Submit Public Comments

Your comments become part of the official record. Here's what to say and where to send it.

Why Your Comments Matter

Public comments become part of the official record. They demonstrate community concern, influence board decisions, and create legal documentation of the issues raised. Board members read these — and they carry weight when decisions go to appeal.

What to Say

You don’t need a template — just speak honestly about what concerns you. Below are the key issues. Let your representatives know how you feel.

PFAS Contamination

The city has awarded a $236,800 contract to investigate PFAS contamination at the Four Hills site — contamination linked to the very activity they want to expand there. NHDES Director Michael Wimsatt confirmed to the NH Senate that soil and groundwater are impacted and that remediation is required before construction. Building a larger, more active fire training facility on already-contaminated land will only make the problem worse, and the investigation scope doesn’t even include air emissions or a remediation plan. The city should complete the investigation and address the contamination before committing to this site.

Wrong Site for a Neighborhood

This is a residential neighborhood. The proposed facility would bring daily fire truck traffic into the landfill from multiple neighboring fire departments, live burns, hazmat training exercises, and smoke — right next to homes, yards, and families. The ZBA already denied the road access 5-0, saying it would change the neighborhood’s character “irreparably.” A 9-acre site wedged between a landfill and a neighborhood is simply not the right place for what the city now describes as a regional all-hazards training center serving upwards of 12 departments.

A Better Site Exists

The city owns a 42-acre parcel at 37 Ridge Road — five times larger, on clean upland, over 1,000 feet from the nearest home. It has adequate water pressure (86 PSI), direct road access, and room to expand for decades. The conservation easement on the parcel has a built-in provision (Section 9) that allows the city to use it for public safety needs. Every objection the city has raised has been addressed with documentation. Nashua’s firefighters deserve a facility built right — Ridge Road is the site that makes that possible.

Wetlands and Wildlife

The city’s own consultant, Gove Environmental Services, documented a vernal pool within 100 feet of the proposed facility — home to fairy shrimp, a primary indicator species found “in abundance.” The NH Natural Heritage Bureau flagged three protected species near the site: Eastern Box Turtle (Endangered), Eastern Hognose Snake (Endangered), and Eastern Meadowlark (Threatened). The consultant even acknowledged the survey was likely incomplete. Building here puts confirmed habitat at risk when a clean alternative site exists.

Piecemeal Permitting

The city is advancing the water line, the road corridor, and the facility itself as separate projects — each presented as having minimal individual impact. But together they represent a $2 million regional training center with permanent environmental consequences. No board has reviewed the cumulative impact of all these components together. The project should be evaluated as a whole, not broken into pieces designed to avoid comprehensive review.

The 20-Foot Permanent Corridor

The city says they need “just a water line” — but the 20-foot cleared corridor running 1,100 feet through the neighborhood must remain permanently cleared. No trees can ever be replanted because roots would damage the pipe. That’s 22,000 square feet of forest gone forever. A Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) alternative was submitted that would run the pipe underground — zero trees removed, zero wetland impact, same cost per foot. The city dismissed it without getting a real quote.

Where to Submit

Conservation Commission

  • Email: cc@nashuanh.gov
  • Meetings: First Monday of each month, 7:00 PM, Room 208, City Hall
  • Written comments can be submitted before meetings for inclusion in the record

Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA)

  • Email: zb@nashuanh.gov
  • Meetings: 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month, 6:30 PM, City Hall 3rd Floor Auditorium
  • Submit written comments before scheduled hearings, or attend and speak during public comment

City Officials

State Representatives — Hillsborough 9

Tips

  1. Be respectful — Board members respond better to professional, fact-based comments
  2. Be specific — Reference documents by name: “Purchasing Memo #26-127” or “Gove Environmental Services wetland report” carries more weight than general concerns
  3. Ask questions — “Has the city assessed air emissions?” requires a response
  4. Request action — “I request that the Commission require a comprehensive environmental assessment before any construction”
  5. Submit in writing — Written comments become permanent record