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Residents urge scrutiny of Dyke Road subdivision over drainage and wetlands concerns
Summary
Claudia and Richard Hunt, joined by Larry Sawyer of the Sugar Hill Conservation Commission, urged Selectmen to ensure a proposed Dyke Road subdivision addresses a mapped stream, existing drainage problems and potential wetlands/Alteration of Terrain permitting before any driveways are approved.
Claudia and Richard Hunt told the Sugar Hill Selectmen on April 7 that a proposed subdivision on Dyke Road includes an area where the town’s Natural Resources map shows a stream crossing the property and that the road already experiences drainage problems. They asked the board for advice after a preliminary Planning Board hearing and asked Selectmen to inspect the site with them.
The Hunts said multiple new driveways and new lots could intensify runoff and cause additional flooding on Dyke Road and neighboring properties. They asked whether the owners would be required to obtain wetlands permits or an Alteration of Terrain Permit from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES); the minutes record that the property appears to be ledge and that the Hunts were concerned about ecological risk and preserving natural resources "for future generations."
Selectman Chris Ellms told the Hunts the Planning Board would likely require site-plan review and would consider wetlands and engineering, and the board said driveway permits had been submitted but that no action would be taken until Town Engineer Red McCarthy reviews the plans. Larry Sawyer of the Sugar Hill Conservation Commission pointed to downstream impacts to Creamery Pond and recalled several past washouts there.
The board did not record a decision on the subdivision at the meeting; minutes show the matter remains under Planning Board review and pending engineering evaluation by the town engineer. The Hunts requested that if the project moves forward it be done in a manner that protects drainage patterns and nearby properties.
