Come Together for a Day of Fun in Chebacco Woods
Runners, Bikers, Hikers, 4 Legged woods lovers, Family nature lovers… Fun activities for EVERYONE
Let’s come together on Saturday 11/6 for a Fun 5K Run, Fun 5 Mile Bike Ride, Curated Walk in the woods, Kid-friendly walk and activities, and even a dog meet up! Also, a raffle and many more surprises.
Many details are in process, but we need some help to support this DAY OF PLAY IN CHEBACCO EVENT. Please call Al DeGroot 978-549-1074 or Ani Sarkisian 978-810-7536 to see how you might be able to help make a difference by dedicating limited time (it doesn’t have to be a lot), creating great awareness of our efforts and to help kick off our 1st annual fundraising campaign. Please join us in making this early November vision become a reality. We’ve all been working so hard, let’s take some time to enjoy these woods together!
THE CAUSE: We are coming up on one year of our collective effort to stop the development of the proposed 50-unit luxury age-restricted senior housing complex with prices per unit starting at $800,000. It has been a long haul, and as we take a moment to reflect on the year, we feel fortunate that our efforts are being rewarded with what we consider to be a series of small wins. One of our biggest is that you, yes YOU, have been so supportive of our efforts with your financial donations, signatures on the petition and attendance at Planning Board and Conservation Commission meetings. These simple actions advocate for this land and compel the town boards and commissions to ask the hard questions, the right questions. Our hydrogeologist, vernal pool experts and attorney are busy helping us to understand the right questions to ask based on the real risks to the environment if this development were to move forward.
Questions like:
What is the environmental impact of the chemicals being used to blast a massive granite hill? How will the blasting itself affect the hill, especially considering it is directly over an aquifer that supplies water to freshwater ponds, that are currently the water supply for Manchester, Essex and perhaps someday, (so long as we protect and preserve it) might be a water supply for the town of Hamilton? Also, what are the consequences of building on land rich with wetlands, vernal pools and habitat for wildlife, flora, and fauna? How can we be so sure that a septic system for 50 units, placed by drilling through wetlands and located behind the irrigation pond for a local farm will not fail when “100-year storms” are happening multiple times in a decade?
HOW WE PAY FOR THIS: Thanks to your generosity we have raised $28,000 from our GoFundMe site and about $20,000 from other fundraising efforts. This money is being used to pay our expert professionals, who consult on every piece of information provided in the developers’ plans, suggesting and digging into the issues that truly make this property a very bad choice for development. We spend approximately $8000 a month in professional fees in preparation for each meeting.
Many experienced conservation groups in our region have marveled at our ability to keep up the fight! That is all thanks to YOU!!
YOU HAVE STEPPED UP: We have 7400 signatures on our petition, THANK YOU. We see you sharing our messages and interacting with social media. We see you showing up at the meetings, we are floored by the growing momentum and spirit
Let’s celebrate together, help us create this DAY OF PLAY!! Please call us if you can spare a few hours in total or some hours a week for the next few weeks. Many details are in process, but we need some help to support this DAY OF PLAY IN CHEBACCO, event. Please call to see how you might be able to help make a difference by dedicating limited time and helping to create great awareness. Let’s take some time to enjoy these woods together!
Please call Al DeGroot 978-549-1074 or Ani Sarkisian 978-810-7536 to see how you can help
