As a group we were very concerned with balancing ongoing development issues such as affordable housing and creating an entrepreneurial friendly city, with quality of life issues which we felt were inextricably tied to green space and the arts. We felt it was important to call attention to the diversity we already have here without legislating morality.
We did however feel strongly as a group that economic, social, and cultural diversity and tolerance were critical to the success of Portsmouth becoming a better place to live and work in.
The idea was raised that Portsmouth could create a mission statement, a statement of its values and visions which could then be displayed in a prominent public setting and published by the chamber of commerce.
This would be something that would not only highlight our past accomplishments but could serve as a guide for our future goals.
This resolution could then encourage the kind of diversity we feel would make Portsmouth a model community.
An example would be: Our community is dedicated to a healthy environment and to the support of local businesses with a commitment to the community.
We are devoted to promoting local artists and the arts, preserving historic structures that reflect our cultural and maritime history, and we welcome and support the diversity of all peoples.
From the initial 6 topics we chose as areas of concern, we came up with three for discussion which are as follows:
1. Community development.
2. Economic development.
3. Green space and the Arts.
The first issue we focused on was that of community development.
The main concerns were a perceived lack of economic, social, racial and cultural diversity of peoples, an ambivalent community, fear of and yet the need for continued economic growth and traffic in and around the downtown.
The "Not in my back yard" syndrome was targeted as a major roadblock to the kind of changes we wanted to see implemented and subjects ranged from the fate of the Lafayette school, to ZBA and HDC inflexibility regarding adaptive reuses of buildings in the historic district.
Because this issue was so large, it has been broken up into three subgroups: "lack of diversity of peoples", NIMBY" and "traffic" to give each solution the attention it deserves.
Solutions offered for a lack of diversity of peoples and an ambivalent community:
support diverse businesses
educate the community at large through diverse school programs, like voc ed, tech ed, special ed, gifted ed, etc.
support the diversity and the community we already have through more cultural events
create a cultural center (like the one in Manchester) by restoring the Lafayette school
create a space for events and creative groups to meet during the winter. This could also be a place for community get togethers. (The Connie Bean Center or similar venue)
Create and publish a city wide proclamation (ie: a mission statement) to welcome and support diversity of all types.
Solutions to the "Not In My Back Yard" syndrome:
increase the power of neighborhood associations and municipal support for those associations
Review all zoning in the downtown and possibly expand “central business district” classifications
Create term limits for the HDC members to prevent the historic district from having one dominant aesthetic
Involve the whole community by strengthening and distributing community news and/ or a community calendar
Make sure no local government policy be passed without incorporating the community process.
Create a public library at the JFK site with ample pedestrian access
Solutions to traffic and parking:
Encourage pedestrian and bike use by improving the sidewalks and creating bike lanes
Close certain streets in the summer during the day, (like Penhollow and Chestnut) and allow for vendor kiosks there
Create more one way streets to prevent residential streets from being used as cut throughs (lower Court street, Washington street.)
Provide more parking on the outskirts of town and offer more shuttle buses to the downtown
Give residents and in town workers a monetary break regarding parking like monthly passes at the garage and offering resident parking stickers
Create more parking
The second issue we focused on was economic development.
Some of the hottest issues in this category were the lack of affordable housing for people working in the community, antiquated zoning relative to this and also to small businesses and start up businesses, a lack of communication between various cultural venues of the city, and last but not least, escalating property taxes.
There was a strong consensus for more tolerance and open mindedness regarding the creative housing needs of different kinds of families as well as different kinds of businesses.
Solutions offered were:
Create an umbrella organization of the chamber of commerce and the city to promote the visual and performing arts and facilitate communication among various arts venues
Allow for easier permitting processes for people doing business downtown.( ie vendor permits for artists)
Change zoning and relax codes for more dense housing possibilities as well as alternative living spaces (like those for artists and other in home businesses)
Encourage thoughtful redevelopment and in filling of neighborhoods.
Address property taxes- by “pay as you go” to control expenses (ie: taking care of one's own trash), giving tax credits for improvements to historic properties, and having taxes capped when one buys a property.
Create a community market space (like the Portland Public Market)
Implement a thorough zoning review of the downtown and make any necessary changes to allow for the start up of diverse small businesses
Promote thoughtful, citizen focused, redevelopment of the federal building. Suggestions here include the creation of a public market place or a Jay Smith memorial museum, and/or more parking facilities with public art
Allow for business incubators: create a space where small businesses can share resources
Create more affordable rentals with incentives to property owners to keep rentals and rehabilitate old units by providing tax breaks to property owners to keep rentals.
Encourage urban revitalization of existing housing and create more dense concentrations of living spaces, mother in law apartments, single room occupancy rooms, etc.
Change the focus of the city to be more citizen friendly by supporting local businesses
The last issue we focused on was Greenspace and the Arts.
The main focus was on the preservation and improvement of the “eyescape” of all areas of Portsmouth, and not just the downtown.
Planting more trees and preserving the special ones we have (like the Box Elder at Strawberry Banke) figured prominently as did public art and arts related events.
There was a strong consensus for getting the traffic out of the down town and making it not just more pedestrian friendly but really encouraging walking and biking with events that would promote the same.
Solutions offered were:
Plant more trees and conserve the ones we do have
Create a community garden and create more pocket gardens in and around town
Create set back requirements for new commercial construction to allow for green space.
Create a bike path
Expand the urban forestry center and other parks like it
Bring back the Seacoast Criterium bike race and other events like it
Finish those parks we have first, then build new ones. Specific ideas included replacing the chain link fence in Prescott Park along the water with something more attractive and replacing the sculpture in the fountain with something more to scale
Preserve more open spaces and parks around town and purchase more green space. (i.e. land off the North Mill Pond on Dennett street and on Maplewood avenue.)
Create more opportunities for public arts projects: sculptures, murals, etc.
Areas of dissent
There was only really one issue of dissension within the group. That was the issue of dogs. Portsmouth is perceived by some in the group as being very unfriendly to dogs with only one “dog park.”
We agreed however that a few were ruining it for the many by not picking up after their dogs.
The dog park itself was a very sensitive subject, with some loving it and some finding it unsightly and unsanitary.
Solutions offered:
pass stiffer penalties for dog owners who don't pick up after their animals
make the dog park we do have more sanitary (ie: use wood chips for bedding) and better looking
empower and support local dog owner groups to police and clean all dog friendly parks in town themselves.
