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UREAN

DESIGN ASSOCIATES

should not be provided. A two-lane
roadway provides an increment of
capacity that is far more than ade-
quate for any reasonable projection of
new downtown growth in Nashua.

+ Address Value The design features
of the preferred Parkway — specifi-
cally its accessibility, design speed
and size — should add to the value of

the road as an address. Supporting

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

City policies (zoning, redevelopment Bo
initiatives, etc.) should foster the role

of the road as an armature for new

development.

East/West Street Connection to

Franklin Street A major advantage

of the preferred alternative over the

currently standing Broad Street pro-

posal is the connection to Franklin

Street on the north side of the

Ley
bp

Broad Street
Parkway

The preferred
alternative for the
Broad Street Parkway
(left) will provide access
to redevelopment
opportunities, as well as
reduce congestion at

Railroad Square.

Recommended cross-
section (section A-A}

(top left)

Recommended cross-

section of Parkway at

the new bridge (section

B-B} (top right)

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Nashua River. This connection cre-
ates a new east/west route parallel to
Broad Street and Amherst Street,
and permits east/west through traffic
(from Everett Turnpike interchanges
6 and 7 to the Hollis Street/Merri-
mack River crossing) to divert from
Broad Street and Amherst Street, to
use Franklin Street and Canal Street
instead, and thereby avoid the major
congestion at the multi-leg intersec-
tion at Railroad Square. Although
the currently proposed Parkway
could redirect some of this same
through movement southward across
the new Nashua River crossing
(thereby evading the Railroad Square
location), the current plan does not
create a new east/west connection,
but simply adds the redirected
through traffic to the already high
volumes on Hollis Street and Kinsley
Street.

Local Street Connections The pre-
ferred alternative, rather than obliter-
ating street connections in the
Millyard and Tree Streets neighbor-
hood, will create a fabric of new con-
nections and small streets. The
preferred alternative will have far less
impact on local streets than the cur-
rently standing proposal, because: (1)
it will deliver only a single lane of
traffic across the Nashua River in
each direction and (2) it will disperse
its traffic to a number of local street
connections, rather than focusing

onto a single new large intersection

at Ledge Street. 81
Land Consumption The preferred
alternative will consume far less land
than the currently proposed Broad
Street Parkway. The controlled access
feature (as contrasted to the limited
access feature of the current pro-
posal) will require the taking of fewer
properties, since fronting property
value will be increased, not obliter-
ated, by the road. The more compact
geometric design of the road, mani-
fested in low design speeds, small
frequent intersections, and two-lane
cross section, will greatly reduce the
land needed for the road footprint
itself. Rather than obliterating much
of the neighborhood land at the
southern terminus, the preferred
design would restore this land to

dense urban uses.

Cost The compact right-of-way,
two-lane cross section and lack of
limited-access purchases will yield a
preferred Broad Street alternative
that is most likely a fraction of the
cost of the currently proposed alter-
native. Some individual elements of
the cost savings are likely to be spec-
tacular. For example, the structure for
the crossing of the Nashua River,
some 1,100 feet in length (4 lanes)
under the currently proposed plan,
would be less than 200 feet (2 lanes)
under the preferred alternative.
Neighborhood Impact An impor-

tant principle of the preferred alter-

native is the restoration of

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

neighborhoods, and creation of new
neighborhood fabric, particularly at
the southern end of the Parkway. The
preferred alternative does this
through a downsized street, the
adoption of urban street design
guidelines, and the connection to the
existing street system at numerous

points.

+ Multi-Modal The preferred design is
multi-modal, providing connections
to the regional trail system and

extension of the local trail system.

A Broad Street Parkway - either the cur-
rently proposed version or the preferred
alternative from this Master Plan - is not
the answer to through traffic in down-
town Nashua. Far more important than
the Broad Street Parkway, in any of its
versions, is the extension of the Henri A.
Burque Highway with another crossing
of the Merrimack River.

As part of the original circumferen-
tial connector, the Henri A. Burque
Highway was designed to provide a
“beltway” around downtown. As is often
the case with large road projects, the
planning process was slower than private
development. As a result, intense devel-
opment occurred in the corridor and the
right-of-way. In the 1990's, the idea of
extending the Henri A. Burque was
“shelved" in favor of a new alignment for
the circumferential connector several

miles to the north on more easily

acquired greenfield land. 82
Extending the Henri A. Burque was

valid many years ago. Today it is still

valid, albeit highly unlikely and infeasi-

ble.

Highway to Hudson will allow traffic

Extending the Henri A. Burque

generated from Everett Turnpike inter-
change 6 (Broad Street) and interchange
7 (Amherst Street) destined east to Hud-
son to do so without traversing Amherst
and Canal Streets, and most importantly
avoiding Railroad Square and the Hollis
Street bridge.

Extension of the Henri A. Burque
highway is not likely. Acquisition costs
in the foreseeable future are prohibitive.
Likewise, NHDOT is in the process of
issuing an SEIS on the Circumferential
Highway several miles north of the
Henri A. Burque However, should con-
ditions in the corridor change such that
the extension of the highway becomes,
once again feasible, Nashua should pur-

sue this option.

If the City decides to pursue the basic
alignment of the current Broad Street
Parkway proposal, the following recom-
mendations are made to assure this
alignment best serves both downtown
and the region.

The Parkway should be true to its
name and be designed as a 25-30 mile-
per-hour, two lane road, not a 45-50
mile-per-hour, limited access highway as

it has been designed as and conceived of.

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

A two-lane cross-section will reduce the
cost of the roadway significantly yet will
not reduce its effectiveness.

The Parkway should incorporate trail
elements that substantially implement
the City's Master Plan for trails and
greenways.

All efforts should be made to pre-
serve and protect the Tree Streets Neigh-
borhood, located at the road's southern
terminus. The greatest impacts will likely

occur on Elm Street between Hollis and

Kinsley, now a small residential street, 83
where the roadway will force all regional
traffic to converge.

The Broad Street Parkway proposal
will require traffic modeling in order to
confirm the strategic assumptions and
decisions. It is important to note that
traffic modeling, by itself, should not be
considered a litmus test for good (or bad)
transportation proposals. Rather they
should be used as a tool to help evaluate

proposals.

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Il Trails A FRAMEWORK OF TRAILS is as important to Nashua as a new 84
framework of streets. People will choose to move to and invest
in Nashua because of a package of amenities — not simply
because it is affordable or proximate to employment opportu-
nities. Creating a well-developed, well-connected park and trail
system will contribute to Nashua’s quality of life and make
Downtown an integral part of the lives of all Nashua residents,
as well as other residents of the region. Its natural assets will
attract homebuyers and visitors searching for a connected and
public life. Investments in trails will:

* provide recreational outlets for both residents and visitors

to Nashua

* weave together important places in the City for individuals

and families on bike or on foot

provide an alternate means of commuting to Downtown

be a draw for tourists as a connection between the abun-

dant heritage resources Nashua has to offer

provide improved air quality by offering access to the City

without the automobile

Loops and
Connections

The new Downtown
riverftont park will
connect into the larger
regional open space
system, linking Mine
Falls Park to the
Merrimack River and
other Downtown open
Space amenities. Dotted
red lines indicate on-
street bikeways. Solid
red lines indicate paths

and trails,

<n ‘ a \ ([suttivan Park

Salmon G \ Lan Lyons Field

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

* serve an economic development
objective by providing a valuable
leisure activity for individuals and
families.

The idea of an extensive trail system is

already a part of the City's 1993 Trails

Plan, adopted as part of the City’s Mas-

ter Plan, as well as the region's long-

range plan. This Master Plan illustrates
how trail systems can be implemented by
private and public initiatives recom-
mended in this Plan.

A trail would line both sides of the
Nashua River in the Downtown, linking
together the new parks, as well as Mine
Falls Park . Multiple river crossings cre-
ate “loops” in the Downtown, connecting

many nodes and attractions along the

trail system. Short loops in the Down-
town are particularly important because
they make short excursions on foot, such
as a walk during a lunch hour, interesting
and enjoyable.

The riverfront park system proposed
in this Master Plan will be connected to
Mine Falls Park, thus connecting to the
City's predominately residential areas
west of the Interstate. This wider con-
nection will open up Downtown as a
destination for families and recreationists
who would not otherwise go Downtown
for anything other than an occasional
visit. These trail connections will help
expand the appeal of Downtown to all
residents of Nashua, not just those living

east of the Interstate.

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

ll Design Guidelines DESIGN GUIDELINES ARE NECESSARY to encourage new devel- 86
opment along Main Street South and to reinforce and support

the overall goals of this Master Plan. The design guidelines

that follow can be applied to new private development oppor-

tunities along Main Street South, between Hollis Street and

Salmon Brook Park. Within this area, however, the Master

Plan defines two very different areas of development:

1 A retail node between Otterson Street and Salmon Brook
Park, distinct from, yet complementary to, Main Street
North.

2 A mixed-use area between Hollis and Otterson Streets that
respects the architecture and urban design of the existing
historic mansions, apartment buildings and institutions.

As such, two sets of design guidelines are developed to address

Hollis Street desired development patterns for these areas.

Design guidelines present standards for new development.
They should be supported by the new zoning code to assure
development compatibilities, minimize design review friction,
insure investor confidence, and ultimately that new, urban
Kinsley Street buildings will be appropriate to their context and contributory

to the overall health of Downtown Nashua.

Lake Street

Salmon Brook

DESIGN ASSOCIATES

Main Street between Hollis and
Otterson

Urban Design Intent

‘The urban design intent in this area is to
strengthen Downtown by creating a
transitional zone between the two retail
nodes along Main Street North and
South. This area should contain smaller
buildings with residential, institutional or
office uses. Retail development should be
discouraged. The form of the buildings
should relate to the existing residential
buildings; that is, they should be narrow
and deep buildings with small yards on
all sides.

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Massing 87
(sop)

Buildings should be

domestic in form, two

stories and evenly

Spaced.

Siting

(second)

Buildings should be set
back approximately 15
Jeet, with one front
entry per building.

Easement

{third}

A rear easement is
required to coordinate
an efficient parking,
circulation and service

system.

Parking and
Pedestrian
Circulation

(bottom)

All parking should be in
the rear and on-street.
Pedestrian circulation A
walkway should connect
the sidewalk to the front

door.

DESIGN ASSOCIATES

Main Street between Otterson and

Salmon Brook

Urban Design Intent

‘The urban design intent in this area is to
concentrate Downtown’s retail growth
potential in a second retail node along
Main Street South by creating mixed-use
buildings with mandatory, traditional
retail storefronts on the round floor.
Broad sidewalks, street trees, on-street
parking, awnings, and active storefronts
will create a vibrant pedestrian-oriented

retail node.

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Massing 88
(sop)

One to three story

buildings should be

simple, well-

proportioned masses

that front the street.

Siting

(second)

Buildings must be
located on the sidewalk,
with multiple entries to

multiple storefronts.

Easement

{third}

A front easement is
required to create a
broad sidewalk, The
rear easement is
required to provide
access to parking, service
and and a clear

circulation system.

Parking and
Pedestrian
ci

(bottom)

Each block should have
a mid-block pedestrian
connection. This path
can be either interior to
the building or an
exterior walkways to
access parking behind
the buildings.

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Residential Design Guidelines Typical massing of 89

The Master Plan identifies several sites houses (top)
throughout Downtown for new housing.

‘These sites fall into two categories: (1) Detait of
tail of entrance

extensions and insertions into old neigh-
(second)

borhoods and (2) former commercial or
industrial sites.

The architectural character of new Perspective of Bronstien
housing should be based upon traditional Homes (bottom)
patterns found throughout and proven
successful in Downtown Nashua. Adher-
ence to guidelines is more critical on sites
adjacent to or within existing neighbor-
hoods.

Essential characteristics of housing
adjacent to or within existing neighbor-
hoods:

* simple, straightforward volumes with

gabled or hipped roofs

* windows and doors with wide but

vertical proportions

* simplified details and trim

* orderly, but not necessarily symmet-
rical relationships between windows,
doors, and overall building mass

* buildings setback approximately 20

feet from the sidewalk, consistent

with surrounding houses, providing a

shallow yard zone.