August 11, 2020
Dear City of Nashua Aldermen:
There have been a number of recent meetings between the abutters and city officials regarding the
School Street Development, and | am writing to provide you an update.
In these meetings, there is general agreement that to protect the abutting businesses’ viability,
mitigating parking measures will be necessary. Alternatives discussed include creating additional street
parking, creating parking on city land next to the Pennichuck building, rewarking the oval into squared
off intersections, or demolishing other buildings on High Street to create parking spaces. Perhaps the
most feasible solution is to secure access to the new Pennichuck parking during evenings and weekends.
This will not satisfy the parking deficit, especially on weekdays and busy nights, but would help.
City officials, while willing to discuss parking solutions, are not currently able to make assurances on any
proposals. The parking ramifications of this immense building in this location are significant and
potential solutions are at this time uncertain.
City officials are, however, unyieiding in their resolve to go forward with the project, now. One tald me
outright, “The City is going to do this project.” The Mayor and the administration are myopic on the
issue; the Mayor has said the project will generate $490,000 annually for the city. What a minute - the
River raised $488,153 for charities in 2019. What the Nashua Children’s Home and the Corpus Christi
Food Pantry do with their money, we believe, is as important as what the City does with its revenue.
On July 21st the Mayor emailed a 3-page letter “Building a Stronger Economy with New School Street
Housing” to his email list, an email which was circulated around the River by customers to employees.
One empioyee asked me bluntiy, “| guess we’re dane?” | can’t say to her what the Mayor said to me,
“There is plenty of parking in downtown Nashua, 3,000 spots.” She knows the behavior of the guests at
the River and she knows this could mean the end of a job that provides well for her family.
The River’s ownership, charities, and 49 employees are net alone in their concern. ALL of the abutters
are opposed to the project. My landlord, George Katis, put up a sign adjacent to the River’s leased
space, “12,000 sq. ft. for lease.” Harbor Homes, with 85 employees and 7 million dollars invested into
their building, is also strongly opposed. The Lafayette Club and Polish American Club feel imperiled.
“The City is going to do this project?” The future of this project is not up to the Mayor and City
administrators. Itis up to you. And you are closer to the truth. You know that parking in Nashua is a
problem which has reached crisis levels, with drastically under-parked housing projects, unsafe,
underutilized parking garages, predatory towing schemes, and overnight parking policy unrest.
You understand the good that the River does, the significance of the services.of Harbor Homes, the
value ta the community of Ace Hardware, the Lafayette Club, and the Polish American Cub. We are
asking you to stand with the employees, the charities that the River supports, the community social
clubs that helped build Nashua, the clients of Harbor Homes, and the long-time business development
by the Katis family. The Aldermen should do the right thing, change the course,
Sincerely,
Jim Rafferty
52 Main Street, Apartment 404, Nashua NH 03064
603-809-7106
