Latest Hypertherm Campus News
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November 10 , 2008Lebanon Planning Board Meeting, Part 2
Hypertherm’s second Public Hearing with the City of Lebanon's Planning Board and staff took place this week. The meeting was held in City Hall at 7 p.m. We were on by 8 and finished a couple minutes after 9.
Last night's session was a follow up to our first planning board meeting held in mid-October. During that meeting we received many thoughtful comments – 24 in all – from city staff representing departments such as planning, fire, police, and public works. The board suggested we work to address some of those comments.
So last night, we followed that suggestion, reviewing the comments and then working to identify areas of agreement, and areas where more work is needed.
Agreement was reached with 20 of the staff comments, either exactly as written or with some slight modifications. We continue to research the remaining four comments as well as others the planning board will raise.
This listing allowed the board to see that the staff had been conscientious about many areas, and that both Hypertherm and the city were in complete agreement on nearly everything. Again, board members may raise any issue again, but they now know what is resolved, and what topics are still open from the technical staff perspective.
Topics identified for additional review and explanation included:
1. Site access: Hypertherm is being asked to demonstrate the need for a second access into the site and to weigh that need against the possible inconvenience neighbors would face from car lights and exhaust noises, especially with shifts that change late at night or early in the morning. 2. Noise: how much added noise will be created by the project and what might Hypertherm do to cut down on that noise. The board is wondering if there are any opaque buffers that could be added to the site to help cut down on the noise. They also wanted to know if the trees, shown as a noise buffer in Hypertherm’s landscape plans, would be saplings or larger trees. 3. Storm water / flood plain clarification: the city engineer is asking for more information on storm water and its affect on the site and surrounding properties.Unfortunately, because the board had a packed agenda and many people where waiting for other agenda items, citizens who wanted to speak about our Heater Road project were not able to do so.
The good news is that another meeting is scheduled to take place fairly soon on December 8. During this meeting, it is expected Hypertherm will be asked to review traffic issues – including what impact traffic may have on the Riverdale neighborhood.
This meeting is another Public Hearing, and we are assured that time will be set aside for public comments.
All said, it was a productive and informative dialogue.
We at Hypertherm are appreciative of the good works by the City professionals and the Planning Board members to review this application, and remain committed to developing a facility that is an asset for the community, as well as for Hypertherm.
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October 14 , 2008Communications with Lebanon
October has seen two outreach efforts with the Lebanon community. First, on the afternoon of October 8, we invited neighbors of the proposed Heater Road facility to come for a tour of the site. More than a dozen people took us up on this invitation. During a 30 minute walking-tour residents were able to see some of our preliminary work firsthand. We received several helpful comments, and some much-appreciated support. We will continue to notify residents affected by the proposed site work whenever there is a significant event, but welcome questions at anytime at campus@hypertherm.com.
On October 14, the Hypertherm Design Team presented its Site Plan application to the full Lebanon Planning Board. The board is now reviewing that application, as well as the recommendations made by City of Lebanon officials. The Hypertherm team presented for about an hour, with another 20 minutes of questions and comments following. Each of the principal design specialists –architecture, engineering, landscaping, traffic and facilities management – presented updated information since the initial Conceptual Review on June 30.
Some highlights:
More than a dozen questions were asked by Board members. Questions ranged from traffic counts and affects on peak periods, to the associates basketball court and whether it would be lighted. Additionally, a person who lives near the Heater Road site had some comments and questions. The Planning Board then helped Hypertherm by identifying the issues each member had after this presentation. While the Planning Office staff and citizens retain the ability to raise other issues later, the identification of several priorities will allow Hypertherm’s design team to focus on key questions for the next public session. That next session is on November 10 at the Planning Board’s regular 7pm meeting. Please feel free to join us, as it is an open meeting. You may want to check with the City’s Planning Office at (603) 448-1457 to see where we are on the agenda, in case we are “up” late in the meeting.
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July 1, 2008Lebanon Conceptual Review Takes Place
Hypertherm’s first conceptual review, before the Lebanon Planning Board, took place last night. We gave a fifteen minute presentation and shared a conceptual site drawing for our Heater Road property. The drawing we presented mirrored a subdivision plan approved by the City of Lebanon a couple of years ago. In other words, the infrastructure-things like the main entrance, emergency entrance, roads, and utilities-would match an already approved plan. We think it is important to note that we would be developing on a previously disturbed site that is next to the interstate. We are committed to designing a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) project under the U.S. Green Building Council guidelines. After the presentation, we fielded questions from the planning board and a handful of neighbors in attendance. For the most part you are supportive of our plan, although you are concerned about construction noise, noise and light once the project is complete, and traffic. We will work to address these issues over the coming weeks and look forward to appearing before the planning board later this summer.
Click on image for larger view.
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June 17, 2008Meeting Update
We have learned that both the City of Lebanon and Town of Hanover have changed the date of Hypertherm’s planned conceptual review meetings. The Lebanon meeting is currently scheduled to take place on June 30 and the Hanover meeting on July 15. However, this could also change. We would encourage you to contact the planning office to confirm the exact date, time and location for these meetings. You can contact Lebanon officials at 448-4220 and Hanover officials at 643-0708.
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June 11, 2008Facilities Plan Unveiled
The past several months have been spent reviewing our expansion options. We have looked at our main site on Great Hollow Road, as well as sites in Lebanon, including a 23 acre site purchased last year near the interstate on Heater Road. After looking at all of our options, we believe the option that will best meet our needs involves expanding our main Hanover facility and building a new facility on the Heater Road property.
Our plans will be shared with the Lebanon Planning Board on June 23 and the Hanover Planning Board on July 15 and we look forward to seeing many of you there. We will continue to update our site with the latest information as we move through the planning process.
As mentioned in a letter sent to many of our neighbors, these conceptual reviews do not eliminate our obligation to submit full applications for site plan approval and building construction, nor do they constrain either municipality from making decisions later based upon a full application.
We believe our facilities plans are positive developments for both Lebanon and Hanover. Not only will this expansion help us meet growing global demand for our products, it will also create good job opportunities for community members and contribute significantly to the tax base in each municipality. Moreover, we are committed to building in harmony with the special environmental features of each site and using energy-conserving design and construction methods so that our neighbors regard these facilities as an asset to their community.
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May 12, 2008Hypertherm Continues to Study Options
It’s been a busy spring for many of us at Hypertherm as we’ve worked to incorporate feedback received during our first neighborhood meeting. While, we don’t have a final plan in place as of yet, we do see light at the end of the tunnel and expect we’ll be ready to share an updated conceptual plan by mid-June. Thank you for your patience as we navigate this process.
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March 24, 2008
Hypertherm Selects Architect
We are excited to announce the hiring of an architect to help realize our vision of creating a campus environment. The architect is Bread Loaf Corporation, an award winning design-build firm, based in Vermont. Bread Loaf has a strong record of environmentally respectful design and underlying values built upon a foundation of integrity and ingenuity. Much like Hypertherm, Bread Loaf thrives on innovative ideas and excellent work. This is what Jan Becker, the lead architect for our project, has to say:
“We’ve learned that placing architects, estimators, and project managers under one roof allows the integrated teams to translate each client’s vision, brand, and goals into remarkable spaces. This partnership with Hypertherm is a perfect match for us, as Hypertherm shares our commitment to the community and environment. The team at Bread Loaf will now work closely with Hypertherm as well as with various engineering and environmental consultants to understand the company’s current business needs and the needs of the community at large.”
Bread Loaf has a long record of thoughtful, environmentally conscious design and has been honored with numerous awards. They include: Excellence in Energy Conscious Building Design National Design Build Excellence Award Excellence in Architecture Award Excellence in Comprehensive Building Design Best Builder Award for Environmental “Green” Building Public Works Project of the Year,Historic Restoration and Preservation Best Mechanical Solutions for Energy Efficiency, Outstanding Planning Project Vermont Public Spaces Merit Award Governor's Award for AccessibilityCurrent plans call for Bread Loaf to make a recommendation on Hypertherm’s campus plan sometime during the spring. For more on Bread Loaf Corporation and the company’s many awards, please visit www.breadloaf.com.
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