Downtown Improvement Committee

Downtown Improvement Committee Meeting Minutes February 15, 2013 1. Call to Order and Welcome A regular meeting of the Nashua Downtown Improvement Committee was called to order at 7:35 a.m. on February 15, 2013 in Room 208, Nashua City Hall by Chairman Marylou Blaisdell. Present: Marylou Blaisdell, John Koutsos, Richard Lannan, Alderman Mike Tabacsko, Tom Galligani, Absent: Art Bruinooge, Ben Clemons Others Attending: Mayor Donnalee Lozeau, Alderman Barbara Pressly 2. Sidewalk Update Mayor Lozeau was present to provide the committee with an update on the sidewalk project. She described how the City has divided Main Street into 5 blocks (2 sides on each block for a total of 10 segments). She mentioned that the pay stations are on order for Main Street and should arrive in 4-6 weeks). The bridge areas will be installed first and the garages will be installed next. The Mayor provided some background on the situation with Darryl’s Music Store, which recently experienced a flood event. The underground vault extends much farther under the sidewalk than many had estimated. With the rainstorm that occurred combined with the construction work that has taken place, water damaged the basement. This occurred after the sidewalk was finished, creating damage to thousands of dollars worth of product (pianos). For other street segments, the City has hired a structural engineering who will systematically investigate the situation involving underground vaults. She mentioned that 100 Main Street is a known problem, as the property has experienced leaks before. When work begins again, in earnest, in the spring, the crosswalk on the Main Street Bridge will be the first project to begin. It is anticipated that much of the work will be completed at night, so as to minimize traffic impact in the Downtown. For the next blocks, the developed plans will be reviewed by a landscape architect to ensure that that the right plants will be selected and appropriate treatments will be considered. The City is working with NRPC, who has a landscape architect on staff. Some of the street furniture is now in, in particular the benches. DPW is in the process of installing some of them. R Lannan asked how they will be installed. The Mayor indicated that DPW will bolt them down, to ensure that they don’t get moved around. 1 3. Downtown Circulation Study T Galligani indicated that the City has recently signed a contract with VHB to perform a comprehensive study of the traffic patterns in Downtown Nashua. The project team is busy compiling existing traffic data and has begun the process of analyzing the situation. It is expected that the work will be conducted throughout the spring with recommendations available in May. 4. Parking Paystations T Galligani indicated that the pay stations will be installed on Main Street first, with the garages to follow. M Blaisdell asked what type of paystations will be installed. T Galligani indicated that pay-per-space stations will be installed in the garages and pay-and-display meters will be installed on Main Street. The committee had a robust discussion about the benefits and shortcomings of the two types of meters. The consensus, after much discussion, was that this is the right approach to follow. It is consistent with an approach that balances customer convenience and minimizes clutter and maintenance in the downtown of a New England city (snow conditions in the winter, etc.) 5. Traffic Mast Arms T Galligani indicated that the replacement traffic mast arms will be installed during the spring. This work should be done by July. The new mast arms will be decorative in a manner that matches the street furniture and traffic lights. The traffic lights will have a yellow outline, which many may notice in other new traffic lights around the City. This is an approach that increases visibility of the lights. 6. Next Meeting Date/ Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:31 a.m. The next meeting of the Downtown Improvement Committee will take place on March 8, 2013 Minutes submitted by T Galligani 2