Board of Aldermen 12-28-2021 Page 3
President Wilshire
The first person is Kathy Lodi. You have a three minute period. Would you please give your name and address for the
record when you begin. Thank you.
Kathy Lodi
My name is Kathy Lodi, 12 Bartlett Avenue. Good evening Mayor Donchess, President Wilshire, and the rest of the Board
of Aldermen. We've been here for weeks now in front of you talking about this resolution and how important it is to the
citizens in the city. We've been bullied and harassed and people have hurled the word “NIMBY” at us over and over again
like some sort of verbal dagger. | never heard the term before | moved here. My Alderman had to explain it to me and
even then | thought, shouldn't we all care what gets blown up or developed in our backyards? Again, against our green
space that we pay for? We're not here because we're against any kind of development. My husband and | are privileged
to have our own backyard space.
We're here for the people like | grew up in a mill town a few hours from here. People who live in apartments, and condos,
and duplexes that don't have a lot of green space and that need a place to escape once in a while. They need a place to
walk and clear their head. They need a place to get some physical activity. We want this resolution a favorable passage
of this resolution so that people like a 14 year old kid who just spent the entire day in school in a mask has a trail to walk
through between Manchester and Concord Street. When you encroach in this space, and develop up against it, and
blasted to smithereens, it does affect the park and it does affect the people who use it.
We'll never have this opportunity again. There aren't undeveloped parcels up against the park. This is it and for your last
meeting, you have this amazing opportunity to vote on this and see how you can add this 13 acre parcel to Greeley Park
to be used by all citizens, not just one neighborhood. When acreage is going to be a million dollars an acre very soon,
they're going to look like geniuses when this gets added to the park because you won't have the opportunity. Thank you
to those who have supported this resolution. Thank you to people like Matt Sullivan, and Tim Cummings, and all the
people who helped us understand really what some of the laws were around this. For those who've been opposed, thank
you for giving us the opportunity to talk over your concerns and talk about mitigating a lot of those concerns
Donna Graham, Legislative Affairs Manager
Your time is up.
Kathy Lodi
| urge you to reconsider and vote yes, thank you.
Robert Lodi
Robert Lodi, 12 Bartlett Avenue. That's going to be a tough act to follow. Madam President, members of the Board of
Aldermen, Mayor, and other esteemed guests, thank you for the opportunity to come and speak with you today. I'm here
to speak in favor of you passing Resolution R-21-202 and R-21-203. This is a unique and singular opportunity that will
never present itself again. You're heard from Alderman Klee tell us the park was originally 160 acres. It's now 125. A
death of 1,000 cuts. We have an opportunity here once in a lifetime to expand the park by over 10% - a 13 acre addition
to the park. There is no other lot like this.
Now there's many reasons | can give you and you've heard them before on why this park is important, but it is an
economic engine for the city. People are drawn to it. Here it was and in one of them Money Magazine 2018 voted
Nashua the best place to live in New Hampshire. One of the reasons for that were recreation options. So people come
here for the recreation options. TripAdvisor lists Greeley Park is the number two thing to do in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Number two! You know what number one was? Mine Falls. So these outdoor things are things people see. TripAdvisor
and other websites like this, that's our welcome mat. This is what people look at when they're coming here. So this is a
singular opportunity. This is a great opportunity to do something that will echo down through history. You're not just
looking at the people that use the park today. Think over the next 125 years who will use that how valuable greenspace
will be as we continue to develop and grow the city.
And the last bit the wooded trail that was out there. You're heard former Marine Captain Mark Barrigan speak about how
he trained while he was an ROTC. This is an Iraqi War Veteran, a true war hero who grew up and lived in this
neighborhood and chose to return home to take care of his family, cares about this place, uses that park. Think about that
as you take the vote and for all of you even if you may be in opposition, | appreciate your dedication to the city and |
