Conditions on Downtown development intentionally ignored

March 23 − To the Editor:

A 1200+ square foot expansion to an overwater commercial deck with a small slice for public space was approved Thursday night. The capacity at 99 Bow Street is already busting at the seams with an overflow of trash, grease traps blocked, traffic congestion, noise and smoking on Bow Street and the city approved another expansion. Again, the City bows to the developer.

When will the city put a stop to development that adversely affects abutting property owners and the environment?

Applause to Jayne Begala and James Hewitt for being the only two Planning Board members courageous enough to say NO! opposing the application, along with the Conservation Commission and initially NH DES. We appreciate your attempts to balance the commercial, residential and environmental concerns without requiring property owners to again yield to developers.

During the meeting, it appeared more might deny the plan when three other board members, Chellman, Moreau and Almeida mentioned their own experiences about how difficult it is to live downtown, but each still approved this application. Yes, you read that right. Three noted the difficulties that people living downtown face, but then approved this plan even though it makes the problems on Bow Street markedly worse.

This approval is all the more insidious considering that when the Martingale was built in 2007 it received numerous variances (notice the enormous width and height in comparison to its historic neighbors). The original deck was a compromise. The City allowed it because the developer promised that it would NEVER request further deck expansion. This promise is in the original plan. It is in the meeting minutes. We have raised it with City Boards multiple times — including this Planning Board meeting — this developer has requested to expand its deck multiple times since. Both the developer and the City have just ignored the promise to not further expand.

The expansion adversely affects neighbors (including the Piscataqua River and shore land) with increased noise, lighting, trash, grease, traffic congestion, and smoke. Each time we raise these concerns — and we have over the years many times — the Boards say, these are issues for the City’s enforcement departments. We then communicate the problems to the enforcement employees. The problems continue because the owners say they will fix the problems, but don’t. It appears enforcement just can’t keep up with the development the Boards are approving.

This project allegedly includes a “public” deck on the waterfront. When trying to find it, look for the “Public Deck” signs at 99 Bow Street that are an express condition of this approved expansion. This is your, the public’s, space! Bring your beach chairs, your fishing poles, your friends & family, and your protest signs. When the business directs you to move to create space for its customers, politely respond the same way they addressed the Board with the problem directing its tenants & employees to smoke in front of our neighboring historic wood building, “It’s public property.”

Katy Eveland Sherman

Portsmouth