Mike Leach of Stantec visited the Conservation Aug. 23 to discuss his work on potential trails and parking areas for four conservation areas. Stantec had been retained to develop potential trails and parking areas for the Musquash, Kendall Pond, Little Cohas and Scobie Pond conservation areas.
Leach said he wanted to find out if the proposed developments he has sent to the commission on the Musquash and Kendall Pond areas are what the commission wants, and sought direction on the Little Cohas and Scobie Pond designs. He brought information regarding the development of four parking areas in the Musquash Conservation area; Tanager Way Trailhead with five parking spaces, Hickory Hill Trailhead with 16 parking spaces, Sara Beth Trailhead with four parking spaces, and Faucher Trailhead with eight parking spaces. The estimated costs for each of the four parking developments are: Tanager Way, $36,000; Sara Beth, $60,000; Hickory Hill, $130,000; and Faucher Road, $25,000. The detailed trail development and observation sites at Kendall Pond were more expensive, with the total proposed design development at $780,000. The Kendall Pond development design was broken down into three areas – North Loop, West Loop and South Trail and parking lot. Leach said the West Loop was the most expensive and difficult because of the terrain and wetlands. The Commission discussed the obstacles in the Little Cohas area and said it made sense to look at developing trails and parking where they would connect with the Rail Trail. Leach said what might be practical would be to look at developing parking at the Delta and Aviation Park Road areas and to develop a bike trail for the Little Cohas area. As for Scobie Pond, the Commission suggested that the practicality of what to develop there should be the priority. The commission would like to see a parking lot and a trailhead, but any parking would have to be car, not trailer parking. Members also suggested a fishing pier and observation area. Leach said he would continue to explore the potential improvements to the four areas and get more detailed designs to the commission in the next few weeks. In other business at the Tuesday, Aug. 23 meeting:
• The Commission received an updated compilation of the histories of the Musquash
Conservation Area cellar holes from David Ellis.
In the updated book, Ellis said he was able to identify at least one resident for each of the
dozen or so cellar holes that remain testament to earlier inhabitants of Londonderry.
He gave two copies of the book to the Conservation Commission and said the
commission was the owner of the book and the original files on CD, and could get them
printed to make money for the commission. He also will put a copy of the book in the
Leach Library.