Graham, Donna
From: Mike Smith
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2022 2:48 PM
To: Board of Aldermen
Subject: Vote NO On Expanded Downtown Dining
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Hello BOA,
| am writing to request that you vote NO on approving barriers on Main St. for expanded outdoor
dining. These barriers favor a few restaurants at the expense of other businesses downtown. They
cause parking issues for older people, people with trouble walking distances, and the handicapped.
These barriers were originally installed to provide additional dining for restaurants during Covid, and
that made sense back then. However, that need has passed and the restaurants should be able to go
back to the dining arrangements (space) they had for many years previously. On a recent telecast of
a BOA meeting | heard the utilization rate for the expanded dining was only 6%. 6 percent? How does
that justify the inconvenience the barriers cause to the rest of the downtown businesses and those of
us who travel along Main St.? | also heard the cost associated with this was over $100,000, and the
city now wants to purchase new barriers and not charge the restaurants for them. Seriously, again,
how is this justified? At least 90% of the citizens speaking at that BOA meeting expressed they did
not want the expanded dining continued.
Please listen to us citizens of Nashua and vote NO on continued expanded dining. I'm sure the
people who have expressed their displeasure with this continuing so far represent a majority of city
residents, especially if all residents were informed of the cost and the extremely low usage of the
dining. If you want to continue this then at least respect us citizens enough to put it up for a city-wide
vote.
Thank You,
Mike Smith
13 Alice Drive
