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ZBA approves St. Anselm College wetlands variance for track and field complex
Summary
The Bedford Zoning Board of Adjustment voted 5-0 to grant St. Anselm College a variance to permanently fill 12,122 square feet and temporarily fill 587 square feet of wetland to allow construction of a track and field athletic complex; the board said stormwater improvements on-site will prevent a net loss of wetland function.
The Bedford Zoning Board of Adjustment on Jan. 21 granted Saint Anselm College a variance to permanently fill 12,122 square feet and temporarily fill 587 square feet of wetland to allow construction of a new track and field athletic complex on the college campus.
The board unanimously approved the variance, finding the proposed work would not alter the essential character of the locality, would not threaten public health or safety, and that the college had limited practical alternatives for siting the facility. The board recorded a 5-0 vote in favor of the variance.
Attorney Ari Pollock, representing the applicant, told the board the application before it was limited to the wetland fillings required for the project’s site plan and not the larger site-plan approval that will be considered by the Planning Board. Pollock said the variance request resubmitted the same relief previously granted and later remanded by the Superior Court for a procedural rehearing addressing regional notice. "The question is the same one that was presented earlier last year: should the applicant be granted a variance to permanently fill 12,122 square feet of wetland and temporarily fill 587 square feet of wetland," Pollock said.
Nick Golan, a licensed engineer with TF Moran, described the site and the project’s engineering approach. He said six distinct wetlands exist on the parcel and that impacts are limited to Wetlands 1, 2 and 6. Golan and the applicant’s wetland scientist concluded the affected areas are lower-functioning in the context of the campus and that on-site stormwater improvements would replicate lost groundwater recharge and protect water quality. Golan summarized the applicant’s position as "no net loss" of wetland function, describing rebuilt and additional stormwater basins and engineered underdrain systems that will capture and treat runoff from the synthetic field and surrounding areas.
John Bisson, speaking for abutters the Ausser family, urged the board to consider outstanding concerns that were not resolved by the court remand, including contaminant risks tied to field materials such as PFAS and long-standing drainage complaints tied to a failed berm. "Our biggest concern is the PFAS, a contaminant being sent towards our client's property," Bisson said, noting he had not heard a plan for contaminant treatment in the variance presentation.
Board deliberations addressed the five statutory variance criteria. Members cited state and federal permits already issued, the planned restoration of a failing earthen berm and stormwater basins, and constrained alternatives on campus (including utility easements and other wetlands) as reasons to approve the variance. The board also noted the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission’s comment that repairing the berm and restoring stormwater routing would reduce untreated runoff to abutters.
Motion to grant the variance carried 5-0. The board’s order incorporated the meeting record and findings discussed during deliberation and stated the variance was the least-impactful option consistent with the college's athletic core and master plan.
The project will next proceed through the Planning Board for full site-plan review, where materials, lighting and other operational matters — including PFAS concerns raised by abutters — will be considered.
