From yesterdays Berlin Sun, interesting, mentions Laidlaw :
Master plan group turns to economic development
Barbara Tetreault
BERLIN— The topic before the master plan subcommittee Wednesday night was economic development and it generated a lively discussion on setting goals, taking risks, and the future of the mill site.
Richard Gsottschneider of RKG Associates has been hired as a consultant for the economic development chapter of the master plan update. The company he founded specializes in redevelopment of industrial sites and military bases such as Pease Air Force base.
Wednesday night he sought input from the subcommittee on the draft chapter he put together with Jeffrey Taylor Associates, the main consultant on the update.
Gsottschneider suggested the top economic priority for Berlin should be upgrading its downtown, which he called the face of the city.
City Manager Patrick MacQueen said five years ago the city made improving its housing stock and removing blighted buildings its top focus. Housing Coordinator André Caron said the city has had some success in the effort. He said in two years the federal prison will open and the city hopes to attract federal workers to buy property in Berlin.
Gsottschneider praised the inspection sweep the city and state collaborated on back in the spring of 2007. About 100 housing units were inspected for health and life safety code violations. Gsottschneider urged the city to continue such sweeps. He said the city can still move aggressively on housing while focusing on the downtown.
Three key areas in the downtown were targeted by the group for redevelopment - the Cote Building on upper Main Street, the block of vacant buildings owned by Rite Aid, and the empty lot on Pleasant Street.
Jeffrey Taylor warned the Rita Aid site could be a disaster if the buildings are torn down and replaced with something that does not fit the downtown. He pointed out the property is on an important and visible corner in the downtown.
Gsottschneider said the city must be willing to take risks and use money sitting in various authorities to move forward. He admitted to some frustration when working on projects for the Androscoggin Economic Recovery Corporation back in 2001 because he felt local officials were not willing to risk money.
The draft report called the former Fraser mill site a key component of the city’s future economic development strategy. It urged the the city to try and purchase all or a portion of it to control its use. Gsottschneider said he understood the mayor and council are opposed to a biomass facility on the property and indicated he agreed with that position.
Berlin Economic Development Director Norm Charest said he believes North American Dismantling expects to sell the boiler and land to Laidlaw Energy for more money than it could otherwise get for the property. As long as Laidlaw is pursuing the biomass project, Charest said he thinks NAD will not be interested in selling the property.
Gsottschneider proposed the city come up with conditions that it will push if Laidlaw files an application for the plant with the N.H. Site Evaluation Committee. He also proposed developing options for the mill site to propose to NAD.
If the 60-megawatt biomass plant goes forward, Gsottschneider’s draft suggested the city work with Laidlaw to create an energy park that would offer tenants electricity as well as stream or hot water at competitive rates.
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