Concord Considering Acquiring 234-Acres On District 5 Road

CONCORD, NH — The Concord Conservation Commission will host a public hearing on May 8, 2019, to discuss acquiring about 234-acres worth of land in the West End for conservative just west of trails that connect a number of farms in the area. The city has been discussing the idea for close to two years and has lined up grant funds to acquire the parcels. One parcel – about 190-acres – was once Flanders Farm, land that abuts the Rossview Farm property on District 5 Road, property owned by Concord Hospital, and the West End Farm Trail, which spans more than seven miles from Hopkinton Road to Carter Hill Road.

Another parcel – about 44-acres – is just to the southwest of the Flanders Farm parcel, abutting Rossview Farm and other privately-owned parcels.

Both parcels are owned by Country Hill Estates & Associates and Ferrara Investment Associates LLC, a group of four partners who have been attempting to build housing on the land since the mid-1980s. According to published reports, 40 single-family homes or 100 condominium units could be built on the parcels.

Both parcels are assessed at $11,000 and appraised at $237,800, according to the city assessing department. Country Hill Estates Associates and Dick Benson, a long-time Concord contractor, have owned the parcels since at least 1986. Ferrara was brought in as a partner in 2004 for $37,000, around the last time the partners attempted to develop housing on the parcels.

Sometime in 2018, the partners began communicating with the city about selling the properties and setting them aside the land for conservation and recreational use.

The city received a grant from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in 2018, for $350,000, to protect wetlands on the property, about half the proposed $700,000 cost to purchase the properties, according to information online.

Back in January, a number of residents raised concerns with the Conservation Commission about the proposal.

Don Ross of Rossview Farm provided some history about the area and discussed the benefits – and options – for the property, including its use as an agriculture property, according to meeting minutes. He noted that while there was an existing easement on his property, there have been “impacts from various recreational users.” Ross added that it would be “sad” to see the agriculture aspect of the land use lost.

Ross also noted during the meeting that the property was not under threat of development. He stated that increased human traffic to the area due to recreational use would have dramatic and negative impacts for the land.

Another resident – Lynn Woodard, an abutter to the 190-acres, who owns a home constructed in 1767 – noted at the meeting that he posted “no parking” signs along his property line and raised concerns about the cost of increased activity in the area to property values.

According to land maps, property, and other information online, there are access issues between two sections of the West End Farm Trail. Vandals have been in the area causing damage to both the trail and private parcels – including vehicles ripping through fields. A truck fire was also recently reportedly in the area last month.

Millions of dollars have been spent by the city, state, and federal governments, nonprofits, and others to eliminate development rights for farmland, mostly in the western part of the city, during the past 20 years.

Rossview Farm put its 555-acres into an easement in 2004, for $2.4 million. More than 170-acres of the Sunnycrest Orchard was kept from being developed in 2000 for $1.2 million. About $270,000 was also spent to preserve 27-acres at Dimond Hill Farm and another $252,000 was spent on 86-acres connecting Dimond Hill and Carter Hill farms.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Concord City Council Chambers, 37 Green St.