“Our Portsmouth Environment - A Threefold Approach”
Bow Study Circle Final Report March 10, 2003
Winter 2003 Study Circle #5 - Chamber of Commerce - Mondays 7-9pm
Meeting Dates: January 27, February 3 & 10
Final Meeting / Snow Date: Wednesday, February 19
“How do we make Portsmouth the best place to work and live for everyone?”
Those who have found their way to Portsmouth, and others who are fortunate to call the Seacoast their natal home, all seem to agree on one essential point. We have something special here. How can we maintain it, how can we preserve it for future generations? Portsmouth is imbued with many esoteric qualities and numerous concrete assets, and our study circle unanimously agreed on this point: we feel protective of this unique environment, we are its stewards.
The group of individuals who gathered Monday nights at the Chamber of Commerce was surprisingly synchronized. While our discussions were rich with diversity, our solutions and our vision is wonderfully congruent.
We are a group of conscious dwellers who do not take the opportunity to live here or be a part of this project lightly. An air of optimism and idealism prevailed as we began a limitless wish list for Portsmouth.
And when we synthesized it into three core areas of focus, we then expanded and fleshed it out again. The following report summarizes this data as well as our vision. We want to keep Portsmouth green, filled with open space and recreational facilities for our youth. We love the historic feel of downtown and hope our constructed environments will reflect this care for quality of life in future refurbishment or development.
Our people are the spirit of the city, and its “small town feel” was frequently cited as one of the intangibles that keeps us here. The face of Portsmouth is changing, and we seek access for all to education, support resources and cultural opportunities. Our local businesses shall thrive, and we will find creative solutions to new enterprise without losing our identity to corporate culture. Our vision for Portsmouth is a community of diverse and tolerant individuals who thrive in all areas of their livelihood.
This community is served by addressing its needs threefold, as a dynamic organism where the Human Environment, Natural Environment and Built Environment are honored individually and kept in delicate balance to the whole.
We encourage the City of Portsmouth, and its regulatory and enforcement agencies to continuously monitor and maintain a balance between these three environments, particularly as City Government creates and executes public policy.
Human Environment
Our Human Environment is everything and anything that serves the citizens of Portsmouth in their professional work, personal lives, and community resources. Maintaining community and social programs for all people in our community is essential to nurturing this Human Environment. This might include support for small business development or shelter for those in crisis. Our artists, our transportation opportunities and our connection as community members must not be overlooked when addressing Portsmouth's growth.
The Human Environment is the heart of our triumvirate approach. It is the intangible something that draws tourists and others to our port, but is ultimately threatened if we fail to look after Portsmouth's humanity. We foresee a thriving Human Environment which rests on these key contributions from our city government:
Invest in our people and programs that benefit our community;
Coordinate efforts with agencies to ensure broad social service coverage and the best use of resources;
Plan for our future as living, dynamic human beings as an essential component of urban planning;
Communicate with residents; and
Think Creatively about solutions and opportunities to enhance our quality of life.
Foster Community
Create virtual or physical meeting places and opportunities to increase resident communication, such as an internet site, or a central bulletin board in town at a Library resource center.
Support local businesses within pocket neighborhoods, and other organizations that encourage community gathering.
Develop visual and graphic aids for Channel 22 community television broadcasts to clarify topics of discussion. Identify each speaker by name and title, relevant application or issue, and location of property under discussion. This will help inform and draw in the viewer.
Social Services/Education
Create a city Crisis Center and Clinic. Existing facilities are at capacity, or citizens commute to Dover or outlying areas to receive services. We must allocate space and funding for these services.
Create affordable childcare. Explore eldercare/childcare cooperative environments.
Create a central location for community service information and resources. Consider a Services Coordinator position for the city, with primary responsibilities in Education and Social Services, so residents have someone to go to for referrals and information.
Create partnerships with business and community.
Increase opportunity for adult education and development.
Increase school funding and address student to teacher ratios.
Create a special focus school (international, arts, technology, etc.) and explore external grant opportunities to bolster the quality of the educational experience.
Adopt a mission of tolerance for our diverse community with respect to age, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
Arts/Culture
Create a Cultural and Fine Arts Center where artists and citizens of all generations can study, utilize ample studio space, exhibit, purchase and network. At the date of this report, Portsmouth has no central gathering place, school or resource center for the Arts and Culture. Refurbish an existing site such as the former Christian Academy.
Encourage more diverse, affordable and casual eateries downtown to balance the fine dining scene.
Recreation
Continue to support public recreational activities, such as public river access and boat launches.
Increase the number of affordable public ball fields, playing fields and tennis courts.
Explore preexisting spaces at Pease for a possible comprehensive City Recreation Center.
Reevaluate the use of the overburdened Leary Field, by creating/utilizing additional space elsewhere.
Consider recruiting or hosting semi-professional or college sports teams in the Portsmouth area.
Commerce
Continue to support tourism in ways that complement residential life.
Offer a Community Pass for residents and tourists, combining transportation with discounts on recreational and cultural events as well as shopping. This will create revenue, ease congestion, introduce people to public transportation, and support the local business community.
Transportation
Improve public transportation routes with expanded and more frequent coverage.
Provide a shelter, bench, and a route schedule at each stop.
Increase public awareness of existing public transportation. Consider advertising and promotions.
Create an airport link to Manchester.
Expand current links to Boston and Portland. Consider train commuter opportunities.
Shift the transportation focus to moving people, instead of moving/facilitating vehicles.
Acknowledge the strong pedestrian and cyclist contingent in our city when addressing transportation needs, including improved and continuous sidewalks and bike paths.
Natural Environment
Our Natural Environment is often overlooked and relates integrally to the well-being of our Human Environment, just as it must be provided for in our Built Environment. Our group seeks to retain the wonderful life we enjoy in our outdoor pursuits as well as to respect the aesthetic Portsmouth. We are concerned with the beautification of our Natural Environment yet extremely conscious of the serious repercussions if such an environment were not protected and preserved. This approach concerns not only our earth, but also our waterways and air. We foresee a healthy Natural Environment where parks and facilities are not only a leisurely place to rest and visit with a neighbor, or a delightful photo opportunity for an enchanted tourist, but also a smart investment in our environmental future.
We ask the following of our government:
Clean Up issues/problems with pollution, both point source and non-point source, including the remaining sewer infrastructure improvements committed through the City's Capital Improvement Plan. Consistently monitor air quality problems by enforcing pollution regulations at the source.
Restore, Protect and Preserve Portsmouth's natural saltwater tidal flow in all its estuaries, its remaining open space - a major contributor to local economy/tourism - and its wildlife habitats.
Beautify and Improve the City's neighborhoods and parks by creating and implementing a landscape/greenway plan for the City.
Make shoreline protection a priority as we make the waterfront more accessible.
Plant more trees when developing and refurbishing neighborhoods.
Develop more pocket/community parks and gardens and provide ongoing maintenance. Encourage youth partnerships or “adoption” initiatives for these gardens.
Support active preservation and restoration of North and South Mill Ponds:
Identify and eliminate pollution sources (old industrial, sewer and automobile runoff), and re-establish natural tidal flow.
Implement downtown public recycling with collection baskets at parks and key tourist locations.
Commit as a City and a community to an ongoing open space protection plan.
Built Environment
Our Built Environment provides the structure for our business, families and community organizations. It does not encroach upon the Natural Environment or the Human Environment but works as a complement. While much of our city is protected due to its Historic value, should not the entire community benefit from this type of attention and consideration?
Portsmouth is a progressive community in so many other areas, wouldn't it be wonderful if we expanded our present concept of space and development to accommodate sustainable living for all?
We enlist the city to:
Preserve the structural and architectural grace of Portsmouth;
Invest in creative solutions to the demand for housing, commercial, recreational and Open Green space;
Manage urban development with a respect for the Balance of Human and Natural life; and
Optimize Space so that individuals and families at all levels of society may enjoy safe, affordable housing.
Review zoning to increase density and number of units per square feet or acre, encouraging the development and redevelopment of multiple-family units. Consider joint commercial/residential space, continued warehouse conversions and mother-in-law units, and other innovative sources.
Increase programs that allow more mixed-income and affordable housing, adjusting zoning ordinances if necessary.
Keep/maintain/preserve the historic central business district’s physical infrastructure. This includes a consistency in the quality of sidewalks, lighting and parking.
Preserve and extend the historic feel of downtown throughout its neighborhoods: Brick sidewalks, tree planting, historic lighting fixtures, and underground utilities.
Develop the Riverfront Walkway - sharing the waterfront, making it available and accessible to the whole community. Create a continuous pedestrian walkway that complements the Natural Environment.
Balance the ratio of open and undeveloped green spaces to the developed and paved surfaces in the city. This is more appealing visually, and improves storm water capacity.
