Other Issues facing the City of Portsmouth
Sustainability:
The inspiring natural beauty and healthy environment of the Seacoast are a big part of what make it such a special place to live, and we take these resources for granted at our peril. In fact, nowhere is it more true than in New Hampshire that (to borrow a phrase from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.), "the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment." Sustainability means ensuring that economic and social progress are achieved in harmony with, rather than at the expense of, the environment. In practice, it means maximizing energy efficiency and transitioning to use of renewable energy, minimizing waste through source reduction and extensive recycling (and use of recycled products), "greening" our buildings, and improving our transportation systems to make bicycling and walking viable alternatives to the automobile.
Maintaining Portsmouth's Special Character:
Unique, locally owned businesses are an integral part of the character of our downtown and an important part of the entire city's economy. While the City can't give these businesses property tax discounts (per the State Constitution) or control the rents their landlords charge, we should strive to ensure that City ordinances and fees don't make it any tougher than it already is for them to succeed in a world of franchises and Internet shopping.
Workforce Housing:
I believe our greatest challenge with respect to workforce housing is reconciling our OWN conflicting desires – everyone says it's too hard for "working people" to afford housing in the City, but every new project of any size runs into a buzz saw of opposition based on fears about traffic and density. We currently have requirements for minimum street frontage, maximum % of lot coverage, lot line setbacks, required parking spaces, etc., that strongly discourage smaller, multiple dwellings or multifamily dwellings. We need to change both what is required and allowed, and creatively design some incentives for developers to build smaller, more affordable and/or multi-family units.
Transportation:
During my time on the Council, I have been its leading advocate for making Portsmouth a more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly city. As small as Portsmouth is, it ought to be a mecca of cycling and walking as legitimate means of transportation; I will insist that our next Capital Improvement Plan include striped bicycle lanes on major City arteries so that cycling is officially recognized and given safe space on the roads, and continues to improve sidewalks and the configuration of intersections to make pedestrians feel safe. And again, we must get creative with zoning ordinances - for example, developers of office space should be incented to provide covered, secure bicycle parking and a locker room with showers for employees, by allowing a reduction in parking space requirements. I’ll ask the City to explore the prospect of Zipcar (an Internet-operated, neighborhood-based, by-the-hour car rental business) serving Portsmouth, to enable renters in our most dense neighborhoods to forego car ownership.
