Lyme Properties Gifts Riverfront Open Space For Public Access At River Park
Developer Proposes Collaborative Model For Recreational Improvements
On Thursday, November 14th, 2019 representatives from Lyme Properties (www.lymeproperties.com) updated the Lebanon Conservation Commission on the vision for River Park West Lebanon as a walkable campus, prioritizing public access to the Connecticut River and open space. Lyme announced the formation of Friends of River Park (www.friendsofriverpark.org), a New Hampshire not-for-profit entity that will take ownership of the riverfront open space parcel at River Park to ensure permanent protection and access to the river by the general public.
The riverfront open space parcel is shown on the River Park master plan as Lot 6, a 6.02-acre parcel representing the entire riverfront of the River Park development, and includes over ½ mile of frontage on the Connecticut River just downstream from the Wilder Dam. In 2018, in keeping with commitments made to the community during the planning process, River Park recorded deed restrictions for Lot 6 in Grafton County prohibiting development on this Open Space parcel. A stewardship easement to the Upper Valley Land Trust (www.uvlt.org) will be granted to assist in protecting the publicly accessible open space.
River Park is an approved mixed-use development at 173 North Main Street (Route 10), West Lebanon, NH, with over 850,000 S.F. of life-science research space, class-A office space, and modern housing along the Connecticut River. The 38-acre parcel is the former site of Bailey Bros. Automotive, and has been under development by Lyme Properties since the site was purchased in 2007. Construction of Phase 1 is commencing in April of 2020, and will include a 64,372 R.S.F. mixed-use building featuring laboratory, office, and restaurant/retail space along Route 10.
“None of this could have been accomplished without the support of our neighbors.” said David Clem of Lyme Properties. “Their support has been personally gratifying and Lyme Properties reiterates our commitment to developing River Park in a responsible manner.” Lyme initiated the development in 2007 with a 2-year “Neighborhood Planning Process” to engage with stakeholders and the general public about the future use of the site. A successful citizen-initiated public referendum in 2010 led to the rezoning of the site for a mix of uses with public access to open space and the Connecticut River.
Lyme Properties convened a landscape design competition and invited five leading firms to contribute their ideas and vision for making River Park a special place for tenants, residents, and the general public. One of the primary goals of the competition was to generate recreational concepts for the Park (Lot 6), the half-mile parcel along the Connecticut River, fulfilling the vision to develop River Park as the most vibrant, engaging and dynamic open space in the Upper Valley. Entrants were encouraged to develop proposals for the landscape design which reflected the area’s rich history, revealed the inherent characteristics of the location, and incorporated themes of ecology, sustainability and connectivity to the West Lebanon community.
The public was invited to attend and add input to the five presentations at the Kilton Library, and a jury of architects, landscape designers, and local stakeholders selected the two winning firms. All presentations are available for viewing on www.FriendsOfRiverPark.org.
“We came to the Lebanon Conservation Commission to share our vision for publicly accessible open space at River Park,” said Clem, “and to propose a new model for how we could work together to not only protect the waterfront for public use, but also invest in future landscape and recreational improvements for the community.”
Much of the 38-acre parcel is now in “Current Use.” When taken out of Current Use, penalty fees will be paid to the Open Space Trust “LOST Fund”, administered by the Lebanon Conservation Commission. Lyme has proposed that the Conservation Commission pledge all Current Use penalty fees from River Park to the Friends of River Park, and offered to match the amount of Current Use fees from River Park that the Conservation Commission earmarks for Friends of River Park.
“River Park will make Current Use penalty payments no matter what, but Lyme is offering to double our investment in the public open space if the Conservation Commission will work with us,” said Clem. “We believe River Park is uniquely positioned to provide public access to the Connecticut River and waterfront trails to the Lebanon community, which were two of the top priorities expressed by the public at the recent West Lebanon Village Visioning charrette conducted by the City.”
Lyme is hopeful that we can do our part as private landowners to connect and contribute to the existing– and expanding– trail networks in place thanks to the ongoing work of local groups like the Upper Valley Land Trust, Upper Valley Trails Alliance, Mascoma River Greenway, Northern Rail Trail, and more.
Upstream at the Wilder Dam, Great River Hydro, LLC (www.greatriverhydro-relicensing.com/wilder-project/) will also be investing in improvements on the Connecticut River as dictated by the ongoing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Hydroelectric Dam Relicensing Process. It is anticipated that a significant Mitigation Fund will be set aside for ecological and recreational improvements, though it remains to be determined what– if any– will go towards the City of Lebanon.
About the Project – River Park
River Park will be the Upper Valley’s finest research park, an extension of historic West Lebanon, and it will provide public access to the Connecticut River. The mixed-use development will include over 850,000 S.F. of life science research and office space, service retail, restaurants, single family homes and multi-family housing in a pedestrian friendly environment. The project is approved and fully engineered, with Phase 1 fully designed and shovel-ready with construction commencing in April of 2020. More information can be found at: www.riverparkwestlebanon.com
About the Developer – Lyme Properties
Lyme Properties is nationally known for excellence in urban design, green buildings, and adaptive re-use with a portfolio of mixed-use projects that have established pioneering standards for architecture, land-use, and conservation. Founded in 1993 as an affiliate of the Lyme Timber Company, Lyme specialized in the acquisition, development and leasing of life science research space. At the forefront of the revitalization of East Cambridge, Massachusetts, Lyme helped transform Kendall Square into the nation’s leading research cluster creating a “halo” of life science & innovation space around the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Today Lyme is an independent company focused on mixed-use projects in the Upper Valley.
Contact For More Information
Phone: 603-676-7800
Email: info@lymeproperties.com