To the editor:

My name is Louis Letendre I have lived in Portsmouth with my wife Sue for 37 years.

Portsmouth is a place that we always dreamed of living when we took our first ride through here in our young 20s. We previously lived in Fall River Mass. and really wanted to get out of there. Portsmouth had that beautiful small town look that attracted us to this beautiful place.

We think of ourselves as environmentally friendly in support of green sustainable energy. Members of an Aquidneck land trust. We also bear in mind that people have the right to build on their property after paying taxes for many years.

When Sue and I drive by the Navy property that has just started being built, I can’t believe how unpleasant it is to look at. What are the people that are driving through this town going to think? I understand it’s Navy property, but I’m really surprised the town had no say in that project.

The ordinance that the town has put together has several concerns for me as a taxpayer of the town and abutter for a potential solar farm project.

Some concerns:

• Losing the green beautiful treed area in our backyard with minimal guarantees or proposed no-cut areas or vegetation barriers. We would like to see at least 100 feet, with no cutting of trees and vegetation within the 100-foot buffer. Other towns have these protections in their ordinances. 

• Also, noise from the main road from losing the green space. Proposed buffers need to be 100 feet with Arborvitae tree for abutters.

• Density — the ordinance removes previous caps of 25 percent and allows for more density and less room for setback/buffer.

• Environmental review: This land was previously a junkyard. Who knows what’s underneath it and what happens when you disturb it. In the development a couple blocks away, many of the neighbors are experiencing runoff from trees being removed. I would hate to see that happen to our neighbors down below us. I think this needs to be looked at.

• Loss of property values to abutters and other people in the town.

• Lost revenue to the town because of devaluation.

I think this really affects the whole town. I’m sure many people came here for the same reasons that I did. Let’s be thoughtful and take a little more time and planning. 

Thank you.

Louie Letendre

94 Sweet Farm Road 

Portsmouth

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