A better idea for the Burgess Mill Site

I understand that Max Makitas' tour of the McNeil biomass plant was an eye opening event where the tour guide was very honest that such a plant doesn't belong in close proximity to an area's population and mentioned that opinion on several occassions. Apparently it was also mentioned that the type of boiler that Laidlaw had suggested, (fluidized bed) was not the type of boiler they'd recommend.

So what better use for the Burgess mill site? Berlin is the largest city in a 75 mile radius.The city should become the hub of the economy that supports the people within the new vision ofNew Hampshire's Grand tourism branding initiative. Berlin doesn't need to just count on tourism. It can be the "working city" that tourists find charm in visiting just like Portsmouth. It can be the city in the mountains just as Portsmouth is the city by the Sea. In this day and age of computers, transportation is not the key to business success for all businesses. Many successful companies operate without a need for a specific location, but do need a population base to begin with.

The transformation of Pease Airport base to Pease Tradeport is a perfect example of what could happen to Berlin's Burgess mill site on a smaller scale. The following excerpts from the tradeport's history show how it can be financed, how hazardous waste doesn't keep development away, and what impact an environmentally friendly atmosphere can have on an area's job base, State revenue, and draw to the area. Interestingly, one of the developers of Pease, Greg Whalen, is also involved currently with the Burgess mill site in at least as much he is an officer of the LLC of record. Ask yourself, would Pease be as successful as it is with a boiler spewing steam, toxins, and noise along with a 300 foot smokestack at its entrance?


The history of Pease's transformation and success can be viewed at http://www.peasedev.org/about_us/history.asp but in an effort to simplify some data here's how Pease came to be Pease Tradeport.

excerpts from Pease transformation to a Tradeport:


1." the law provided a $250 million bonding capacity ($50 million obligation bonds and $200 million of revenue bonds)."

2."The board's mission was and is "to capitalize on the unique opportunities the Pease facility affords for economic benefit while preserving New Hampshire's quality of life and environment."

3."One of the practical effects of the FFA was to coordinate cleanup of the 43 hazardous waste sites identified by the USAF as part of their ongoing Installation Restoration Program (IRP) with redevelopment efforts, allowing both processes to occur simultaneously."

"Since the original transfer in April of 1992, 2,100 new jobs have been created with a projected number of 3,745 by the year 2000. Over 510,000sq ft of new construction has been built and approximately 1,000,000 sq. ft of existing buildings have been occupied."

"After getting off to a slow start, things began to move at what became the New Hampshire International Tradeport at Pease with the arrival of Celltech, a British firm later acquired by Lonza Biologics. Lonza now employs more than 700 workers at Pease and is one of several biotech and other high-tech firms at a tradeport that includes manufacturing firms, office buildings, a hotel, half a dozen restaurants, the Red Hook brewery and a variety of retail and service establishments."

"Today, Pease International Tradeport has 256 companies occupying 4.4 million square feet and employing roughly 7,000 workers. There is still room for development on about 60 acres, and at full build-out the site will likely have some 10,000 employees, Mullen said."