Summary of Major Themes

1. Affordable Housing

The overwhelming concern of the group is in regards to affordable housing. Property values are driving housing prices well beyond the reach of many low- and middle-income residents, including folks who have lived and worked in the city for years. Specific examples include recent drastic increases in property sale prices and the removal of Ledgewood Manor from the low-income rolls.

2. Traffic

Traffic flow is a concern in six general areas; General Sullivan Bridge, Woodbury Ave shopping, Route 1 southern end of city, traffic circle, Pease/Rt33/Spaulding, and downtown. Both a reduction in traffic congestion at peak times and a more efficient traffic flow are desired.

3. Senior Issues

Plenty of senior services are available but they are not effectively publicized to all the seniors.

For example, many seniors do not know about the senior newsletter sent out by the city.

4. Urban Sprawl

Portsmouth is loosing its small town or home town feel. It seems that every open space is taken up by businesses rather than housing or parks.

Summary of Significant Disagreements

Although there were certainly differences in viewpoint present within the group, most disagreements were not discussed openly at great length.

One disagreement regarding affordable housing should be mentioned.

Since state and federal housing subsidies are more prevalent for low income families, certain group members thought it important for the city to focus on middle income defined as around $40,000 gross income per year or above section 8. Other group members thought it more important to concentrate additional subsidies on lower income families.

Conclusions and Recommendations

1. Affordable Housing:

Diverse neighborhoods of mixed incomes should be promoted.

Concentrations of a specific income range are considered undesirable. One solution may be to promote multiple unit buildings on one lot or cluster housing.

Creative solutions need to be sought. Study what did and did not work in the last 10 years. Encourage or require developers to provide a percentage of affordable housing.

Give incentives and safeguards to keep housing as affordable throughout its life cycle. City owned property should be considered for low income housing.

Examples of city owned property potentially available in the near future include the library, federal building, Connie Bean center, Lafayette school.

A means for local service workers (firefighters, teachers, cooks, etc.) to live in the city should be provided.

2. Traffic:

There is a need for more effective traffic routing. Specific solutions include widening of the Sullivan bridge and the opening of gated roadways. The traffic light coordination on Woodbury Ave should be overhauled. Also consider additional public transportation and bike lanes.

A suggestion to reduce downtown traffic is to create parking lots close to the highway and provide shuttles or sidewalks for passage to downtown.

For example, provide a public parking lot or facility on Market St Ext and an actual sidewalk to downtown.

Currently folks drive through downtown multiple times from lot to lot looking for an open spot. Many visitors are unaware of most lots or can't find them.

Does the public works department have the resources available to address the growing traffic issue? Special collegiate studies may be a low cost near term benefit.

3. Senior Issues:

Spread the word about current senior services more effectively. Senior issues such as accessibility need to be considered in future development.

For example, sidewalks made of brick are difficult for seniors to walk on.

4. Urban Sprawl:

The spread of commercial areas needs to be limited. Route 1 through the south end of town is beginning to resemble Route 1 in Saugus MA. Residential areas need to be protected from unlimited commercial expansion. For example, the Pease housing should have been kept.

Appendices

Appendix A:

List of major themes identified during initial group brainstorming.