In addition, continuation of 2 lane traffic flow and use of barriers to
perpetuate expansion of dining areas into parking spots and traffic lanes on
Main Street is patently unfair to non-restaurant businesses located on Main
Street as well as to the customers of those businesses. Frankly, my wife and |
have learned to live without shopping downtown Nashua since the barriers
first went up and traffic flow was reduced to 2-lanes only on Main Street. For
example, we used to obtain compound meds for our pets from Wingates
Pharmacy on Main Street but switched to another pharmacy in the south end
of the City when it became difficult to travel into and through downtown
Nashua when barriers were erected during the pandemic. I am also aware and
have heard comments from elderly and disabled patrons of downtown Nashua
who cannot park close enough or walk far enough to frequent businesses
downtown that they have used historically.
Finally, it is concerning that a select number of businesses (i.e. restaurants
and bars) seem to be singled out for favorable treatment by the City when
non-restaurant downtown businesses do not receive benefits from the
proposal to continue expanded outdoor dining. In fact, non-restaurant
businesses are actually being harmed by expanded outdoor dining given the
comments by those businesses on the City’s proposal. My understanding is
that downtown sidewalks were expanded in order to accommodate outdoor
dining or increased outdoor dining when Mayor Lozeau’s administration
rebuilt the downtown sidewalks. So, restaurants have already been afforded
permanent changes that benefit their business operations. It simply is not
equitable for one group of businesses to bear the brunt of reduced parking
and traffic flow on Main Street that will result from the current proposal so
another group of businesses can benefit.
For the above reasons, Nashua has consistently and rightly rejected the
permanent or long-standing implementation of a 2-lane traffic flow pattern on
Main Street for the past 30+ years and should continue to do so at this time.
We urge the Infrastructure Committee and full BOA to reject this unfair and
poorly-conceived proposal. Thank you.
Gary and Nancy Braun,
Monza Road, Nashua NH
