CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Public Hearing Minutes
January 23, 2002 Portsmouth City Hall 7:00
p.m.
Present: Robert Layton, Chairman; Cicero Lewis; Nancy Emerson; Vern Gardner; Lynne Langley; Jean Pecunies; Peter Rice; William Thorpe; and Russ Van Billiard.
Absent: Dani Rooney.
Staff: Cindy Hayden, Community Development
Director
Chairman Layton opened the
public hearing at 7:00 p.m. to hear comments from the public regarding progress
in the current fiscal year on CDBG-funded projects; an overview of CDBG project
eligibility requirements; and input regarding what projects should be funded in
the coming fiscal year beginning July 1, 2002.
Mr. Layton asked Community Development Director Cindy Hayden to provide
an overview of the eligibility requirements, budget process and projects status
update.
With regard to the CDBG
budget process and project eligibility, Ms. Hayden explained that CDBG funds
are provided to the City by U.S. Housing and Urban Development each year in the
form of an entitlement grant. Further,
she said the main purpose of these funds is to carry out programs, projects and
services that benefit residents of Portsmouth who earn low or moderate
incomes. She went on to explain that
this can take the form of benefiting individual families by, for example,
providing low interest housing rehab loans to families earning low or moderate
incomes; creating jobs through economic development loans or technical
assistance; and carrying out public facility projects (such as streetscape or
park improvements) in eligible neighborhoods.
Ms. Hayden said the funds
can also be used to carry out projects that benefit, for example, the residents
of housing facilities such as Wamesit Place, Gosling Meadows and Ledgewood
Apartments, where at least 51% of residents earn low or moderate incomes. In addition, CDBG funds can be granted to
non-profit agencies that provide services (such as housing and health care) to
Portsmouth residents who earn low and moderate incomes. Finally, Ms. Hayden said CDBG funds can be used
to carry out projects that improve handicapped accessibility such as
installation of accessible ramps in public buildings and curb cuts on City
sidewalks.
Ms. Hayden provided a PowerPoint slide presentation to describe project progress on CDBG-funded projects in the current fiscal year. She said the $514,000 Kearsarge Way Streetscape Project & Hislop Little League Parking Lot Improvements began early last summer and included replacement of water lines (not CDBG funded), paving, curbing, sidewalks, and tree plantings. At Hislop parking area, the gravel lot was paved and wooden guardrail installed. The project is essentially complete with only the tree plantings to occur in spring 2002. Neighborhood residents appear to be very pleased with the improvements.
In addition, Ms. Hayden said the $93,000 Greenleaf Avenue Sidewalk Project involved the installation of granite curbing and a sidewalk between the PHA-owned Wamesit Apartments family housing complex, and the Route 1 Bypass. This project is virtually complete.
Page Two
Work has also begun on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Goodwin Park. Chain link fence has been installed around the monument and the conservators (Daedalus, Inc. of Cambridge, MA), under contract to the City, are performing the testing necessary before they remove the monument to their workspace to begin restoration. Under the terms of the contract, Daedalus has until Spring 2003 to complete the restoration work, however, the City is hopeful the project will be complete next Fall.
Ms. Hayden also highlighted
the CDBG-funded Housing Rehab Program which provides low interest loans to
eligible homeowners for code repairs; the Hometown first time homebuyers
program which provides downpayment and closing cost assistance; and the Residential
Accessibility Program which provides grants to homeowners for handicapped
accessible ramps, bathroom modifications, and other accessibility improvements.
With regard to the CDBG
budget making process for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2002, Ms. Hayden
said that the Citizens Advisory Committee will gather input from residents over
the next several months, prioritize eligible projects brought to their
attention, and make recommendations for funding to the City Manager for
approval. The budget must be complete
and submitted to U.S. Housing and Urban Development for their approval by May
15, 2002. In closing, Ms. Hayden said
that, each year, residents bring many worthwhile projects to the attention of
the Citizens Advisory Committee, however, they can only recommend funding for
eligible projects, and there are always more projects requested than there is
available funding.
Mr.
Tom Belmont, President of the Atlantic Heights Neighborhood Association thanked
the CAC for past support of neighborhood projects, and said they have tried to
prioritize requests for future funding.
He said the neighborhood's highest priority is to make sure funding for
the improvements at Big Rock Park are sufficient. Second, he said they would like to have an electrical outlet at
Maynard Park for use on certain occasions such as National Night Out. Mr. Belmont also said they would like to see
continued funding for streetscape improvements, and would defer decisionmaking
regarding which streets to do next to the City. He reminded the CAC that the neighborhood has previously proposed
a central bus stop at Falkland Place across from Hanscom Park with the goal of
reducing potential injuries. He said
that, while the Kearsarge Way work was going on, this area was used for that
purpose and it worked well. Mr. Belmont indicated that the neighborhood would
like to move forward with a design plan for improvements to the wooded portion
of Hislop Park. In particular, they are
concerned with removal of the understory and brush in these dense woods to
reduce potential crime. He said a
handgun and bullets were found buried in the woods last year. Finally, Mr. Belmont said they would like to
add two benches to Hanscom Park that would be in the shade; specifically, on
either side of the concrete walk from Falkland Place underneath the crab trees. In closing, he spoke with high regard for
the work completed in the neighborhood to date, and thanked the CAC for what
they've done in the Heights. Mr.
Belmont provided a handout describing the neighborhood's priorities (attached).
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Margaret
Britton, owner of the 72 building and member of Friends of the Pearl, said the
72 has been deemed eligible to be on the National Register for historic
buildings. Ms. Britton also said that
the Land and Heritage Conservation Investment Program (LCHIP) has determined
that she is eligible to apply for LCHIP funding for restoration of a portion of
the building. Because the building is
privately owned, this would be accomplished though a preservation easement from
the NH Preservation Alliance, similar to a conservation easement across
land. Ms. Britton indicated that,
following the building's restoration, the 5-year plan is to have the Portsmouth
Black Heritage Trail take over part of the building.
Ms.
Britton said she attended tonight's public hearing to seek funding for an
elevator to make the public area of the building, which will be subject to the
preservation easement, handicapped accessible.
She said they get many requests for accessing the building by the
handicapped. Ms. Britton said Friends
of the Pearl is a large group and includes the Society for the Protection of
New England Antiquities (SPNEA), Richard Candee, Valerie Cunningham of the
Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, and Aaron Sturgis. She said the building was used for the Martin Luther King celebration,
and that the Men of Color in Service as well as the Portsmouth Advocates have
used the building for public gatherings.
Valerie
Cunningham of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail said the building is one of
the sites on the trail. It was the
first and only black church, and operated from about 1915 to the 1950s. She said they need an elevator because the
sanctuary is on the 2nd floor.
Mr.
Gardner asked if they had considered a ramp rather than an elevator. Ms. Britton responded that the elevation is
too steep for a ramp. Mr. Gardner asked
if the state had paid them for the easements, and Ms. Britton responded that
the opposite was true; they would have to pay the NH Preservation Alliance, the
entity that would be charged with monitoring the easement. She added that the preservation easement
will include the steeple, the public walkway and the façade.
Ted
Connors, Executive Director of the Portsmouth Housing Authority, thanked the
CAC for their support of the playgrounds at Wamesit Place and at Gosling
Meadows.
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City Councilor Harold Whitehouse said he would like
the CAC to consider using CDBG funds to replace the culvert under the causeway
across the South Mill Pond, and replace it with a bridge. Mr. Whitehouse said there used to be a
bridge there, and he believes that rebuilding the bridge would provide better
water flow in the pond and reduce the smell.
Further, he said he believes this should be CDBG eligible because there
are elderly residents on fixed incomes in the area, as well as disadvantaged
school children at the Middle School overlooking the pond. He said the new bridge and upgrade of
Junkins Avenue should incorporate period sidewalks and curbing.
Hearing no further comments from the public,
Chairman Layton closed the hearing at 7:50 p.m. Ms. Hayden reminded CAC members that their next meeting will be
at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday February 6th in the Planning/Community Development
conference room, 3rd floor, City Hall.