Public Visioning Session Next for Mt. Jasper
June 16, 2011
by Barbara Tetreault
Berlin Daily Sun
BERLIN – A public visioning session is the next step for efforts to protect the
summit of Mt. Jasper. After devoting most of its monthly meeting to discussing
Mt. Jasper, the planning board voted to form a subcommittee to work with Sally
Manikian and interested members of the public to organize the visioning session.
The board specified it wanted the session organized within the next month or
two.
Three years ago the city approved an overlay zone for the summits of both Mt.
Jasper and Mt. Forist. The overlay zone requires that any development proposed
within the zone must first come before the planning board for review.
Owned by the city, Mt. Jasper is used on a regular basis by hikers and walkers.
There is no maintained trail or usage policy for the 2,068-foot mountain.
The mountain is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of
its use by Native Americans as a source of rhyolite to make knives and scrapers.
City planner Pamela Laflamme said after the zone was approved several interested
citizens wanted to develop a formal hiking trail on Mt. Jasper.
In the course of that effort, Manikian and others successfully applied for a
grant to put a conservative easement on Mt. Jasper that would prevent any future
development of the summit area. Tri-County Community Action Program has agreed
to hold the easement for the city. This spring, the council asked the planning
board to work with CAP and interested members of the public on a draft easement
that the council could review.
At Tuesday’s board meeting, the Superintendent Corinne Cascadden said the school
board wanted to be sure any easement would not prohibit plans for a wood boiler
and a bus garage at the high school, which is part of the Jasper parcel.
Manikian said the proposal is to use the same boundaries as the overlay zone,
which does not include the property of concern to the school district. Cascadden
said the school board approved the easement but also indicated it would be happy
if nothing was done.
Larry Gomes, assistant trail master for the White Mountains Ridge Runners,
outlined where the snowmobile club has plans to rehabilitate portions of its
snowmobile county trail.
Tony Urban and Barry Kelley discussed their concerns about an easement. Kelley
asked why the city needs to put an easement on land it owns. He questioned
whether there is any threat to the property. Kelley called the Jasper property a
“diamond in the rough” and spoke against ATV use on the discussion area.
Urban said the property may have future value for the school district for
programs such as forestry and recreation that are not operating now but might be
looked at in the future. He said the city does not need another layer of
bureaucracy to deal with which he felt an easement would present.
City Councilor Lucie Remillard said she could see both sides of the easement
issue. She said she favors a hiking trail but opposes motorized access to the
summit At the same time, she said she does not want any limitation on the future
development of the school system. Remillard said she favors language that would
allow both objectives to be met. Local ATV rider Rene Boutin urged the board not
to rule out future ATV access.
City Councilor Tom McCue, who serves as the council’s representative to the
board, noted some common concerns have surfaced in the discussion. He said an
easement is not the only way to protect the property. He said there are other
mechanisms that would allow for periodic review of any restrictions.
He said one idea might be a resolution that would have to be re-approved every
50 years. Kelly suggested the first thing needed is a map showing the trails,
overlay zone, and property lines.
Manikian said she will have one for the first subcommittee meeting. She said the
Jasper property is valuable because it is a piece of undeveloped land in the
middle of an urban area. She said she is glad to get people talking about it.
Editors Note: This is a copy of the map that was
presented to the Planning Board showing the location of the Mt. Jasper overlay
zone, the existing snowmobile trails, and the proposed hiking trail.