Epping conservation commission issues conditional letter of no objection for Rt 27/125 regrading project

At its March 23 meeting the Epping Conservation Commission voted 6-0 to send the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services a letter of no objection for Phase I of the Fecteau Corner regrading project at the intersection of Route 27 and Route 125, with six conditions the commission said are necessary to protect wetlands and local wildlife.

The project presented by Gove Environmental Services and Jones & Beach Engineers would regrade portions of the site — in some places by up to 20 feet — in preparation for a multi-business commercial development. Engineers said approximately 11,000 square feet of emergent wetland would be filled and that the scale of disturbance triggers State-level review and a proposed payment into the Aquatic Resource Mitigation (ARM) fund.

Commissioners were told the site was previously cleared in 2018, recent test pits show sandy soil over clay, and a geotechnical study is underway. Jones & Beach reported that required ecological work includes a plant survey from July through November and turtle-nesting sweeps from May through July and that contractors will receive flyers explaining protocols if they encounter turtles or nests. Engineers also said detention ponds for stormwater will be managed in later phases and that Phase I would include six sediment traps, silt fencing, a filtration berm and catch basins.

Members of the Lamprey River Advisory Committee (LRAC) had raised concerns about highest-rank habitat mapping in the northwest corner of the site, documented plant species, an expired shoreland permit, potential sediment outfall, and whether culverts and downstream channels can handle altered flows. Chair Liz Wilson made the motion recommending the letter of no objection while noting the Commission’s mission to protect the Lamprey River.

The Commission’s conditional letter requires the applicant to:

1) provide documentation that turtle-nest sweeps and any removal/relocation will be performed by a qualified individual; 2) submit results of those observations to the Commission; 3) provide a copy of the Construction Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (CSWPPP) before work proceeds under the 2022 Construction General Permit; 4) allow the Commission to inspect erosion- and sedimentation-control measures before land disturbance begins; 5) email stormwater calculations so the Commission can verify post-construction runoff does not exceed current levels; and 6) provide a copy of the rare-plant survey when available.

Applicant Mike Fecteau told commissioners that contaminated soil was found when the state railbed was lowered six years ago and that additional contaminated material will be removed to Turnkey for testing before further work. Engineers said the peak discharge to catch basins post-construction will be less than current flow and that one caved-in culvert would be repaired so water is treated before leaving the site.

The Commission’s motion carried, 6-0. Commissioners and staff said Phase II will require additional state permitting and that they expect a new CSWPPP and further technical review during later permitting steps.