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To the editor:
Well, well, well, turns out the new $170 million dollar county nursing home plan that was chosen and forced on us by Democratic county leaders way back in December of 2022, (with votes for both approval and an appropriation by party line) is now admittedly a "bad plan."
Why?
The contractor now admits, had the original concept moved forward, unforeseen wetlands issues on the proposed site "would have required US Army Corps review and permits which would have taken a minimum of two years, only after all the civil engineering had been completed.
Onsite mitigation's deemed unreasonable could have carried a financial penalty calculated at greater than $600,000 to be paid to the State Wetlands Mitigation Fund.
What stopped this rushed boondoggle from being forced on the good people of Strafford County?
Enough of the Republican County Delegates stood strong and voted against the bonding. No money-no deal! Now, a much better plan, with less cost, less extravagance and more focus on practicality, was brought forward in July of this year. Thank God the adults in the room at the county delegation stood firm and held their ground.
Are we there yet with this 'new conceptual plan?' Not quite. Why? Because, in my opinion, more site tests, more verifiable solutions to our needs, more answers to our questions and our concerns, and a little less cost (already $43 million less for construction than the first concept) all need to be addressed.
The "children" at the County are not making this easy. They are coming along, kicking and screaming, and denying us unfettered access to information that should be readily available. After all, we will be paying the bills. Once we get by these road blocks, we should be able to deliver a project that will take care of our County nursing home needs. Stay tuned.
- Cliff Newton,
State Representative
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