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Board of Aldermen

City of Nashua
229 Main Street
Nashua, NH 03061-2019

(603) 589-3030

MEMORANDUM

TO: Board of Aldermen

FROM: Donna Graham, Legislative Affairs Manager
DATE: August 6, 2020

SUBJ.: Communications Received from the Public

Attached please find communications received from the public as follows:
From: Sue Newman, Ward 2
Re: Mask Ordinance

From: Andrea Rebeck
Re: School Street Housing

From: Praveen Mandera
Re: Proposed Apartment Complex in Maplewood Subdivision

From: Arthur King
Re: Proposed Apartment Complex in Maplewood Subdivision

From: Don Hallenbeck
Re: Proposed Apartment Complex in Maplewood Subdivision

Graham, Donna

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From: snewmannh@aol.com

Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 12:49 PM

To: Board of Aldermen

Ce: Donchess, James

Subject: Re: Mask Ordinance followup

CAUTION: This email came from outside of the organization. Do not click links/open attachments if source is
unknown.

To: Nashua Board of Aldermen
Cc: Mayor Donchess
Re: follow-up to Ordinance 0-20-018

“A judge says Nashua’s face-covering ordinance and the governor's declaration of a state of
emergency will stand while they're being challenged in court.”

With the Nashua mask requirement in place, what is being done about enforcement?

Since the Nashua mask ordinance was passed, I’ve seen various ‘information notices’ posted at
stores’ entrances. There are some notices that reference Nashua’s mask ordinance and others that
use the CDC mask recommendation information sheet. There are stores that offer masks to
customers if they don’t have one, and I've seen a very simple straightforward sign recently, that
stated that if you're not wearing a mask, you don't get service.

The enforcement mechanism seems to be problematic. _| was told by one business that their
corporate position is that it isn’t their responsibility to be the ‘enforcers’.

One suggestion is that a clearly stated, uniform information sheet be developed by the City/Dept. of
Public Health, (if it hasn’t already been done), and that it be required to be posted at ALL Nashua
places of business. | Businesses would also have the option of having a NO Mask ~ NO Service
option, if they choose.

Also, businesses could have masks available, that could be given or sold to customers who aren't
wearing a mask.

Maybe most importantly, though — we all need to know how the ordinance will be enforced.
If the ordinance as it stands right now, needs any revisions, | hope that you will consider that also.
Thanks --

Sue Newman — Ward 2
25 Charlotte Ave. -

Graham, Donna

EE SE men wit aceite iain
From: Andrea Rebeck <rebeckarchitect@gqmail.com>
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2020 11:35 AM
To: Board of Aldermen
Ce: Donchess, Jim
Subject: New School Street Housing

CAUTION: This email came from outside of the organization. Do not click links/open attachments if source is
unknown.

Kindly submit this for public comment. Thank you.

Dear Mayor Donchess and Members of the Board of Aldermen:

As a relative newcomer to Nashua (I’ve been here five years now), I was a bit surprised to sce the controversy
generated by the proposed School Street apartment complex. There is no doubt that Nashua needs more
housing, for that market is very tight right now. Affordable housing is especially in short supply, yet the
proposed project is for market-rate units (a euphemism for higher priced), A major concern of nearby
businesses is the loss of parking, both on-street and in the city parking garage, and the devastating consequences
they feel this may have on their businesses.

The developer, Lansing Melbourne Group, LLC, gives this interesting description on its Facebook page: “We
specialize in parking based development, public private ventures, parking planning, parking economics and
financial advising.” Indeed, they are very proud of the parking garage they built in Manchester. Yet, for some
reason, they can’t manage to accommodate parking in their Nashua project.

Adequate parking is one of the biggest factors in market-rate housing’s success. Without it, it is difficult to
attract tenants willing to pay high rents and projects can falter. Parking for this project is to be accommodated
in an existing city-owned garage, but apparently tenants are allowed to park there only during the evening and
night, when the garage is under-utilized? In normal times this arrangement could work. However, times have
changed, both for good and bad. The good part is that more urban dwellers are not interested in owning cars, so
the need for parking might be Jess. On the other hand, thanks to the pandemic, more people are working from
home, so they would not be taking their cars out of the garage during the day to commute to an office. I think
this aspect of the development needs further study.

As an architect who has dealt with several developers in her career, I can hazard a guess as to why the developer
is not including parking on their site: The developer wants to squeeze as many “market-rate” units onto that site
as they can to maximize profits; that’s what developers do. Their seven-story building is already much taller
than most buildings in downtown Nashua. The images that have been published show a solid block ofa
building that comes right up to the sidewalk — with no pretense ofa plaza or even a gracious entry. They
certainly don’t want to waste any of their 160,000 square feet on parking spaces.

Yet they should be required to do so, or perhaps the project is in the wrong place. Existing commercial
neighbors to the site are right to be alarmed. Recent trends in city planning are focused on making the
automobile disappear. There are merits to this trend, but they mostly accrue to large, densely developed cities
like Boston or New York, where public transportation and urban amenities abound. Nashua is not one of those
cities. What Nashua does have, and what makes it so attractive, is its small-scale downtown that still retains

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many of the businesses that support real haman neighborhoods: a quality hardware store, bakeries, barbers,
doctors, banks, drugstores, and until recently, an excellent shoe store, as well as lots of restaurants. The
presence of these and other small businesses is what draws people to live downtown.

This begs the question of why a city administration that in so many other ways is supportive of quality of life
issues, would sacrifice some of its most valuable retail and not-for-profit establishments merely to please a
developer who has presented a very mediocre project. At first glance the money looks enticing: Mayor
Donchess says the proposed development will yield about $350,000 per year in property taxes; however, Jim
Rafferty, owner of The River Casino & Sports Bar, says he pays more than $300,000 in taxes each year, and
that the loss of parking caused by the proposed development will kill his business. Ace Hardware, which
invested heavily in Nashua’s downtown by expanding its building and businesses here, would also see its
prospects dim. It would be a real shame, not to mention a blow to downtown living, if Ace Hardware/Nashua
Wallpaper & Paint went the way of Alec’s Shoe Store.

There is a solution. The project should be redesigned to include much if not all of the parking needed for its
tenants. The developer may protest; that’s what developers do. But it is clear from the proposal they have
presented us versus what they feature on ther webpage that they don’t feel Nashua deserves a quality

project. In fact, they are offering us an apartment building that looks like a parking garage, but contains no
parking. (If you think I’m joking, compare their project in Manchester with the “Portfolio” on their

website, http:/Avww.parkingdevelopment.solutions/.) They can do better. And our city officials can get better
from this developer. Destroying local businesses and harming not-for-profit agencies that have long invested in
our city, just to enrich a Florida developer offering a mediocre (though expensive) housing project, is no way to
build a stronger economy. In fact, it may be the beginning of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Sincerely,
Andrea Rebeck, Registered Architect
Master of Architecture, Columbia University
40 years practicing architecture in
The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States
111 Atherton Avenue
Nashua, NH 03064
585-590-1199

Graham, Donna

NCE EEA ene LTT
From: noreply@civicplus.com

Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2020 9:34 AM

To: Legislative Office

Subject: Online Form Submittal: Contact Board of Alderman

CAUTION: This email came from outside of the organization. Bo not click links/open aftachmenis if source is unknown,

Contact Board of Alderman

First Name Praveen

Last Name | Mandera

Address 29 Tanglewood Dr

City Nashua |

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vip Code “soa vo

Phone Number 7818261496 -

Email Address a “drmandera@ameil.com

Comunents | Objections for the proposed Multi Family, Mult storied

apartment complex at merritt parkway - R-30
To Whom It May Concern

jam writing to express my objection io the proposed
construction of a 160 unit 4 storied apartment complex in
Maplewood subdivision near Merrit parkway. This has been a
peaceful, quiet and pleasant neighborhood. This has been
zoned for single family homes and been restricted for multi
storied multi family residential development. We would like to
keep it that way. We vehemently object to making changes to
variance from Land Use Code Section 190-15, Table 15-1
(#15) and continue the restriction for construction of muiti
family multi story apartments in our neighborhood.
The quiet, peaceful and pleasant nature for the neighborhood
is what attracted a lot of families to this area. We have loved
the unique nature of this locality. Any such development will
disrupt the peacefulness of the neighborhood and the

__ Surrounding communities, This will change the characteristics

§ C.3.4 Attach a copy of your insurance agent’s verification letter for your organization’s current workers’
compensation experience modification rate and rates for the last three years. See attached

§ C.4 INSURANCE

§ C.4.1 Attach current certificates of insurance for your commercial general liability policy, umbrella insurance policy,
and professional liability insurance policy, if any. Identify deductibles or self-insured retentions for your commercial
general liability policy. See attached

§ C.4.2 If requested, will your organization be able to provide property insurance for the Project written on a builder’s
risk "all-risks" completed value or equivalent policy form and sufficient to cover the total value of the entire Project on
a replacement cost basis?

If requested, we will provide Builders Risk Insurance for an added cost. It would be a minimum charge of $650.00 for
this project.

§ C.4.3 Does your commercial general liability policy contain any exclusions or restrictions of coverage that are
prohibited in ALA Document A101-2017, Exhibit A, Insurance A.3.2.2.2? If so, identify.

We do not have any restrictions of our general liability insurance. A sample certificate of coverage that we normally
carry-on projects is attached

§ C.5 SURETY
§ C.5.1 If requested, will your organization be able to provide a performance and payment bond for this Project?

YES

§ C.5.2 Surety company name:

Harco National Insurance Company

§ C.5.3 Surety agent name and contact information:

E. A. Morrissette, Cross Insurance -1100 Elm St., Manchester, NH 03101 tel:603-669-3218
§ C.5.4 Total bonding capacity:

$7,500,000 single project with an aggregate program of $15,000,000.

§ C.5.5 Available bonding capacity as of the date of this qualification statement:

For our bonding capacity, please see attached letter from the bonding agent, Cross Insurance. With current work on
hand, we have approx. $10,000,000 in bonding available.

AIA Document A305™ — 2020 Exhibit C. Copyright © 2020 by The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved. The “American Institute of Archilacts," “AIA,”
the AIA Logo, and “AlA Contract Documents’ are registered trademarks and may not be used wilhoul permission, This document was produced by AIA software al
12:05:43 ET on 11/03/2021 under Order No.4399661920 which expires on 03/30/2022, is not for resale, is licensed for one-lime use only, and may only be used in
accordance with the AIA Contract Documents® Terms of Service. To report copyright violations, e-mail copyright@aia.arg.

User Notes: (1987008615)

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of the area and will impact the property values and the
invesiments that we have made. it will add additional traffic and
congestion to the roads, which has already seen an increase in
traific the past few years. The proposed use will alter the
esseniial character of the single family homes/neighborhood
and will threaten the public health, safety and welfare of its
residents. The proposed apariment complex will diminish the
home property values in the area.

This one additional zoning medification will open the doors far
many more down the line and further worsen the beautiful
community we have developed in the south west side of
Nashua. This imposition of unwarranted and undue
inconvenience by changing the zoning regulations is nat
needed and very much against the desires of the residents of
the surrounding communities. | do hope that the zoning board
will work for the benefit of the residents of our community and
retain the charm of our neighborhood. Please let us know what
actions need to be taken to stop this change in zoning
regulation and preserve our community and neighborhood,

Very respectfully

Dr Praveen Mandera
23 Tanglewood Drive
Nashua NH 03062

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Graham, Donna

From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:

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noreply@civicplus.com

Thursday, August 06, 2020 10:42 AM

Legislative Office

Online Form Submittal: Contact Board of Alderman

Contact Board of Alderman

First Name

Last Name

Address

City

State

Zip Code
Phone Number

Email Address

Comments

Arthur

King

2/7 Tanglewood Dr
Nashua

NH

| 03062
603.508.7492

Re: Zoning Variance 160 Units Apartment @ Captain Corners;
Maplewood Plaza Residential Plate

Application as reported in News is that infrasture is in place
and Plate will support 160 Units.

Nashua Board of Alderman to adequately evaluate the zoning
variance developer should require Traffic Plan including
adequate parking and street capacity and traffic controls to
support 160 Units. Uniil adequate supporting documents are
prepared and reviewed for accuracy this application should not
be considered

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Graham, Donna

ren ae ERSTE RT CREAR a ee!
From: noreply@civicplus.com

Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2020 10:56 AM

To; Legislative Office

Subject: Online Form Submittal: Contact Board of Alderman

CAUTION: This emai! came from outside of the organization. Do not click links/open attachments if source is unknown.

Contact Board of Alderman

First Name Don

Last Name Hallenbeck

Address | 33 Tanglewood Drive

city a Co , —

state ne eee i
vip node cette es vonee

ohone Number eee «soap sone

Email Address | donhallen@aol.com

Comments OO To Mayor Donchess, Alderman Jett Alderman Harriott

Gathright and the Planning Department. Regarding the
proposed 160 unit apartment building at Captain’s Corner, The
developer's assertion that “The infrastructure and traffic lights
are already there to accommodate this type of development.” is
a blatant misstatement of the facts. Route 117A is already
reaching saturation as a two-lane road and experiencing
severe bottlenecks during morning and evening rush hours,
and especially at the Captain’s Corner access poinis.

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City of Nashua

Office of The Treasurer

229 Main Street - Nashua, NH 03060 (603) 589-3193
Fax (603)589-3228

To: Board of Aldermen August 5, 2020
From: David G. Fredette, Treasurer/Tax Collector

Re: Purchase replacement for the 2018 Ford E450
Transit Van from FY 2021 Capital Equipment Reserve Fund (CERF)

The purpose of this communication is to give additional information related to the need to replace one
(1) Ford E450 Transit Van that was not listed on the FY2021 vehicle replacement schedule.
Unfortunately this transit van was totaled in an accident on April 30, 2020. The net cost to CERF will
be $59,656 contingent on the Board of Aldermen’s approval of the supplemental appropriation of
$63,865 (R-20-061), which is the reimbursement amount from Risk for this loss. The total cost from
CERF for the transit van is $123,521 ($65,865 reimbursement and $59,656 from CERF) Funds are
available in CERF due to several cost savings on several items in FY 2020.

Pursuant to NRO 5-127.1 D Capital Equipment Reserve Fund, which states: “During that fiscal year,
the city may purchase that equipment, or equipment that will serve the same stated purpose as the
listed equipment as long as the price does not vary by more than ten percent of the estimated
replacement value. All purchases from the Capital Equipment Reserve Fund must comply with the
city’s purchasing approval process. Any other requests to use funds from the Capital Equipment
Reserve Fund must be approved by the board of aldermen,”

f respectfully request the approval from the Board of Aldermen for the purchase of a 2020 Dodge
Ram-Pro Frontrunner Van from New England Wheels, Inc. for the Transportation department as
requested by R-20-060 contingent upon the approval of R-20-61 supplemental appropriations. This
van will replace the 2018 Ford E450, which was totaled in a recent accident.

Cc: Mayor James W. Donchess

John Griffin, CFO/Comptroller

Janet Graziano, Senior Finance Manager

Kelly Parkinson, Purchasing Department Manager
Camille Pattinson, Transportation Department Manager
Legal Department