Search

AMENDED
O-16-009

ORDINANCE

PROHIBITING PARKING IN PART OF LE PARC DE NOTRE RENAISSANCE
FRANCAISE PARKING LOT DURING SUNDAY FARMERS’ MARKETS

CITY OF NASHUA

In the Year Two Thousand and Sixteen

The City of Nashua ordains that Part H “General Legislation”, Chapter 320 “Vehicles
and Traffic”, Article XII “Parking, Stopping and Standing”, Section 320-75 “Parking limited in
certain City parking lots” of the Nashua Revised Ordinances, as amended, be and hereby is
further amended by adding the new underlined language as follows:

“320-75. Parking limited in certain City parking lots. P

A. Lincoln Park. No vehicle shall be stationed or remain for a period exceeding four
hours on the east side of the Lincoln Park parking lot.

B. Le Parc de Notre Renaissance Francaise. No vehicle may be narked in the

southwest parcel of Le Parc de Notre Renaissance Francaise parking lot (25 Water

Street: southwest_of Mechanic Street} between 8:00 am. and 4:00 p.m. on
Sundays between June 1“ and October 31°". During this time period vehicles may
exit the easterly portion of the lot by means of the easterly driveway.”

This ordinance shall become effective at the time of removal and/or installation of the necessary
sign(s).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INCFOCUCTION.......ccscereerecerssnrenscotsscatsscensosscessscecesceatoccacscs seuarnenssunsnesoneneces snveasaresencarsces 2
a. Background

b. Activities

ll. Healthy Eating Active Living RES@arch.........0+ssessrsssreerssesesesacessnetssserarecenneers 3
HL Planning CONTEXt.........sscseesceonsvnsserscssesersverserseessserscesconsorsnecesansnessascensssassenseeneansens 4
IV. Field Work OUtCOMES.........-csssccseressnessnernarsessaesorscrsasseesseseresensssersedesereceisourseeneess 5

a. PhotoVoice Field Experience
b. UMap The Community
V. Recommend Signature Projects, Strategies, and Action Steps.........-..scsscee 7
a. Signature Projects
b. Policy, Infrastructure, Engagement Strategies

c. Action Steps

Vi. CONCIUSION.........ccescccecsceconscvsvssccvsncesesarsneccorsccsenanensecanscaseseeseasecsnatsaeansncessoeveeseretees 9

Vil. REFEFENCCS....ccccccccccsssecssscesccctecerseecoussscensrcenssseccuneacconscseosenesosscesconsncarsarses secasesoescas® 9

VIIL. = Youth PhotoVoice IMages........sssccssscsssserserstescessssnecttsesesesensssaseseasnaceenensvsenssecees 10
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thanks to Shay Odueyunbgo and Janail Archer of the Boys & Girls Club of Nashua and the staff of
the City of Nashua Board of Alderman, Library, and Recreation & Parks Departments for their support in
accomplishing this project. The National Park Service provided funding for this project, and GP RED, and
national non-profit, and the National Park Service provided technical assistance. For more information on
the Healthy People Healthy Places Plan and the Active Recreation Workgroup, please visit
www.HEALnh.org. All questions regarding this work can be directed to Beth Gustafson Wheeler at the
Foundation for Healthy Communities at bwheeler@healthynh.com.

I. INTRODUCTION

A. BACKGROUND

In 2014, partners and key stakeholders of the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL NH) initiative developed
the New Hampshire Healthy People Healthy Places Plan (HPHP) calling for the implementation of policy,
systems, and environmental strategies aimed at improving the places where people live, learn, work, and
play, particularly in NH’s most vulnerable communities. The workgroup agreed that an inventory of public
recreation spaces in several communities would develop a better understanding of what safe access to
recreation trails, facilities and parks looks like in New Hampshire. An Active Recreation Inventory was
created and identified Nashua as one of the 10 communities in the state with the “highest need” for
enhanced access to trails, facilities and parks based on demographics, health status, and geographic
characteristics.

The information and photographs in this report are the outcomes of a multi-week research project with
youth members of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua (BCGN) in Nashua, NH. The area surrounding
the club, including Mines Falls Park, as well as the tree streets, and Stellos Stadium, was the focus of the
project. The BCGN partnered with the National Park Service, Foundation for Healthy Communities, and a
national non-profit, GP RED, to administer the activities. The BCGN PhotoVoice and Umap project
explored opportunities for improving safe, non-motorized access to parks and recreation areas in Nashua.

Community health initiatives in Nashua have made great strides in improving active play opportunities
across the city. Several previous PhotoVoice projects previously administered by the Nashua Public
Health Department in partnership with Nashua Police Athletic League, Boys & Girls Club of Greater
Nashua, Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley, and Nashua 21° Century have informed the development
of a culture of listening to the youth perspective in the City.

B. ACTIVITIES
Staff from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua, the National Park Service, and GP RED conducted the
following activities:

PhotoVoice

Fourteen club members ranging in ages from 8 to 14 years old participated in the Photovoice and Umap
project. For the PhotoVoice component, participants met at the BGCN and received training in the
purpose of the project and how to take photographs to effectively capture images and tell a story. Over a
four-week period, walking photography tours were taken and participants took photographs of the
positive aspects of their community and areas that needed improvement. Each participant identified two
photos that they felt represented the different aspects of active access to recreation in their community,
and drafted captions for each image explaining their perspective and inspiration for the image. The
students captured graffiti, trash, public scooters, flowers, and public artwork among other subjects.

Umap the Community

Using an aerial map provided by the Nashua Regional Planning Commission, participants identified places
in Nashua where they go for recreation, to hang out, or spend time with their family and friends,
identifying these locations with a green dot on the map. They answered a series of questions about why
they chose these particular places, how they traveled there, and what activities they did during their visit.
In addition, the youth identified areas in the city where they felt safety aspects such as lighting, trash pick
up, and a public safety presence would improve the area, identifying these locations with a red dot on the
map. The data was then loaded onto an electronic map with the photographs for display and analysis.

Project Exhibit & Presentations

The photographs and map were exhibited for one week at the Nashua Public Library during the Nashua
Art Walk event. A reception for the participants, their families, and invited city and non-profit officials was
held with youth sharing their perspectives on the project. The exhibit was also displayed in the rotunda at
Nashua City Hall, and a presentation by the youth was made to the Nashua Board of Alderman.

HN. HEALTHY EATING ACTIVE LIVING RESEARCH

Nationally an estimated 34% of adults and 15-20% of children are obese. “Chronic illness is on the rise
worldwide and is the leading cause of death in the United States. We also now know that parks provide
immense health and wellness benefits — everything from stress reduction and improved mental health, to
less exposure to air and noise pollution. Great parks offer what we might consider as traditional wellness
amenities (recreational trails, fitness stations and the like) but also use care to integrate the healing
power of natural systems.” (1)

The 2016 Recreation Access in NH Communities: A Preliminary Report prepared by NH Healthy Eating
Active Living, Active Recreation Workgroup cites that while NH ranks overall as one of the healthiest
states in the county, there are pockets of neighborhood-level health inequities. “Notably, physical activity
levels vary substantially across the state; lower levels of leisure-time physical activity and higher
prevalence of obesity and diabetes are observed among persons of lower socio-economic status, those
living in rurally-isolated areas of the state, and those living in the most racially and ethnically diverse
urban neighborhoods (2-4).”

Recreation areas or spaces allow residents to more easily be physically active and “forge social
connections with others in their community,” and if people live near parks or in walkable neighborhoods
with sidewalks, trails, and bike routes, they are more likely to be active. (5) The Active Recreation
Workgroup also wrote, “Prior research suggests that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is more likely
to occur in parks that have athletic courts, sports fields, and playgrounds (6).

Research also suggests that parks with trails or walking paths are more likely to be used for physical
activity compared to parks without trails (7). Thus, community partners will need to consider how
amenities may be improved to better support physical activity while balancing other goals. Additional
partners who have an interest in addressing the health and economic benefits of parks have an
opportunity to participate in community partnerships to align goals and identify synergies.” (8)

The report notes that the condition of parks, the ability to access them (via transportation of through safe
neighborhoods), as well as the general aesthetics and feeling of safety are all factors in how much use a
park will get.

Ill. PLANNING CONTEXT

The Nashua Regional Planning Commission and the City of Nashua Planning Department have numerous
plans to support improving active access to recreation opportunities and bicycle and pedestrian safety in
Nashua. The following plans provide a framework into which the Signature Projects, strategies, and action
steps can be accomplished.

Regional Plans:

2015 Regional Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan for the Nashua Region

2005 Nashua Regional Planning Commission Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan
interactive and Mobile Recreation Map

New Conservation and Recreation Maps

Always in Season: Active Recreation Opportunities in the Nashua, NH Region

Planning for Play: A Parks and Playground Guidebook for New Hampshire
City Plans:

Riverfront Master Plan (PDF}

Downtown Master Plan (PDF)

The Nashua Urban Trails Network and The Nashua Trails Plan
Nashua River Trail (PDF}

Nashua Riverwalk Plan (PDF)

Tree Streets Neighborhood Analysis and Overview 2012 (PDF)

IV. FIELD WORK OUTCOMES

A. PHOTOVOICE

Approximately 14 children who were all between the ages of 8-14 years old took part in this project. The
children were all given brief introductions and were instructed to only take pictures of the physical
environment and to pay attention to what was in the frame of the camera before they took the picture.
The youth were accompanied to various areas around the City of Nashua and were given the opportunity
to capture their perceptions of the areas. Some of the areas explored include the Nashua Public Library,
Main Street, Mines Falls Park, and others. On the way, they were asked to take pictures of things on the
route that made an impact on them either positively or that needed improvement. They also documented
exactly where they took each picture. The photos were analyzed by the group and each youth chose two
photos that they felt represented their perspectives. The youth wrote captions for each of the photos
chosen and typed them into the computer with the photos. Examples of the images are shown below
(remaining photos may be viewed at the end of this report):

Figure 1: Ledge St. Bus Sculpture

Figure 2: Picture of Graffiti in Mines Falls Park

B. UMAP THE COMMUNITY

Following the PhotoVoice experience, participants worked with an aerial map prepared by the Nashua
Regional Planning Commission to identify their travel routes to recreation areas, trails, public places, and
parks. Facilitated discussion about the relative safety of the routes and destinations revealed
opportunities for ideas to share with policy makers and community leaders.

After the completion of the physical mapping exercise, all of the photographs and identified routes and
locations were plotted on ArcGIS Online in various layers and colors. The online version of this report is
available at the following link:

https://plymouthstate.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?anpid=9… 7ab9606ead
d2637750

A screenshot of the compilation of the data is represented in Figure 3 below:

Figure 3: Compiled data in ARCGis online

V. RECOMMENDED SIGNATURE PROJECTS, STRATEGIES, and ACTION STEPS

After analyzing the data on the electronic map in a facilitated discussion, the youth identified a selection
of “Signature Projects” to recommend to community leaders for implementation. These projects will
ideally be completed in partnership with the staff of the BCGN and the City’s Parks and Recreation,
Library, and Police Departments.

A. SIGNATURE PROJECTS

1. Mines Falls Park:
a. Join Parks & Recreation program to go through the park and clean it up every month;
trash is a key problem
b. Construction of better lighting and installation of blue lights throughout the park;
adding more lights to make people feel safer
c. More police presence throughout Mines Falls Park

2. Rail Trail and Central Street:
a. More street lights/blue lights
b. More flowers and vegetation
c. Police patrols along rail trail and Central Street
d. Make more people present, make more colorful so it’s not so empty

3. Ash Street Area & Ledge Street Path
a. More law enforcement in the area

b. Development of program that helps pick up trash

4. Field trips to natural areas for peaceful outdoor experiences

B. POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURE, ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES

In addition to the “Signature Projects”, several strategies were recommended to support the ideas
generated by the youth during the PhotoVoice and UMap project. These include policies that relate to
rules and regulations that might be considered by the BCGN and City administration, infrastructure that
would support safe, active access to recreation areas, trails, and parks, and engagement activities
involving youth and supporting organizations.

Policy Strategies

-Add bicycle and foot patrols to Mines Falls Park, Rail Trail, Central and Ash Streets
Infrastructure Strategies

-Add lighting to selected areas along the Rail Trail and at Mines Falls Park

-Plant flowers and trees on Rail Trail and Central Street

~Paint murals in selected areas in collaboration with BCGN and Recreation & Parks Department
-Add hand sanitizer and gloves to trash bin areas at Stellos Stadium

-Develop and promote neighborhood based Little Free Libraries

Engagement Strategies

-Encourage peaceful gatherings at places that are clean (Main Street, YMCA)
-Expand after school art activities

-Provide information on transportation opportunities to club members

C. ACTION STEPS

1. Meet with Library Director, Parks & Recreation Director, and Community Services Division staff to
present Signature Projects and policy, infrastructure, and engagement strategies

2. Explore BCGN & Parks & Recreation collaboration on clean up program

3. Develop Little Free Library map or app

4. Add BCGN field trips to natural areas, conservation areas, and other quiet places in collaboration
with Nashua Area Land Trusts, Society for the Protection of NH Forests, NH Audubon Society

VI. CONCLUSION

The Boys and Girls Club of Nashua and the Parks and Recreation Department have a strong working
relationship, which will facilitate collaborative projects to achieve the goals identified by the youth
participants in the PhotoVoice and Umap initiative.

VII. REFERENCES

1, Abbate M., Ford G., Webb J, (2019) Designing the Great Park that Everyone Deserves. National Parks and Recreation
Association. 2019. Parks and Recreation. September 2019, pg. 60.

2. HNH Foundation. Healthy People Healthy Places Plan, 2014-2019. Retrieved from:
http://healnh.org/imeges/pdifiles/HPHP/HEAL HPHP plan with links for web.pdf

3. NH Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services. (2012). NH Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System, Concord, NH. Retrieved from:
http://www.dhhs.state.nh.us/dohs/hsdm/brfss/index.htm

4, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention {CDC}. (2013). NH Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS}. Retrieved from:
httos://nced.cdc.gov/youthoniine/App/Results.aspx?T 1 =G&OUT=0&SID=HS&.QID=QQ8LIDSNH&YID=20138LID2Z=XX&
YID2=2013&COL=&ROW1=&ROW2=8HT=QQ&LCTH&FS=S1 &FRERISFG=G1&FSL=&FRLS&FGL=&PVER&CIENH2013&C2
=XX20138OP=G&DPH1& VA=CI&CS=N&SYID=&EYID=&SC=DEFAULT&SO=ASC&pf=1&TST=True

5. NH Healthy Eating Active Living, Active Recreation Workgroup. (2016). Recreation Access in NH Communities: A
Preliminary Report.

6. Kaczynski, A., Potwarka, L. & Saelens, B. (2008). Association of Park Size, Distance, and Features with Physical Activity
in Neighborhood Parks. American Journal of Public Health, 98(8):1451-1456.

7. Floyd, M., Spengler, J., Maddock, J., et al. (2008). Environmental and Social Correlates of Physical Activity in
Neighborhood Parks: An Observational Study in Tampa and Chicago. Leisure Sciences. 30{4):360-375.

8. NH Healthy Eating Active Living, Active Recreation Workgroup, (2016). Recreation Access in NH Communities: A
Preliminary Report.