We often hear that increasing the amount of impervious cover – surfaces such as roadways and parking lots – leads to more stormwater runoff and declining water quality. So how does a community grow and avoid adding new pollution sources?

One key strategy is directing new, appropriate development into existing town centers and downtowns. The City of Dover recently announced a major development project that renovates an old mill complex in the heart of Dover’s downtown. The redevelopment of existing buildings is a welcome alternative to the sprawl that has occurred around the Seacoast in recent decades – sprawl that has led to a staggering increase in impervious cover in New Hampshire’s coastal watershed from 28,710 acres in 1990 to 50,352 acres in 2005.

The Cocheco Millworks building has been a feature of downtown Dover since the 1870s. Once an active mill site, the building has been partially occupied in recent years. We applaud Dover for its effort to revitalize the downtown by supporting the reuse of this historic site. When completed, the project will feature a mixed use of commercial space and residential units. (Read an article in Fosters on the project here.)

Sketch of the Exeter project.

CLF strongly supports this type of “infill” development – development that avoids the impacts of locating new buildings, and the roads and parking lots to support them, in places where development doesn’t exist. We were pleased to support the Squamscott Block project in downtown Exeter several years ago, and we’re pleased to see this latest example of infill development happening in Dover. Both of these projects show we can accommodate growth while at the same time avoiding unnecessary environmental impact and enhancing the vitality of our communities.