North River Street

It can be difficult for some people to leave their homes, even a home that has been severely damaged by a natural disaster such as Hurricane Irene. Hurricane Irene heavily impacted the lives of many people living in the town of Plymouth and Holderness back in August 2011.
"As far as I know, PSU has acquired two, perhaps three, properties on North River St. They have offered to consider purchasing any home that an owner wants to sell. So, it is a voluntary thing," stated Doug McLane, Co-Owner of Off Campus Rentals.
The project, entitled "North River Street Residential Buyout," teams together The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Plymouth State University to take care of the people that were affected on North River Street by selling their homes, and relocating them to some place safer.
"No one should be too upset about what is happening, because PSU is not taking properties against an owner's will, but they will pay a fair (usually assessed) value for the home and land," added McLane.
It is FEMA's mission to encourage all homeowners that are in affected communities to be sure that they are educated with the buyout process so they can make the best decision for their families and their communities.   
It is important to note that FEMA does not buy houses directly from the property owners. According to the Department of Safety Office of the NH Commissioner, "Plymouth State University has identified 3 properties that were more than 50% damaged by tropical storm Irene and have a high priority for mitigation in the community."
As of right now, PSU is complying with the project review and the conditions set by FEMA. PSU is being provided with a hazard mitigation grant to acquire and demolish three properties on North River Street. All work and closeout of the project should be finished by January 2016. The University is responsible for 25% of the shared cost of the project.
As a result of the removal of these homes on North River St., Phase Five of the Active Learning, Living, and Wellness (ALLWell) Center will come into fruition and be carried out to create a riverfront view of the Pemi River. The land will be made into a green space for the town of Plymouth and Holderness.
"If approved, the ALLWell project will be built within our current land boundaries. Some homes were damaged beyond repair when that area flooded in 2011. Working with FEMA, one homeowner has agreed to sell us their home for the land value.  That home will be torn down because it is not currently safe to live in," said Jim Hundrieser, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.
By law, that property, now public property, must forever remain open space land. The community can use it to create public parks, trails, etc., but it cannot be sold to private individuals nor developed.
"I sold my home, and recently moved. It's a great opportunity for people who live on or near hazardous areas to get to a safer place," said North River Resident, who wishes to remain anonymous.
"There are some owners that have expressed interest in selling their properties, and we are open to discussing that with them. There are no plans to take down any homes on North River except a home that is vacant and currently owned by PSU," said Julie Bernier, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Professor of Health and Human Performance.
A controlled fire took place on North River Street last year, which was a property that PSU owned. That has been the first home, and only one to date, demolished on North River Street.
"We are presenting to the board of trustees this Thursday and Friday asking for approval of ALLWell North (Phase Two).  This project will house our field house, Outdoor Recreation Center, and allow for additional HHP academic space," said Hundrieser.
The demolition of the homes on North River Street will be the last part of the ALLWell project, "The key is you do it when you have a person that wants to work with FEMA to buy their house, it doesn't happen all at once," said John P. Clark, PSU Athletic Director.
The new field house will include a lot more classrooms, a weight room, wrestling room, a pool, and a full 200-meter track, as well as new parking and fields. "The new buildings will hit our boundary line [the chained linked fence] but will not go onto North River St. The buildings are going take up four times as much space as the Fieldhouse now," said Clark.
The current Fieldhouse will be the last building to be torn down, and replaced by Phase Three (Aquatic Center) of the ALLWell Center. As part of this process, the fields are to be replaced, some with turf and others will be natural grass.
"If the plans for the ALLWell Center get carried out, there will be seven new fields put in, three turf and four grass. The baseball field will be turf, as well as the football field, and another, the rest will be practice fields," said Clark.
It is important to note that everything going into the ALLWell project if very strategic, time sensitive, and depends on the amount of funding as well. All of this is to improve the University, along with the towns of Plymouth and Holderness as a whole.
The Health and Human Performance (HHP) Department is PSU's third largest department, offering five majors and four minors, some of which include, athletic training, exercise and sport physiology, and physical education. With the installment of each phase of the ALLWell Center, these students will be able to have more classrooms and be given the opportunity to be have a more hands-on learning experience due to athletics being in the same facility.
"The whole idea of the ALLWell project is for the (HHP) Department and PSU Athletics to work closely together and do a lot more as a whole. It is natural for these two to be working together as a unit," said Clark.
The ALLWell project will also help reduce the amount of damage the annual flooding inflicts on the town and facilities, Clark mentioned, "We reviewed the history of flooding in the area and went back to 1904. Water has actually only reached this area [proposed location of the new Fieldhouse] 11 times. We are moving our buildings and turf fields where there are less high water occurrences. We will still probably experience flooding, but not as much damage."
It is not an ideal situation for people and families to leave their homes, but if it means that they will be compensated appropriately and moved to a safer location, then it might be the best decision they make for the greater good. The homes that currently reside on North River St. are not in jeopardy of eviction by any means, but naturally, the rivers do flood in this area, which puts these homes at risk.
The plans to create an open river front view and access point for the Pemi River will be the last phase of the ALLWell project. Moving and constructing three new buildings, as well as fields and parking space, will take some time. So, not every home on North River Street will have to move at the same time.
The project is currently in Phase Two. "If everything went perfectly, we'd start next spring, and we'd be finished by August 2015," said Clark.