Residents who care about the future of downtown Portsmouth should participate in public input sessions this Saturday at 9 a.m. and Thursday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
The city and its chosen development partner, Redgate/Kane, are working on a development plan for the 2.1-acre federal building parcel to present to the U.S. Interior Department. The feds are at long last willing to transfer the land to the city using provisions of the federal Historic Monuments program. Once transferred, the city must preserve the 1960s architecture of the building (the monument), but will bring the rest of the barren concrete desert of the parcel back to life using a 99-year lease to Redgate/Kane. Redgate/Kane envisions 35 percent or more of the land as public space, re-use of McIntyre, and apartments and retail in-fill (complete information is on the city’s website – just search for McIntyre Project)
The city has so far largely conducted the project as a three-way effort with a developer, in conjunction with the Interior Department, with brief and limited public input. Residents have spoken out forcefully and in large numbers that they, too, need a seat at the table. That’s why participation Saturday is so important.
The Herald has said we want the McIntyre developed, but not overdeveloped. We favor a park or green space included in the project, protection of the views of Bow Street. We don’t think Portsmouth needs another giant, monolithic project in the heart of downtown five stories high and massive in volume. It should respect the scale of the surrounding historic district, and strive to be a place teeming with life like Market Square. It should be human in scale and, to the degree possible, create oases from urban density.
The city’s Blue Ribbon Commission last Tuesday marked out a three-phase public input process similar to that used for Prescott Park. Wise move: any proposal to transfer the land must show public enthusiasm as well as financial viability to be sure the transfer happens.
But here’s why the upcoming input sessions are so vital: Unlike later sessions, the city will educate residents in a concise presentation on the constraints of the Historic Monuments transfer, financial realities and the tight timeline (a proposal is due in June). Then residents can deliberate in small groups on what they would like to see as the public benefits. Thus, citizen input can be more highly evolved than simple public comments. As with a jury, when presented with all the facts, we believe citizens of Portsmouth can deliberate together and reach sound conclusions (later phases will work on trade-offs and site plans).
The biggest fear expressed by members of the committee is that residents “won’t understand all the constraints.” We think this is pure bunk. The constraints are not rocket science. In fact, the major constraints are simple: preserve the architecture of the federal building (and some of this is negotiable), enable the developer to make a profit, and keep the city as landlord but not property developer.
If the city will trust its residents and use their input in what appears to be a well crafted input process, they will go to Washington with a popular plan. That’s a vital factor in a public benefit land transfer.
And residents must also engage in a responsible way, too. It’s not a time to air grievances about past land-use decisions. It’s a chance to find the best way forward that is financially viable and within the Historic Monuments terms. Finally allowed into the process, we hope residents will be creative and collaborative, and bring fresh ideas from their own experience of other great downtown spaces.