Manchester Infill & Small Developments

There's a nice write-up on the Main Streets program in New Hampshire in today's Union Leader. I'd like to see to see a similar approach taken with some of Manchester's neighborhood centers, including Webster Street, the Hollow, Rimmon Heights and Granite Square, which could all benefit from some unified vision and strategy.

Main Street program breathing new life in downtowns across state
By Nancy Bean Foster

Keeping downtown areas vibrant and making them attractive centers of commerce and community are the goals behind Main Street programs. Towns across the state will celebrate their success on Tuesday, Main Street Day.

The Main Street program, administered by the National Trust, began in New Hampshire in 1997 with the communities of Littleton and Milford, which had already begun efforts to revitalize their downtowns. The program has spread to Concord, Dover, Goffstown, Jaffrey, Lisbon, Meredith, Ossipee, Rochester and Wilton.

In Milford, according to Tracy Bardsley, director of the town's Main Street program, the downtown area was falling victim to neglect. The town hall had been condemned by the fire marshal, shops were shuttered, and businesses had simply vanished.

In 1992, a group of citizens decided that the Milford Oval was too precious to lose and concerted efforts began to breathe new life into downtown. The Milford Downtown Ongoing Improvement Team (DO-IT) was formed. In 1998, it was recognized by the National Trust as a New Hampshire Main Street Community by establishing a board of directors and committees to carry out plans, and by raising funds to support the program, among other requirements.

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Once on the verge of being condemned, the Milford Town Hall is a centerpiece of a downtown that has seen marked improvement because of the Main Street program.

Four-point plan
The town agreed to adopt the National Trust's four-point plan to restore the downtown area. That included economic restructuring, organization, design and promotion.

"The idea behind making the downtown as attractive as possible is really simple -- people and businesses want to be in a location that is attractive, safe, pedestrian-friendly," said Bardsley. "It spurs economic development because commercial and industrial interests want to locate in that environment, real estate values increase or maintain their appreciation, and the town becomes a destination for visitors for unique retail shops and dining."

Goffstown, Wilton sign on
In Main Street towns, the organization works with businesses and municipal governments to restore buildings, signs and lighting, design and seek funding for sidewalks and underground utilities, bridge repairs, parks and other aesthetic improvements.

The money to run the organization comes from both municipal governments and donations from businesses, organizations and individuals, said Robbie Grady, director of the Goffstown Main Street Association. Grants are sought to make improvements, both large and small, in the communities.

Grady said the program took off in Goffstown when the local Rotary Club built a pocket park overlooking the river and inspired others on Main Street to start sprucing up their properties.

"Something needed to be done for the betterment of town," said Grady. "We have the ability to bring groups of people together to work on projects that highlight the community and to show people that this is a good place to be and to live."

In Wilton, where Bardsley got her start as a Main Street director, the Main Street program received a grant to install new sidewalks downtown and purchased the land that is now the new downtown park. The Wilton Main Street Association also paid for the awnings on several downtown buildings.

Grady said there's been more than $2.5 million in public and private investment in Goffstown's Village area since the program began. In Milford, the number is closer to $6.6 million.

Bardsley said in 2010, Milford's Main Street program events helped bring in almost $2.7 million in revenues.

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New sidewalks and a park are part of the improvements in downtown Wilton due to the Main Street program.

Still struggling
But while some businesses are flourishing thanks to the help of their Main Street programs; others are struggling.

In Wilton, for instance, the new sidewalks and pocket park haven't resulted in a flood of new customers, said Marie Fortier, owner of the Here Today Emporium.

"We're still struggling to get people to come in," she said. "I was so gung ho when the Main Street program started, but now I'm not sure it really works."

The Route 101 bypass has led to a quiet Main Street and struggling businesses, Fortier said.

But Richard Putnam, Fortier's neighbor on Main Street, said the concept of the Main Street program is great. What's lacking, he said, is volunteers to make the program work.

In Goffstown, Steve Pascucci owner of the Village Trestle restaurant and bar, echoed Putnam's sentiments.

"The businesses aren't working together," said Pascucci. "There's not a whole lot of participation. We need to come together as a Main Street unit."

On Tuesday, the towns that participate in the Main Street program will share their methodology for community revitalization during a daylong conference, evening showcase and reception at the Red River Theatre in Concord.
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The wrecking ball begins the destruction of the smokestack of the old municipal incinerator Friday as one of the last stages of the demolition of the Manchester public works complex before construction begins on the facility.

The Union Leader has a photo of the old incinerator smokestack coming down to make way for the new municipal complex on Valley Street. I'll miss the smokestack, but not much else about the garbage truck pen in the neighborhood, and the municipal complex will hopefully lead to future development in the area.
 
Also, I just added a new post at LivableMHT comparing transit in Portland and Manchester. I'd be curious to hear the perspective of anyone who has used or would like to use the MTA or other transit in Manchester. With Portland improving its transit and Manchester cutting what little money it gives to transit, Portland is really positioning itself well to attract residents, businesses, students and visitors compared to Manchester.

Also, I'm going to try to post more often, and sometimes shorter posts, on LivableMHT. If you people are interested in following posts (and contributing/commenting, please), please like LivableMHT on Facebook.
 
I think back someone posted that a street car would have to be powered by wires and this may look unattractive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gckN2ANG_zc&feature=related

That doesn't look bad at all. I may be mistaken about that comment though. Either way I think this video of the tram shows that it is not unattractive. I have never seen one before in person though.
 
I agree--I think the overhead wires really disappear, and are well-worth the benefits of a streetcar/tram. They're much cleaner and simpler than overhead phone and electrical wires, which is what I think a lot of people have in mind when they picture them.

Anyway, here are a couple of good clips of systems more similar to anything that might one day grace the streets of Manchester:

watch


and the system under construction in Tucson, a city with a lower population density than Manchester:

watch


Just as a side, I saw a light-rail line mentioned in a study about I-93 from a few years. I think these sections Monopoly posted on a separate thread illustrate the light-rail corridor running up the median of I-93:

TypicalSection.pdf


I know there's been talk about a commuter rail line running up that area, but with the inevitable (if delayed) commuter rail running through Nashua to Manchester and Concord, a line up I-93 seems unlikely. The light-rail idea is really interesting, though, because it would offer very quick, more frequent commuter service from the suburbs lining I-93 to the airport, and then probably up Canal Street through downtown Manchester, as recommended by the Hillier downtown study in 2006. I think a similar idea of light-rail as a lower cost, more frequent regional option is being discussed in Portland, Maine. This is all anecdotal, but I think a streetcar looping through downtown and possibly connection to the West Side and elsewhere in the city would generate higher ridership in the city, but a light-rail line to the southern suburbs and up Canal Street would probably attract a lot more commuters, and perhaps lead to a better in-city transit system even if it was just buses.
 
Yeah I posted it here. It is included in conceptual drawings on the 93 rebuild site.

http://www.archboston.org/community/showthread.php?t=3605

You keep mentioning that the density is lower than Manchester. However population is greater. I think this may be not relevant. Example being in a larger city with greater population (with lower density) people want to travel further, and more people may end up traveling into the center of the city during work ultimately creating more density of people temporarily there.

Also, it was mentioned that without a commuter rail the street cars are not likely to happen. I do agree, however I think that they would work without a commuter line easily. With a regional bus system and the Boston Express I see the rail cars still being functional. As I explained in a response post on livableMHT, I would take the Boston Express or a similar bus like Nashua route from the MTA if Salem had one if Manchester had a better bus or transit system. Right now I would be afraid of getting into Manchester from Salem with use of public transportation and then not being able to get around quickly and easily.
 
Oh, and the old building for the new downtown Market Basket has begun being demolished in parts (they are keeping the majority of the structure but obviously it needs some work.) I saw this last Thursday.
 
I saw the Market Basket site today and it looks like they demolished a good portion of the building. When I was on 293, I had a great view of River's Edge and the condos by the ballpark. It looks like more condos are going in and phase 2 at the Elliot is underway. Further down the road, the Bedford Mall is really coming down now.
 
Those condos are supposed to have a number of them there. They seem kinda nice. I actually finally went into one of those style condos / buildings last year at some in Methuen MA.

I just think these type of condos are cheap quick style buildings for developers and I think there are too many in New England. I would much rather see a different style residential development in place of these anywhere. Especially in Manchester.

But the view form those condos probably is cool with the river and they have done a good job at getting the river walk extended. It is little projects like this that will complete the rest of the riverwalk. The most work will probably be along the mills where there is no shore. I think the addition of a complete riverwalk to the city will be awesome. I know it would have been nice to have when I attended UNH Manchester there.

The Elliot has that new park too that will help.
 
MonopolyBag said:
Yeah I posted it here. It is included in conceptual drawings on the 93 rebuild site.

http://www.archboston.org/community/showthread.php?t=3605

You keep mentioning that the density is lower than Manchester. However population is greater. I think this may be not relevant. Example being in a larger city with greater population (with lower density) people want to travel further, and more people may end up traveling into the center of the city during work ultimately creating more density of people temporarily there.

Also, it was mentioned that without a commuter rail the street cars are not likely to happen. I do agree, however I think that they would work without a commuter line easily. With a regional bus system and the Boston Express I see the rail cars still being functional. As I explained in a response post on livableMHT, I would take the Boston Express or a similar bus like Nashua route from the MTA if Salem had one if Manchester had a better bus or transit system. Right now I would be afraid of getting into Manchester from Salem with use of public transportation and then not being able to get around quickly and easily.
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Density isn't the only thing, but I think it's often overlooked in favor of population. Density is huge though: much more of Tucson has developed as an auto-dependent neighborhoods than Manchester, for instance, and it is considerably more spread out. Streetcars seem to require a certain degree of density (and in turn, help create greater density), and they're not ideal for moving people long distances, so I don't think population is the only factor either. I'm not saying that a streetcar would definitely work in Manchester, or that it would work better than in Tucson, just that it's worth considering.

Your point about regional buses needing to feed into a better local transit system is excellent. I'm sure plenty of others, including daily commuters from Salem, Bedford, Londonderry and elsewhere have thought the same thing. Commuter rail is definitely the best way to connect to Boston--it just has capacity and comfort that a bus line cannot offer. A regional, commuter-style bus like the Zoom in Maine, would be great for running up and down I-93 between Salem and Manchester, though (and maybe Nashua and Manchester). To get people to use them, though, they need to know that there's a reliable, easy-to-understand system of buses (and maybe one day a streetcar or light-rail) to get around the city once they get there.

I added a commuter line down to Salem (and Bedford, which would obviously be smaller, but important I think) on the map after your comment, by the way... thanks.
 
I just saw this promising editorial from Sunday in the Nashua Telegraph:

Governor on board to derail repeal bill

There aren?t a lot of times when Republican lawmakers and the business community split on major pieces of legislation, but that?s exactly what has happened with this cockamamie idea to repeal the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority.

Despite the best efforts of the Greater Nashua and Greater Manchester chambers of commerce, among others, the House of Representatives voted, 190-119, last month to repeal the authority, the body created by the Legislature just four years ago to study and implement passenger rail service in New Hampshire.

So you can imagine our delight last week when Gov. John Lynch told our editorial board that not only does he believe the Senate will reject the House?s shortsighted bid to repeal the authority, but that he stands ready to veto the bill even if it does.

?I don?t think there is the support in the Senate to do away with the rail authority. I don?t think that is going to happen,? Lynch told us Thursday.

?If the Senate were to pass it, they don?t have the votes to override the veto, and I would veto a bill that disbanded the authority.?

While the governor was on record in opposition to the repeal effort, it was the first time he had stated publicly that he would veto the bill should it reach his desk.

That same day, the Senate Transportation Committee postponed its vote on the repeal bill (HB 218), perhaps another good sign that senators aren?t inclined to rubber-stamp the House bill or at least are considering options short of repeal.

While our earlier pleas fell on deaf ears in the House ? where House Speaker William O?Brien and his Republican leadership team inexplicably have made repeal a political crusade ? we want to reiterate our position in anticipation of the upcoming vote in the Senate.

Which is simply this: After four years of work at no cost to state government, after securing $4.1 million in federal grant money to conduct economic and feasibility studies, after a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll found residents favor extending commuter rail service from Concord to Boston by a margin of 75 percent to 6 percent, why in the world would we stop now?
Why not complete the intended exercise of gathering up-to-date data so that an intelligent decision can be made on whether passenger rail would be an economically viable transportation option in New Hampshire?

And while most of the emphasis has been on moving passengers over rail lines, let?s not forget the potential economic benefits to the state of upgrading these tracks for commercial freight use as well.

We understand lawmakers are facing some huge budgetary challenges, but the reality is this isn?t one of them. Keeping the rail authority intact is not going to have one iota of impact on the 2012-13 budget.

Yes, it?s comforting to know our governor will veto this wrongheaded repeal legislation if necessary, but should it really have to come down to that?
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The editorial follows an interview Lynch gave to the Telegraph's editorial board last week, which included his promise to veto the repeal bill:

Lynch vows to veto rail panel repeal
By KEVIN LANDRIGAN
Friday, April 15, 2011

Gov. John Lynch said he would veto a House-passed bill to repeal the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority and predicted he?d win such a veto override fight in the state Senate.

During an interview with The Telegraph editorial board, Lynch said he?s confident the state Senate will not go along with the authority repeal bill (HB 218), but is likely to embrace trimming some of the group?s powers.

?I don?t think there is the support in the Senate to do away with rail authority. I don?t think that is going to happen,? Lynch said.

?If the Senate were to pass it, they don?t have the votes to override the veto and I would veto a bill that disbanded the authority.?

Lynch delivered the same message earlier Thursday during a luncheon with Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau.
Bringing Boston rail service to Nashua and on to Concord would be an economic boon to the southern tier, Lynch said.

?I think rail would be an economic driver for this region,? Lynch said. ?Ultimately, we would realize more money than we could even contemplate at this point.

?We subsidize transportation all the time. To talk about rail as different from highways and buses and trucks in the costs to us is fool hardy.?
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The lack of leadership and support from Gatsas on this matter cannot be overstated. While both the Manchester and Nashua chambers of commerce and the mayor of Nashua are working to get commuter rail to the region, Gatsas is giving away the land designated for a transit center to a suburban-style supermarket. Especially as a Republican, Gatsas is in a position to offer sober, intelligent support for commuter rail as an economic tool for the city. Commuter rail is coming with or without Gatsas' support and with or without the repeal of the NHRTA, but when it comes and how well it is integrated with the city depends on the support of people like the mayor of the state's largest city.
 
That's great news. Good for Lynch. I think the senate is more level-headed than the House, so I think they'll keep the authority in place. Gatsas will take credit for bringing commuter rail to Manchester once it's in place and he realizes it's popular. Mayor Weizcorek did that with the airport expansion, which he always opposed, but then took credit for it.
 
A few awesome points.

"It is great to know Lynch will veto, but should it come down to that?"
and
"While emphasis has been on passengers, the freight will benefit too."

Those rails are old, and I can only imagine what will happen if they are never updated. I doubt the freight company will invest into them. They may just stop servicing the area.

I am glad to hear this. I think the study is necessary to get a realistic view on NH's rail status.
 
A few weeks ago, I started poking around with some ideas about how the former "Flat Iron"/McGregorville section of Notre Dame might be redeveloped in a high-density, mixed-use neighborhood to anchor the West Side and attract more people to the city center. The area was once a vibrant neighborhood and is now a half-empty strip mall and parking lot. I'm still planning to come back to the area, but I decided to start with a less prominent, but easier to tackle area that could use a facelift.

As part of the Envisioning Manchester series on LivableMHT, I'm beginning to look at the city center neighborhood of Corey Square, and more specifically the square itself. Currently, the "square" is a small collection of commercial businesses and Central High School where the grid of Lowell and Maple Streets meets the jumble of lanes called Janeville. The angled intersection is unusual in Manchester (along with the Hollow, Granite Square and potentially McGregorville), so it has the potential to be one of only a handful of "squares" in the city center. Unfortunately, at the moment, it's heavily dominated by wide streets, parking lots and some shabby buildings (in addition to some that have been renovated recently). It's not the most prominent area, but it does have a lot going for it: proximity to downtown, NHIA, City Library and the Currier; nestled between the two major eastern gateway thoroughfares into the city (Hanover and Bridge Streets); already zoned appropriately for mixed-use and neighborhood business, with the potential for a neighborhood business district to develop between the landmark Ash Street School and the square.

coreysquare_temp_plan.jpg

Corey Square as envisioned by LivableMHT; existing (left) and draft improvements (right) showing new (bright red) and renovated (dull red) buildings, narrowed Maple Street with bike lane, streetscape beautification and new greenspace

I'm hoping to get some community input on thoughts and ideas for improving the area, so please share them if you have any at the LivableMHT page soliciting ideas.
 
MonopolyBag said:
So I assume you are planning on running for Mayor?

Haha, nice job.
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Haha... thanks... maybe someday if I ever live in Manchester again. More realistically though, there are plenty of well-qualified, forward-thinking, urban-minded people in Manchester now who would make great mayors or aldermen. I'm glad to see, through organizations like goodgood, the food co-op, Manchester Moves and so on, that so many people are coming out and calling for the urban amenities and policies that will make Manchester more vibrant. I hope that the city will soon have a mayor who really understands and advocates for those things and builds upon the good work of Baines. I'd love to see a young mayor living in one of the more urban neighborhoods in the city, but Gatsas could be a strong advocate for a more vibrant, urban Manchester if he'd just listen to the Planning Department and start pushing for rail in the city. If that doesn't happen, I think it will take a new mayor to see major movement in that direction.
 
Speaking of people running for mayor, the UL is reporting that Alderman Garth Corriveau is considering a run. I've been in touch with Alderman Corriveau a bit about LivableMHT, and he's been encouraging and supportive of the ideas espoused by the site. I know relatively little about most of the aldermen, but I believe Garth Corriveau is the youngest, and likely the most informed about and supportive of urban development and livability issues. I think he'd make a great year, but it will be tough running against a well-known incumbent and I'd hate to lose his voice on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Since I don't live in Manchester, I'll refrain from making any sort of endorsements on LivableMHT, though I'd welcome any residents to submit contributions supporting any candidates for their views on livability and urban development as the election nears.

Beth LaMontagne Hall's City Hall: Alderman Corriveau mulls mayoral run

After hinting at a mayoral run for months, Alderman Garth Corriveau today announced he will decide whether he's in or out of the race by the end of the month.

"Over the last couple weeks, I've talked to some politically smart people that I trust and will continue talking with them next week. I know I feel I owe it to anyone considering running to try to make a decision as promptly as I can," said Corriveau. "More people than I expected have asked me to consider a race for mayor - or for alderman."

Corriveau's name has been at the top of the list of possible candidates since January when he told the City Hall column he hadn't decided which city post he would run for this fall.

"I love what I'm doing and definitely want to keep serving the city in the years ahead," said Corriveau. "I think with next year's budget being very difficult, I'll let things unfold naturally and make up my mind when the timing's right."

The city election filing period begins July 11.

Corriveau is a first-term aldermen and former head of the New Hampshire Young Democrats. He recently left a position at former Democratic Congressional candidate Justin P. Nadeau's law office in Portsmouth.

In the event he doesn't run for mayor, Corriveau plans a re-election bid for his Ward 6 seat.

"Just because I'm pondering my 2011 political future right now doesn't mean I'm not looking to be Ward 6 alderman," he said.

Whether it's Corriveau or another candidate, Manchester Democrats are facing an uphill battle to unseat Mayor Ted Gatsas. Read this Sunday's City Hall column to learn what Gatsas is already doing to prepare for the race.
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