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| Dedicated to Securing A Truly Perfect Location for Goffstown's Future Kindergarten & Elementary Schools | |
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BOS, School District Found to
Have Kept Information From Voters
Conservation Commission
Report Legitimizes
GRA Claims
GOFFSTOWN, NH - "During the deliberative session, attempts to discuss the factual details were suppressed. Voters did not receive the proper technical information about the site, and instead were given inaccurate information such as 'there are no significant wetlands'." - Conservation Commission Report on the Glen Lake Kindergarten Site, July 13, 2005
According to the Goffstown Conservation Commission report of July 13, 2005 to the planning board, taxpayers in Goffstown, along with many others, have been told many lies and "non-truths" throughout the entire process of selecting a site for our kindergarten. In addition, the report indicates much information was withheld and suppressed prior to the March 2005 town vote. The GRA believes the entire process by which the Glen Lake property was selected and presented to the voters - and to others - as the "perfect" location for our kindergarten has been fraught with deception. To support this claim, the GRA provides the following:
| Withheld: | More than half of the proposed site lies within the wetlands conservation overlay district passed by the voters of Goffstown, and they were not informed that the proposed school site would be a violation of that setback. (See Conservation Commission Report) |
| Withheld: | The 1997 Master Plan states the town should develop Map 5, Lot 14 for use as a park. |
| Withheld: | Prior to the March 2005 ballot, voters were told site was to include expansion to a future elementary school. Mr. Lockwood denies this was ever the case. Original concept plan proves otherwise. |
| Withheld: | The 1997 Master Plan recommends expanding the park system to include Map 5, Lot 14 |
| Withheld: | Voters have not been informed that the current site plan now calls for 26 acres, an increase of 30% over what the voters approved. |
| Withheld: | The DPW property adjacent to the Transfer Station (Map 5, Lot 24) is far better suited to accommodate not only a kindergarten, but later expansion to a new, desperately needed elementary school. (See Conservation Commission Report) |
| Withheld: | A kindergarten can be constructed on the DPW property adjacent to the Transfer Station (Map 5, Lot 24) at vastly lower costs to the taxpayers of Goffstown and the State of New Hampshire Kindergarten Construction Program. |
| Withheld: | Darryl Lockwood did not inform voters that the opinion provided to the school district by its own attorney which states that a kindergarten met the "public purposes" stipulation in the deed for Map 5, Lot 14, was rendered without benefit of vital historical stipulations and documentation which were withheld from that attorney (see Did School District Mislead Their Own Attorney?). |
| Withheld: | Darryl Lockwood did not inform voters that when the State of New Hampshire granted its concurrence that a kindergarten met the "public purposes" stipulation in the deed for Map 5, Lot 14, the state was kept in the dark as to historical stipulations and documentation related to that property. In addition, they were provided the opinion of the school district's own attorney which was based on incomplete information. (See Darryl Lockwood letter to the State Department of Environmental Services (DES) on 04-Feb-05, and Did School District Mislead Their Own Attorney). |
| Withheld: | The 1997 Master Plan Objective P5.1, Action Plan No.3c, states that sidewalks must be constructed within 2 miles of proposed school facilities |
| Withheld: | The 1997 Master Plan acknowledges the original restriction of "recreational purposes" for Map 5, Lot 14. |
| Withheld: | The 1997 Master Plan Objective P2.2 provides for development of a full size park at Map 5, Lot 14. |
| Withheld: | The 1997 Master Plan Objective P2.2, Action Plan No.3 calls for development of the western portion of Map 5, Lot 14 (the proposed site) for development of recreational facilities. |
| Withheld: | The 1997 Master Plan Objective P2.2, Action Plan No.1 calls for examination of the eastern portion of Map 5, Lot 14 as a possible school site, not the western portion as misrepresented by the Board of Selectmen, Darryl Lockwood and Scott Gross. |
| Withheld: | Proposed building site is in close proximity to high-power PSNH transmission power lines. |
| Withheld: | Letter from NH Water Resources Board to Governor & Council, July 16, 1976 |
| Withheld: | Town Article 10 as proposed to Goffstown voters in 1976 |
| Withheld: | Town Article 10, as passed by Goffstown voters in 1977 |
| Withheld: | Relevant section of subsequent Deed to Map 5, Lot 14 |
| Withheld: | Board of Selectmen misled an abutter by claiming the proposed site was consistent with the 1997 Master Plan |
| Withheld: | Proper protocol as outlined in State Statute 41:14-a to allow the transfer of the property has been completely ignored. (See Conservation Commission opinion) |
| Withheld: | The New Hampshire General Court's Administrative Rules for construction of a school of 200 students call for a contiguous 7 buildable acres. The largest contiguous area on the proposed site is only 2.5 acres. |
| Withheld: | The US Department of Housing and Urban Development did not object to the proposed use of the site because it cannot locate documentation relative to the original grant. |
| Withheld: | Proposed site at Glen Lake cannot be expanded for future elementary school. (See Conservation Commission Report) |
| Withheld: | Alternate DPW site at Map 5, Lot 24 can easily be expanded for future elementary school. (See Conservation Commission Report) |
| Withheld: | Alternate DPW site at Map 5, Lot 24 has no wetlands impact whatsoever. (See Conservation Commission Report) |
| Withheld: | Conservation Commission considers the DPW site at Map 5, Lot 24 a more appropriate location. (See Conservation Commission Report) |
| Withheld: | The New Hampshire General Court's Administrative Rules require the school district to provide pertinent data on the "availability of other property." |
| Withheld: | The state requires that "There shall be access for emergency vehicles from at least 2 directions". The Glen Lake property would only be accessible from Elm St. The alternate DPW site at Map 5, Lot 24 would be accessible from both Elm Street and from Henry Bridge Road, according to the 1997 Master Plan. |
Copyright©2005, Goffstown Residents Association. All Rights Reserved.
