Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Trails topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission backs Little Harbor trail repairs, approving a low-profile 'turnpike' to fix muddy section
Summary
The commission recommended approval of a trail 'turnpike' on the Little Harbor Loop (Creek Farm) presented by Altus Engineering and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests; the work will raise and stabilize the trail tread within the wetland buffer, trim invasive vegetation, use silt-sock erosion control and post short public closures.
The Portsmouth Conservation Commission voted to recommend approval of a trail maintenance project on the Little Harbor Loop at Creek Farm that uses a low-profile "turnpike" to lift and stabilize a repeatedly waterlogged tread.
Eric Winer of Altus Engineering and Dylan Summers of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests explained the plan: they will add permeable aggregate, provide subgrade drainage stone, and build the structure so it does not require high rock retainers. "We plan on building what is called a turnpike … which uses fill to raise the trail surface above the water table," Summers said, adding that the design derives from U.S. Forest Service standards but is scaled down for this site.
The project lies entirely within the 100-foot wetland buffer but is sited on the existing trail corridor; contractors will trim encroaching invasives and install silt-sock erosion controls during construction. Commissioners asked about finished tread width (the team expects a 3-to-4-foot finished walking surface in most places), whether roots would be preserved, and how the project affects accessibility. Summers said the design will improve drainage and make the corridor easier for users with limited mobility, strollers and some assisted devices, though it is not a universal-access ramp.
Commissioners and staff requested standard permit conditions including signage and notice of closures; the applicant said they will post notices and expect a one- to two-week trail closure for mobilization. After a site visit and discussion of alternatives (boardwalk vs. turnpike), commissioners recommended approval with usual erosion-control and monitoring stipulations.
The recommendation will be forwarded to the planning authority; the applicant said they will follow the monitoring schedule and erosion-control measures described in their packet and add any requested final details for the permit file.
