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South Tamworth, NH 03883

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PRESS RELEASE - Focus: Tamworth

For more information, contact: 
David Little
603 323 7300
Focus: Tamworth steering committee member

If unavailable, or for background information: 
Kate Vachon
Press coordinator
603 323 8224

[Charles Greenhalgh
Focus: Tamworth spokesperson, is temporarily unavailable] 

Note to editors: text of the DES letter follows this release.

NH DES asks Club Motorsports for design changes and additional information

Tamworth, NH, May 25 --

The NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) today told Club Motorsports (CMI) that it would need to redesign portions of its racetrack project and provide more information before DES can decide the fate of its wetlands dredge-and-fill permit. CMI filed its permit in March. Club Motorsports of Derry wants to build a private racetrack for fast cars, motorcycles and snowmobiles on the north face of Mt Whittier. 

According to the letter from DES to John Ghringhelli of Motorsports Holdings, CMI’s parent company, DES questioned 

CMI has 120 days to submit new information. The DES letter notes that “in accordance with recent changes to RSA 482-A:3, if the requested information is not received within 120 days of this request, the department is obligated to deny the application.” CMI has until September 18 to comply. 

The Tamworth Conservation Commission recommended in late April that DES deny the permit in its current form, based on -- among other concerns -- an inaccurate delineation of wetlands, missing information on animal and plant impacts and incorrect analysis of ground and surface water effects. 

The DES hearing in Tamworth on April 27 was attended by more than 500 people from Tamworth and surrounding towns. According to a DES official, it was the largest attendance he had ever seen at wetlands permit hearing. Speakers ranged from a nationally recognized sound expert to the Tamworth town nurse.

The DES wetlands dredge-and-fill is only the first of many permits that CMI will need before it can begin construction. The Army Corps of Engineers will not start its review of CMI’s Alteration of Terrain permit until DES has received and accepted the new wetlands delineation, and CMI has not yet applied for any permits under Tamworth’s local ordinances. 

“This is a complex project and it will be a long, complex permitting process,” said Charles Greenhalgh, Focus: Tamworth spokesperson. “We appreciate the time and care that DES spent reviewing this application.” 

-end-

State of New Hampshire
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

6 Hazen Drive, PO Box 95, Concord, NH 03302-0095
603 271 2147 FAX 603 271 6588

REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION

John Ghiringhelli 
Motorsports Holdings, LLC 
1 North Main Street
Derry, NH 03038
RE: File # 2004-00377 
Project Name: Club Motorsports 
Location: Route 25, Tamworth

Dear Mr. Ghiringhelli:

The Department of Environmental Services (DES) Wetlands Bureau has reviewed your application and has determined that the following additional information is needed before a permitting decision can be made.

1. During a recent inspection (May 4, 2004) by DES and Army Corps of Engineer staff (as well as past inspections by the Tamworth Conservation Commission's wetland scientists and your agents) additional wetland and intermittent stream areas were identified and agreed to by all parties to be jurisdictional. Please revise your plans with the most accurate demarcation of all areas of state jurisdiction (i.e. wetlands, surface waters, streams and their banks). Be sure to include a revised wetland impact plan and engineering layout.
2. In accordance with NH Administrative Rule Wt 301.02(b), wetland classifications shall be identified on plans for all major projects involving dredge and/or fill of wetlands. Please label the wetland classifications on your revised plans.
3. The downstream area of "Wetlands B" that was identified as an intermittent stream appears to have many geomorphologic stream characteristics (i.e. groundwater table higher than the streambed, active floodplain, high sinuosity, alluvial deposits, high bank scouring, continuous bed and bank, etc.) that suggest it may be more perennial in nature. According to the application, "Wetland B" has a drainage area of approximately 218 acres (.34 square miles). In addition, the 1:100,000 scale USGS map shows "Wetland B" as a perennial stream. As discussed and agreed upon during our May 4, 2004 site inspection, please re-classify the portion of this stream that exhibits these perennial features on your revised plans.
4. Wetland "G" has been identified as a vernal pool habitat with evidence of breeding amphibians. Knowing that many species of amphibians utilize surrounding upland communities, please incorporate an undisturbed forested buffer around wetland "G" to the greatest extent possible in your plan revisions.
5. The application currently proposes to preserve a 107-acre parcel in the Town of Sandwich that is located within the headwaters of the Bearcamp River; however, recent coordination with the Tamworth Conservation Commission suggests that more appropriate lands may be available that are adjacent to the Bearcamp River, adjacent to other conservation lands, and within the Town of Tamworth. Please submit the most current mitigation proposal and be sure to include the required mitigation components, including baseline documentation, proposed easement language, and identify the party who has agreed to hold the conservation easement. The mitigation rules can be viewed at http://www.des.state.nh.us/wetlands/rule-law.htm.
6. The current track layout proposes to cross the largest stream "Wetland B" at eight (8) separate locations and the smaller stream "Wetland A" at six (6) separate locations. When proposing multiple impacts within the same resource, DES typically requests a reduction in the frequency of crossing locations. Please consider additional avoidance and minimization measures in your plan revisions.
7. While we understand and appreciate that bottomless arch culverts are being proposed at considerable cost to avoid direct impacts to stream resources, there may be some concern over potential indirect impacts. The areas where bottomless arch culverts are proposed that are curvilinear by design and cover several hundred linear feet of the stream, may promote destabilization of the streambanks within the culvert by shading out the natural vegetation that supports the bank soil. This type of bank erosion not only affects the downstream water quality within the Bearcamp River, but may ultimately compromise the structure by undermining the culvert footings. Please address the bank stability issue within the designed culverts by providing evidence of their long term performance.
8. The plans indicate four (4) dewatering areas at proposed stream crossings #3, #7, #8 and #9. All dewatering locations are located in close proximity to the existing streams. We typically recommend a 25-foot setback from surface waters with an undisturbed vegetative buffer for all dewatering locations. Please revise dewatering locations further away from any surface water.
9. It has been noted that fencing would need to be installed around the proposed track to keep wildlife from wandering onto the course. Please provide plans that show the locations of all fenced boundaries and how they relate to wetland impacts, and evaluate the potential impacts to existing wildlife usage and travel patterns. Wildlife forced down into the Route 25 corridor could represent a public safety issue.

Please note that any department decision to approve major commercial development projects require permit conditions and deed restrictions that do not allow any further wetland impacts on the subject property. Therefore, it is important that the final revised plans include all projected wetland impacts that are associated with any accessory structure (i.e. noise barriers, fencing, etc.).

In addition, the above requested items and comments are based solely on our statutory authority given under RSA 482-A to protect and preserve surface waters and wetland resources. Other environmental issues like storm water runoff, erosion control methods, on-site wastewater disposal systems, and ground water resource impacts will be reviewed separately by other department programs.

Please include the file number (2004-00377) on all correspondence and provide to the town Conservation Commission a copy of all information submitted to this office. Please submit the above-requested information as soon as practicable. In accordance with recent changes to RSA 482-A:3, if the requested information is not received within 120 days of this request, the department is obligated to deny the application. Therefore, if a complete response to the above-requested information is not received by September 18, 2004, your permit will be denied.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (603) 271-4054, or technical specialist Craig Rennie at (603) 271-0676.

Sincerely,
Collis Adams, CWS
Wetlands Bureau Administrator


cc: Tamworth Conservation Commission 
Tamworth Board of Selectmen 
Tamworth Planning Board
Tamworth Town Clerk 
ESS Group, Inc.
Susan Duprey, Devine, Millimet & Branch, P.A. 
Sherry Young, Rath, Young and Pignatelli, P.A.
Focus: Tamworth
Mike Hicks, ACOE Mark Kern, EPA
US Senator John E. Sununu 
US Senator Judd Gregg
US Representative Jeb Bradley
NH Representative David L. Babson 
NH Representative Mark McConkey 
NH Representative Harry C. Merrow 
Sandwich Conservation Commission 
Richard A. Boisvert, NH DHR 
Commissioner George M. Bald, NH DRED 
Michael Marchand, NH Fish & Game Dept. 
Laura Deming, NH Audubon Society 
Charles R. Niebling, SPNHF
Blair Folts, Green Mountain Conservation Group 
Commissioner Dawn R. Gallagher, 
ME DEP Robert Marvinney, Maine Geological Service