Judge’s decision overturns City Staff actions and overrules Planning Board. River Park granted Temporary Restraining Order against City’s past actions, property rights re-instated.

A March, 2021 tour of life-science ready locations in the Upper Valley for the N.H. Bureau of Economic Affairs by the City of Lebanon and the UV Business Alliance didn’t include River Park until we had to invite ourselves.

In a hypothetical scenario where River Park had proceeded as planned in 2016, and the first 3 buildings been built, River Park could have generated enough taxes to pay for major West Lebanon improvements

After being approached by the City in 2020, Lyme proposed how to facilitate a replacement Fire Station at River Park in exchange for City investment in mutually-beneficial infrastructure investments to off-set what it would cost River Park.

The impact that (in)action has on River Park, when delays mount they have a ripple-effect on our ability— and willingness— to make further investments of time, energy, and money.

After a decade of delays, in 2022 Lyme proposed a comprehensive path forwards documenting our efforts to date and proposing how a public-private partnership approach could work to advance Economic Development, Outdoor Recreation, and Public Transportation efforts at River Park and in West Leb.

How 6-months of unnecessary delays killed an experimental housing effort during Covid.

The added costs of conducting business make it challenging to make private projects feasible, especially

Comparing the tax revenue of the beleaguered 1 River Park, versus the simpler and cheaper solution we’re now considering.

Staff decisions to block building permits, require extraordinary information, and force additional approval steps have cost River Park significant money and lost revenue.

Lyme first attempted to save the Westboro Ticket Office by working with a local restauranteur to create a downtown West Leb venue. Excessive costs of approval killed that plan, and the restaurant went to Norwich to become Blue Sparrow and now The Nest in Hanover.

After buying the former West Leb Library at auction, and contributing towards the Kilton Library development, Lyme’s attempt to add ADA access, more residential/commercial, and ground-floor retail on Railroad Ave was overburdened by costly requirements that made the project infeasible.

Chet Clem was invited to give the Keynote address at the 2021 Vermont Community Development Association (VCDA) conference on “Reimagining Our Public Spaces”

How we’re thinking about development the wrong way, and how using it’s positive tax revenue can create positive community change.

The River Park plan is the result of unprecedented collaboration between West Lebanon citizens and a private developer.