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Imagine EGY

Amherst Street as

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Imagine Nashua seeks to
enhance Amherst St’s role

as an important connecting
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the corridor to grow into

a successful commercial
destination for Nashuans and
visitors. Allowing a wider mix
of uses on Amherst Street can
create more diversified traffic
patterns and help preserve
and enhance the City’s
commercial tax base, while
creating a welcoming and
vibrant environment for every
Ore WAUIIon

What is Green Stormwater
Infrastructure (GSI)?

GSI is a set of tools and
practices that mimic natural
methods of storing, infiltration
and/or filtering stormwater.

Learn more about GSI tools
and strategies on page 143.

Recommendation 2

https://imagine.nashuanh.gov

Recommendation 4

Timeframe: Near-term

Adjust dimensional constraints to
enable new development to have
a less suburban, auto-oriented
character and a more walkable,
active corridor character

- Relax minimum lot size,
frontage requirements, and
setbacks.

- Right-size parking
requirements and require it to
be located in the rear

Recommendation 3

Timeframe: Near-term

Create active commercial front
and improve access management

- Explore carriageway layout
with diagonal parking on
commercial front as incentive
to businesses for increased
customer attraction, and as
a traffic calming technique,
through further feasibility or
traffic studies, coordination
with private property owners,
and a temporary pilot layout.

- Create signage and storefront
guidelines on commercial
corridors such as Amherst St.
and Daniel Webster Highway to
enhance the corridor’s identity.

Timeframe: Mid-term

Reposition the street as a
mobility-oriented corridor

- Evaluate opportunities for
developing protected bicycle
lanes and opportunities for
creating shared bicycle/
pedestrian pathways
to increase safety and
accessibility for all ages and
abilities

- Evaluate sections of the
corridor where introducing a
carriageway is appropriate in
terms of commercial activity
and means of traffic calming

* Provide highly visible
crosswalks at key intersections
with safety enhancements such
as crosswalk lighting systems
or rapid flashing beacons,
where warranted

* Provide sheltered bus stops
with clear transit information
and consider as community
placemaking opportunity.

- Add additional stops through
the development process,
at retail locations like
supermarkets. Determine
what regulatory changes need
to happen to encourage this
process through the public-
private process.

Comprehensive Master Plan

Land Use and Development

Allowing a wider mix of uses on Amherst Street can create more
diversified traffic patterns and help preserve and enhance the
City’s commercial tax base, while creating a welcoming and vibrant
environment for every day use.

Recommendation 5
* Develop a comprehensive - Inareas of high concentration

wayfinding strategy with Timeframe: Near-term of runoff, consider the
a focus on multi-modal ; incorporation of underground
connectivity. Incorporate landscaping and storage cells, preferably under
* Develop entrance corridor green stormwater infrastructure paved surfaces, to encourage
signage that both welcomes development and improvement stormwater infiltration
and guides visitors to key
destinations in Nashua
» Perform a traffic analysis study
to better accommodate safety
concerns.

* Provide planted filter for
stormwater management and
as a traffic buffer

- Integrate stormwater
infiltration and vegetal filtering

* Provide narrow long continuous
multi-tree pits under
permeable pavement.

BEFORE AFTER

9.6’ Sidewalk

19’ Convenient
Parking

12’ Carriageway

11’ Bike Path

12’ Planted Filter

-t

CH EH 11’ x 3 Road

Streets throughout the city should be evaluated and repositioned to encourage a range of mobility options. The image
above explores a carriageway layout with diagonal parking.

65

Tryst Nashua

Green Infrastructure

Planted filter as buffer from highway and ¢
stormwater management. s taeeeheces

Raingarden in Uppsala, Sweeden

Amherst St Visioning Concept

Enhance connections to nearby existing
@- +++ >= office buildings,
@--++-> retail buildings and

residential areas.

66

Comprehensive Master Plan

Land Use and Development

Upzoning/ greater density

Greater density to encourage land values
that will justify redevelopment of existing
income-generating uses. Up to 4-story
mixed use development with active retail
on ground floor and residential and/or
office spaces on upper stories.

Concord, NH.

Mobility-oriented corridor

Accommodate multiple mobility options
for pedestrians, bikes, cars and public
transit, including protected bike lane,
continuous sidewalks, crosswalks, bus
stops and convenient parking.

Boston Bike Lane

67

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https://imagine.nashuanh.gov

Daniel Webster Highway

Daniel Webster Highway, similar to
Amherst St, sits at the intersection
of a large number of challenges,
though they differ. Unlike Amherst
St, the current mix of big box
development and the shopping
mall are less likely to change in the
immediate future, but the long-
term trajectory of these kinds of
uses is still uncertain. Generally
speaking, this master plan still
envisions a long-term rethinking of
the corridor’s uses with outcomes
in the spirit of the visioning process
for Amherst St, though with a
much more tentative outlook and
timeline, given the lack of certainty
around how these uses will shift.

Recommendation 1

Timeframe: Near-term

Create future corridor plan that
envisions a different set of land
use policies and considers what
the ideal urban design vision is,
regardless of current building
stock
* Conduct a corridor analysis
to better understand future
use compatibility and
redevelopment of current big
box retail
Generate community,
stakeholder and potentially
market interest earlier in the
process
Plan proactively around future
commuter rail station locations
and surrounding area

Generally speaking, this master plan still envisions a long-term
rethinking of DW Highway corridor’s uses with outcomes in the spirit
of the visioning process for Amherst St, though with a much more

tentative outlook and timeline.

- Facilitate increased housing
development and job centers
within walking distance of
future commuter rail stations.

- Ensure that increased EV
infrastructure is developed
alongside existing gasoline
infrastructure, and develop a
plan to transition from one to
the other.

* Create infrastructure for bike
and pedestrian access to meet
projected needs

* Prioritize first-last mile
connections between future
commuter rail stops and
neighborhoods, noting the
current challenges associated
with bicycle traffic crossing
major roads and the highway.

Recommendation 2

Comprehensive Master Plan

Land Use and Development

Recommendation 3

Timeframe: Near-term

Adjust dimensional regulations
to discourage suburban, auto-

oriented character and instead
encourage walkability

- Use feedback from Imagine
Nashua visioning and public
process around Amherst
Street to align density and
dimensional requirements with
community-accepted scale

- Use lessons from the
Amherst Street process to
determine appropriate mix of
office/residential for future
development along Daniel
Webster Highway.

Timeframe: Near-term

Reduce minimum parking
requirements and continue

to encourage shared parking

to minimize additional traffic
generation and encourage the
use of sustainable transportation
modes

- Develop a systemic solution for
parking

New Active Street +

Connecting to train station through new =
active street lined up with ground floor s
retail, a plaza and office buildings. °

, Rail Trail
* Connecting to the potential rail

. Future Train Station : trail along waterfront.

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sll et RL Pending
wa rane’ my | Development
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te

South Nashua Commuter Rail Visioning Concept

27.

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30.

31.

awarding or amending or making of any determinations with respect to the performance of this
contract. If City of Nashua determines that such gratuities were or offered or given, it may
terminate the contract at will or for cause in accordance with paragraph 8.

The rights and remedies of this section shall in no way be considered for be construed as a waiver
of any other rights or remedies available to the City of Nashua under this contract or at law.

THIRD PARTY INTERESTS AND LIABILITIES The City of Nashua and Professional Engineer,
including any of their respective agents or employees, shall not be liable to third parties for any
act or omission of the other party. This contract is not intended to create any rights, powers, or
interest in any third party and this agreement is entered into for the exclusive benefit of the City
of Nashua and Professional Engineer.

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nature survive termination or completion of this contract shall remain in full force and effect.

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unenforceable by any valid act of Congress or of the New Hampshire legislature or any court of
competent jurisdiction, or is found to be in violation of state statutes or regulations, the invalidity
or unenforceability of any particular provision of this contract shall not affect any other provision,
the contract shall be construed as if such invalid or unenforceable provisions were omitted, and
the parties may renegotiate the invalid or unenforceable provisions for sole purpose of rectifying
the invalidity or unenforceability.

MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT AND ENTIRE AGREEMENT This contract constitutes the entire
contract between the City of Nashua and Professional Engineer. The parties shall not be bound
by or be liable for any statement, representation, promise, inducement, or understanding of any
kind or nature not set forth in this contract. No changes, amendments, or modifications of any
terms or conditions of the contract shall be valid unless reduced to writing and signed by both
parties.

CHOICE OF LAW AND VENUE This contract shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the
State of New Hampshire and any claim or action brought relating to this contract, the work
performed or contracted to be performed thereunder, or referable in anyway thereto shall be
brought in Hillsborough County (New Hampshire) Superior Court Southern Judicial District or in
the New Hampshire 9th Circuit Court—Nashua and not elsewhere.

GC 11 of 11

Tryst Nashua

Testing improvements ata
smaller-scale

The planning team performed
a “sampling” of the Main
Street changes. Unlike

many planned public realm
improvements, the fact that so
many temporary changes have
been implemented means that
it is quite possible to conduct a
systematic survey of what has
worked and what hasn’t for the
various businesses. This will
be an important first step to
determine the extent to which
Main Street’s public realm

is improved in a more large-
scale way. Moreover, it will be
more effective to improve a
smaller area more fully than to
make smaller impacts across
all of Main Street, which will
be partially determined by
lolbrefexeym

Action: Facilitate public
realm expansion and
improvement on Main
Street to maintain
downtown’s commercial
activity

The temporary outdoor seating
and public realm improvements
made along Main Street, while
initially pursued to promote the
health and safety of the community
during the COVID-19 pandemic,
now present the community with a
vision of a new downtown. Despite
the logistical hurdles of setting
these changes up and temporary
look and feel of jersey barriers,
the increased option of outdoor
seating and reclamation of a
significant slice of the street away
from purely automotive traffic has
shown that a dramatic rethinking
of the public realm can work in
Nashua. Many concerns brought
up hypothetically related to this
kind of public realm intervention—
reduced parking availability,
access to the sidewalk, negative
effects on businesses—have either
not materialized or have been
significantly less dramatic than
anticipated. It is the opinion of this
planning group that the benefits

of these temporary improvements
should be made permanent and
even expanded as the city looks
toward a broader reinvigoration of
its downtown businesses.

https://imagine.nashuanh.gov

Main Street North

The northern section of Main Street
from Factory and Temple Street to
East and West Hollis St, currently
consists of a high density of small
to medium scale active commercial
and retail development. As

a reaction to the COVID-19
pandemic, temporary sidewalk
expansion has been implemented
with positive reactions from
citizens and shop owners. The City
wishes to explore how this could
become more permanent.

There are multiple
considerations these
recommendations try to balance.
For example, these actions will
affect overall circulation in the
downtown, so implementation
of these improvements should
consider those changes,
particularly as the downtown
begins to come out of the
COVID-19 lockdown. Changes to
the pedestrian realm will effect
available parking. While this
plan generally suggests that, on
balance, these improvements
will most likely still be a net
benefit to the downtown, these
changes to parking capacity must
be considered. The changes
across Franklin, Canal, and
Railroad Square all need to be
balanced, as does planning for
how these changes adapt to the
colder winter months. None of
these considerations preclude
the changes this plan envisions,
and we believe that they can be
addressed as the details of these
improvements are worked out.

As a reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic, temporary sidewalk expansion
has been implemented with positive reactions from citizens and shop
owners. The City wishes to explore how this could become more

permanent.

Recommendation 1

Timeframe: Near-term/ongoing

Facilitate public realm expansion
and improvement on Main

Street to maintain downtown’s
commercial activity, particularly
along sections with active retail
and restaurant frontages to create
ample space for seating areas
and/or small plazas.

This expansion can be
accommodated by a
combination of two strategies:
expanding the sidewalk into
areas where on-street parking
currently happens, as well

as shrinking and/or removing
existing lanes on Main Street
itself.

Depending on the specific uses
happening on different parts of
the block, the balance of these
two strategies changes. The
included drawing suggest a first
version of how the distinctions
might be navigated.

Comprehensive Master Plan

Land Use and Development

Utilizing curb bumpouts

Curb bumpouts serve multiple
purposes—increasing a feeling
of safety for pedestrians
crossing the street, slowing
iag-NaNCOmctSMantemZeVaT (COC
right-of-way shrinks, and
allowing space for seating or
landscaping on block corners.
They should be implemented
across the district as blocks
are redesigned.

: Green Infrastructure
: Continuous multi tree pits
* under permeable pavement

Consider parking alternatives $
Limited parallel parking for quick pick-up and $
additional public parking at a walking distance. $

Reposition Main St as a
destination with active
commercial ground floors

Extended public realm :

Protected bike lane *

Main Street Visioning Concept

71

Imagine EGY

What is considered an
appropriate walking
distance?

Generally speaking, a
quarter-mile is considered an
appropriate walking distance
for an area like downtown.

What do we mean by infill
re FAV-V Ce) elu reniite

Infill development is the
process of developing vacant
or under-used parcels within
> @ HMA oM OTs oy-UaMcNeterswoL eel

as Amherst Street or Main
Street that are already largely
developed. Infill development
can help revitalize vacant
lots, boost economic activity,
and often utilizes existing
infrastructure and facilities.
Careful design attention
should be placed to ensure
that infill development
complements the character of
the existing neighborhood or
alsa (oun

Recommendation 2

Timeframe: Near-term/ongoing

Evaluate opportunities for
developing protected bicycle
lanes on Main Street to increase
safety and accessibility for all
ages and abilities.

» Place trees or planted buffer
depending on available space,
between street and bike lane

* Consider Public-Private
partnership for planter
maintenance

- Place parallel parking
segments as a buffer along
appropriately identified
sections

* Provide bike parking
throughout Downtown,
collaborating with businesses
and private institutions and
utilizing curb bump-outs on
Main St

Recommendation 3

Timeframe: Mid-term

Reposition Main Street as
destination with consideration for
green infrastructure development
and improvement.

- Add more trees on the
sidewalk. Narrow long
continuous multi-tree pits
under permeable pavement

https://imagine.nashuanh.gov

* Consider including
underground green
infrastructure for stormwater
infiltration during streetscape
improvements work

Recommendation 4

Timeframe: Near-term

Consider parking alternatives

- Limit parallel parking along
Main Street on key locations
where there are quick pick
up places and no need
for sidewalk expansion to
accommodate seating areas

- Direct public to parallel parking
along perpendicular streets
and parking garages or parking
lots within an appropriate
walking distance from Main St

Recommendation 5

Timeframe: Mid-term

Encourage quality infill
development in vacant or prime
redevelopment parcels that is
consistent with the area and
offers opportunities for increased
amenities and economic
development