would be from the sidelines rather than as a board member.
In the past, some selectmen have taken exception to Cole’s e-mails and questioned whether he had developed a bias toward the development.
While it’s a selectman’s prerogative to do so, the board of selectmen and W/S Development don’t come to that issue with entirely pure hands. A previous selectmen’s board kept the proposed development under wraps for about a year.
All the while, a “confidential team” consisting of Police Chief Richard Gendron, Fire Chief Sawn Murray, Town Engineer Tom Sommers, Community Development Director Sean Sullivan and Town Planner John Cashell, among others, met privately with the Green Meadow Golf Club owners and W/S Development to talk over a number of issues that would affect realization of the proposed lifestyle center.
The team certainly didn’t clue in townspeople or abutters of the proposed development on what was happening and didn’t conduct business in the open
Could these meetings have influenced the members of the town’s planning staff who will have plenty to say on how this plan progresses?
The lifestyle plan, consisting of retail shops, restaurants, apartment complexes, hotel and conference center, and entertainment facilities, is huge for town of Hudson’s size and presents a special challenge for the volunteers who serve on the planning and zoning boards.
We’d advise them to start from a skeptical perspective as they weigh the many aspects of this 375-acre plan, and they should feel free to express their opinions, even if they aren’t always what W/S Development, the selectmen, the planners or anyone else wants to hear.
Too much is as stake in terms of Hudson’s future to feel that going-along with this plan is a course that’s preordained for both boards.
The plan must be weighed independently in view of the uses allowed for the site through zoning and the many other laws that govern development.
However, townspeople must keep in mind that what’s allowed for the site
by zoning and subdivision regulations can limit how much leeway the planning board has
in approving or rejecting a plan.
© Copyright 2007 Nashua Telegraph April 4, 2007 All Rights Reserved
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