Pepperell Selectmen Hire Attorneys to Fight 161 Nashua Road Soil Project

PEPPERELL — July 23, 2018 — Pepperell selectmen vote to hire attorneys and schedule public hearings on contested 161 Nashua Road Soil Reclamation Project. The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Monday to appoint the law firm Merrick and O'Connell as special municipal employees under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 268A to represent the town against a proposal that would deposit truckloads of soil on a Nashua Road property over seven to nine years, with payments to the landowner potentially reaching $16 million against a town-assessed property value of roughly $334,000. Town Administrator John Moak, who met with the legal team earlier that day, told the board the attorneys' primary mission is to stop the project, adding: "If not possible, we have to figure the best way to give the town the best advantage." The board set an attorney-client executive session for July 30 and a public meeting with the landowner and consultants for August 6. Chairman Nutter called the landowner's earlier offer of $1 million in exchange for 30-to-45-day approval "an arbitrary deadline," saying a host agreement — with far greater financial demands — would be required regardless. Conservation Administrator Paula Teresi confirmed the site sits adjacent to a shared aquifer used by both Pepperell and Hollis, New Hampshire, and said she would brief a National Park Service representative on the matter that Wednesday.