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New port of Entry Design Presented To Community |
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Friday, 03 July 2009 |
By LAURA CARPENTER
Express Staff Writer
DERBY LINE — A new design plan for the Interstate 91 port of entry here was presented at a public meeting at the Village Hall Wednesday evening. The plans call for a “campus” of 51,000 square feet, approximately the same size of the previous design, however the buildings are now more long and narrow, explained architect Gary Coccoluto of Orcutt Associates in Maine.
The design plans have not been approved yet, and the Homeland Security
officials and the architects assured the crowd that they want to keep
lines of communication open with the public to hear what people think.
Gianne Conard, regional land port of entry program coordinator, said
that there would be compromise on both sides, but what has to happen
for Customs and Border Protection to do their jobs safely.
Development planning is now in its seventh year, and generally the
process to develop new ports takes eight to 10 years. General Services
Administration (GSA) architect Michael Williamson anticipates the
project will begin next spring at the start of construction season.
When construction begins, the current I91 port will remain open through
the construction process officials noted.
Derby Line resident David Gauvin wanted to know if the community would
receive official notification as to exactly when the construction will
begin. Officials said they want to keep the community up to date with
the plans, and engaged in the process.
Direct dialogue with the public is not a normal step in new ports of
entry construction processes said Patrick Sclafani, out of Washington
D.C. with GSA. But the administration assured the crowd they wanted to
hear what the community has to say.
The main issues addressed were changes to the site and surrounding
areas, noise and light pollution, and the character of the campus.
The new facility will be larger than the current facility, which was
built in 1965. The additional size will help move traffic through the
port more efficiently, which will help with pollution from idling cars
at a site which currently has frequent traffic congestion.
The new port design calls for the campus to be further south along I-91
to help prevent backups into Canada for traffic headed into the U.S. It would have nine lanes for traffic, and a separate warehouse area for commercial trucks. Both on-off ramps would be changed, and traffic headed north on I-91 could exit the interstate further south than its current location, avoiding the port area. Herrick Road would be affected slightly, officials explained, but not Michaud Manor. Two properties on Maple Street will be affected, and the owners have been notified.
Those two locations will be the only residential areas affected, officials explained.
The architects’ renderings presented at the meeting showed large white buildings with many windows and flat roofs. The building would be made of clapboard with Vermont slate and natural wood accents. Senator Vince Illuzzi said that the buildings did not fit the character of Derby Line in any way because of their large size, flat roofs, and color.
In an interview after the meeting Coccoluto said the architects would take Illuzzi’s concerns into consideration.
The architects said they must have flat roofs because the area is so narrow falling snow could become problematic for vehicles right next to the buildings. The architects are considering planting vegetation of the roofs, but said that they must follow a budget. They also mentioned the possibility of using solar panels. The buildings are highly energy-efficient, the architects assured the crowd. A study is being done currently on the possibly of using geothermal energy to power the campus. This plan would call for 85 wells to be dug.
The plan calls for re-routing drainage and filtering it to a newly created wetland on the west side of the port. New federal regulations call for cleaning runoff, Architect Scott Simons pointed out.
The site also has significant landscaping with evergreen trees to help with noise pollution. The lights will be lower and are designed to have no “spill-over or bleeding of light,” Conard said.
Homeland Security officials Steven Farquharson and John Makolin said the port must be larger to accommodate their needs, including heavy traffic, a detention area, a searching area, and an interview room. Currently there is inadequate space to accommodate their needs, they said.
“It’s a new day and a new era,” as the world situation changes the customs officials said.
“It’s a national issue,” explained Conard, not just an issue in Derby Line.
Officials said they are planning to come back in as early as August to hear from the public again, and present more finalized design plans.
Plans that have been presented in the past have been changed after reconsideration by officials, and considering community concerns.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 06 July 2009 )
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