Study Circle 17: Bridge

Portsmouth Listens

Study Circle #17 - Bridge

Final Report

Ask most people what they like about where they live, and you'll get a sentence or two. Ask a group of Portsmouth residents, though, and you'll be listening for quite a while.

We love Prescott Park and the Music Hall; we love the presence of small business and non-profit organizations; we love the buildings, the water, and most of all, the people.

Talk to a group made up of different people like us - parents, activists, newcomers, longtime residents, educators, homeowners, renters, small business owners, commuters - and you'll hear a common language.

Say "the salt piles" and people nod in appreciation of the working port and the pleasure of living in a town that is pretty, but not totally gentrified.

Then there's “Pic 'n Pay” - code for the fact that there are some places where we're forever running into friends and acquaintances, reminding us that we do belong to a community. And, don't forget “Market Square,” which is less an address and more a symbol; of arts, culture, commerce, citizens; of a city that thrives year round.

Major Themes

City Services and Communication

What services the city does and should provide; how information about these services and other civic activity is and could be disseminated

Downtown

The area of the city commonly referred to as “downtown” and what is and is not working about it; how we can envision the downtown as geographically and psychically larger

Housing

The availability of housing and the diversity of residents; concerns of renters and homeowners

Conclusions and Recommendations

Note: The attachments to the final report offer further information and detail on our discussions and analysis.

City Services and Communication

Situation

The city offers many services, most of high quality

Problem

There is a lack of awareness and access to these services.

Many services are inaccessible or inconvenient to those who rely on public transportation

Recommendations

  • Create a pamphlet/booklet of city services and make widely available at various locations
  • Distribute pamphlet/booklet to new homeowners, renters, and workers
  • Create a Rumor and Reality Website that offers residents an interactive online community to post questions and concerns, as well as an opportunity for city workers and departments to answer questions and give input
  • Create a more interactive city website
  • Make better use of cable access channel, including the solicitation and encouragement of local programming
  • Create a complete transportation plan that includes bike paths, increased bus routes, more parking, and safer walking

    Housing

    Situation

    Portsmouth is a highly desirable community to live in

    Problems

    This desirability has created a lack of housing for low to middle income people

    High property taxes have made home ownership a burden for new and longtime homeowners

    Recommendations

  • Offer landlords education and incentives to make apartments available for subsidies
  • Acquire and build more housing appropriate for a range of incomes, including development at Pease
  • Implement a home ownership program for gradual growth from subsidized housing to independence
  • Make use of empty city buildings for housing
  • Restructure the tax code

    Downtown

    Situation

    The downtown is the heart of the city, and there is a strong desire to keep it vibrant

    Problems

    Not as resident-friendly as it should be, particularly concerning parking and the diminished presence of practical business, like grocery stores and pharmacies

    There is a limited vision of what downtown is

    The historic character of the downtown is threatened by new construction

    Chain stores threaten the city's uniqueness and residents' desire for small, local business

    Recommendations

  • Expand vision of downtown to include Islington Street, areas to South Street and through the North End
  • Treat expanded downtown as such, with increased attention to sidewalks, building construction and renovation, and business and resident activity in city festivals and celebrations
  • Create a commission focused on maintaining the look, feel, and character of downtown, with particular interests in requiring businesses to meet set architectural guidelines and in encouraging local ownership
  • Provide incentives to landlords and small business owners for renting to or opening practical businesses
  • Investigate parking options, including city resident, neighborhood and employee permits and lots
  • Give immediate focus, which includes public input, to the McIntyre Building spot, and create and indoor/outdoor market that meets residents' needs

    Summary

    We believe the key to Portsmouth's future is to build on its success - not to succumb to it.

    Our focus should be to ensure that Portsmouth remain a desirable place to live, as well as a place to visit.

    City services should be readily accessible to all residents. We recommend an interactive city channel, available to all citizens and connected to all city departments.

    Steps need to be taken to maintain a diverse community by creating affordable, lower to middle economic, housing.

    We also recommend a committed pursuit of lower property taxes.

    Finally, the showpiece of the city- the downtown area - must be protected and its success expanded to a larger area.

    We recommend a special commission to monitor growth and integrity of the downtown area.

    These actions will keep our city vibrant well into the future.


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