UNH Has Plans for Odiorne Point State Park

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A working group of UNH administrators and state and local officials have held their first meeting on the Odiorne Point proposal.

Jonathan Pennock, Director of the UNH Marine Program says the 14 million dollar federally funded labwould support the University’s research and education programs.

Since a marine lab has to be near the ocean, university officials had analyzed other sites, including the Portsmouth Navy Yard.

But they ruled out all of them in favor of the Odiorne Point location.

(Pennock) :16

“Some of that comes down to where the University owns land or doesn’t, and for the most part, outside of New Castle, we don’t own land. There are the opportunities at Odiorne…there are numerous public parcels we looked at that won’t work.”
Ordiorne Point sits across the river, just southeast from New Castle Island, the original site of the proposed lab.

The new plans place the 20 thousand square foot two story facility right next to the present Seacoast Science Center.

And the Science Center's President Wendy Lull predicts the two could work very closely with each other.

(Lull) :13

“It has a lot of opportunities for us to do some collaborative programming. The kinds of research that UNH is proposing to do in the laboratory fit in very nicely with the kinds of educational programs that we’re doing at the Seacoast Science Center.”

Specifically, Lull suggested, for example, that Science Center visitors could go on guided tours of the UNH lab.

And lab researchers could give lectures at the Science Center.

But not everyone at the recent meeting was so excited about the new plans.

Rye Town Selectman Mel Lowe pointed out that already public open space is of short supply on New Hampshire's coast.

And he said that town residents worry that any new development would further limit that open space.

Portsmouth resident John Stephenson is more outspoken in his opposition to the project.

Stephenson is also a member of the New Hampshire Sierra Club which formally opposes the lab proposal at Odiorne point.

(Stephenson) :19

“It’s probably the most beautiful and magnificent piece of property on the Seacoast and they want to put a building in the middle of it. We just heard that according to the Science Center this piece of land they’re talking about is the most used piece of land in the park, and people can’t use it if theres a building sitting on top of it.

Frank Bettman chairs the Science Center's Board of Directors.

He admits that building a large facility next to the Science Center could be a problem that needs to be addressed.

(Bettman) ::10

“There’s a process that is just beginning that will be used to address those issues, and if it if is not an appropriate location, if those issues can’t be addressed, then the lab won’t be located there.”

But Bettman added that a new UNH building could actually improve recreational activities at Odiorne point.

And Jonathan Pennock of the UNH marine program agrees.

(Pennock 2) :26

“I think there are ways and there are places the University can build this lab that will enhance educational and recreational use, and the critical issue for the Land and Water Conservation fund is the recreational use of this property. And so the once specific spot Mr. Gettman was talking about. We have talked about, and there seems to be in our minds a win-win there.”

But project opponent John Stephenson wondered whether the use of land designated as recreational could create a dangerous precedent.

(Stephenson 2) : 16

“You know this is a piece of public park land that is supposed to be used for recreation. Now they want to convert it to another purpose. So are all of our state parks in sort of a land bank situation, sort of waiting there for someone else to come up with a better idea?”

Stephenson said that he’s still organizing opposition to the proposed location.

And he believes several hundred people in the area share his views.

That first meeting of the working group was not originally scheduled to be open to the public.

But the group says that it plans to publicly announce future meetings on the best location for the lab and take comments from the public.

For NHPR News, this is Roger Wood.