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Commission approves Little Harbor School playground upgrades with buffer conditions
Summary
The Portsmouth Conservation Commission approved a wetland conditional‑use permit for playground upgrades at 50 Cloud Drive (Peep and Little Harbor School) with conditions including educational signage, wetland boundary markers, a green‑products maintenance plan and manufacturer permeability details for bonded rubber surfacing.
The Portsmouth Conservation Commission on Feb. 11 approved a wetland conditional‑use permit for playground upgrades at 50 Cloud Drive, directing the applicants to add educational signage, wetland boundary markers and detailed maintenance requirements.
The applicant, represented by certified wetland scientist Devon Herrick of Weston Samson Engineers, said the project replaces aging play equipment at the Peep playground and Little Harbor School with accessible, nature‑based structures and plantings. Herrick said the plan retains an existing stone retaining wall and moves asphalt play areas farther from the adjacent wetland and salt marsh.
Commissioners focused on surfacing and buffer protections. Anton Ma, project manager for the landscape team, described two surfacing approaches: engineered wood fiber and a poured/bonded rubber product. "It's essentially just compacted mulch," Ma said of engineered wood fiber, and he added that bonded rubber provides better long‑term accessibility where budget allows. The commission asked for manufacturer permeability documentation for the bonded rubber and for the applicant to minimize bonded rubber within the 100‑foot prime wetland buffer where feasible.
The commission adopted a set of conditions the applicant must meet before final sign‑off: install educational signage at the rain garden; place wetland boundary markers at the 25‑foot vegetated buffer edge (staff to advise placement); include green‑certified products and explicit rain‑garden maintenance in the playground maintenance plan; route new tree plantings through the Trees & Greenery committee for final siting; and provide manufacturer details demonstrating permeability for any bonded rubber safety surfacing. Staff noted the project would reduce impervious area within the 100‑foot buffer by about 1,950 square feet compared to existing conditions.
The commissioners approved the local conditional‑use permit and indicated those stipulations in a letter to the state permit reviewer to inform the NHDES evaluation. The project team said they will return manufacturer details and a maintenance plan to city staff for review.
