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IN LATE WINTER, 2008, NORTHWEST MANCHESTER'S HACKETT HILL FACES SERIOUS OVER-DEVELOPMENT THREATS! 
Atlantic white cedars at risk!
GO DIRECTLY TO THE MOST RECENT INFORMATION ON THE CITY'S HACKETT HILL DEVELOPMENT PLANS
In recent years, the Hackett Hill area of northwest Manchester - a once-quiet semi-rural area - has seen a drastic loss of open space! Shown here is the current appearance of a previously completely forested area after land clearing and blasting. Nearly one hundred acres in size, it now contains a partially-completed massive residential complex of 487 units.
The development project falls on the heels of two other large housing projects in the same general area. All three projects have been undertaken by the Waterford Development Corporation. All of them received a favorable recommendation by the Manchester Planning Department and approval of the Manchester Planning Board.
The NH Sierra Club, and others interested in open space preservation, have strongly criticized these projects. Of major importance is the location of the new houses, apartment buildings and condominiums. They are/will be situated directly north and northwest of a unique, highly protected 600 acre swamp complex - The Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve. The Preserve contains many interesting components - the most valuable of which (as shown on a webpage by the Natural Heritage Bureau) are Atlantic white cedars and giant rhododendrons. Yet the effects of changes in swamp hydrology caused by Waterford's extensive blasting have been given no consideration. One "community" of single family homes is actually within a swamp watershed.
To add insult to injury, the City of Manchester now plans to construct a 400+ acre business-industrial park on City-owned land on the opposite side of the Preserve. This plan also calls for extensive deforestation and blasting, as well as the construction of multi-storied buildings, parking lots and roads. Major components of the building complex will lie within a swamp watershed. Completely ignored is the fact that the swamp uplands are habitat for a wide variety of large and small mammals and numerous bird species. Lip service has been paid to the presence of vernal pools in the area, but it is unrealistic to consider that the pools will remain functional amidst the extensive construction that is planned. Furthermore the complex will draw much additional heavy traffic to an area already overwhelmed by traffic concerns.
Clearly, the placement of a business-industrial park in this location demonstrates extremely poor city planning. Under an EPA mandate, the City of Manchester has spent millions of dollars to establish and protect the Preserve. Moreover the land slated for development has been used for many years for educational purposes by the NH Audubon Society and UNH Manchester. It should now become protected land and serve as a "buffer" or "surrounding natural landscape" for the Preserve. This arrangement would prevent degradation of the valuable swampland, permit expanded opportunities for environmental education, furnish passive recreation opportunities for Manchester residents, and call a halt to further urban sprawl in the region.
The large-scale map shown below of Northwest Manchester, as well as its legend, should be very helpful to new visitors to this Web site. It shows the location of the TNC Preserve, the current and planned residential development to the north of the Preserve, the planned business-industrial park to its south, the Manchester-Hooksett borders, and the location of Hackett Hill Road - the only access route leading to the above-mentioned development areas. It may be helpful to return to the map for orientation, as one encounters information found in the text, photographs and more detailed maps located in this Web site's topics.
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