Special Board of Aldermen 12-07-2021 Page 13
afford. We need more information about the source of money being used to purchase this land. Hopefully that
doesn't affect taxes and we have to wait for this resolution to go through the appropriate committees which it has yet
to do. The Master Plan calls for plenty of green space. This is not the only green space available. Emotional appeals
are understandable for making decisions based on emotion are ill advised. This is not to say that having more green
space for this green space is bad, however the expense incurred, and the speedy process on this issue, and the lack
of clear plan that definitely show our taxes will not be affected means this resolution must be rejected until these
issues are solved. Thank you.
Alex Comeau
Yes, thank you. My name is Alex Comeau. | live at 4 Lewis Street. | wanted (inaudible) and protecting our park. To
be very clear, | love Greeley Park. But there's an important distinction to make here however. This parcel of land is
currently undeveloped as park land. It is not an act part of Greeley Park. Reading testimony on social media in both
language and the online petition that’s been circulated that we want to believe that an evil corporation consulting the
board of Massachusetts wants to invade Nashua and build a skyscraper on top one of our softball games. This is
simply not the case. A developer wants to make good use of a piece of property that is not currently being used not to
build another gas station, Dunkin Donuts, or credit union but to build housing. Something Nashua desperately needs
more of. Concern has been raised that adding additional houses will be just traffic in this quiet neighborhood. At the
same time, it was simultaneously debating congestion and traffic on Main Street for another three years.
Development of this property would not have a negative impact on existing services and amenities provided by
Greeley Park. New housing numbers would not result in the loss of Greeley Park’s horseshoe pits or softball fields.
New housing will not result in the reduction of picnic areas and the demolition of the sensory garden. New housing
will not result in the removal of the trail between Manchester Street and Concord Street. All of these wonderful parts
of Greeley Park will still remain. | myself spend a lot of time at Mine Falls using the trails for walking and biking. I've
hosted many of my children's birthday parties in Greeley’s picnic areas and I'm an avid softball player with frequent
use of the field. If there was any chance this development would negatively impact the use of the park, | will be the
first to stand against it but the fact is, that is not the case. If the city proceeds in purchasing this property, we would
have to account for the costs associated with the development and maintenance of part of the city park. The city
would additionally lose the potential tax revenue associated with housing proposed to this area. The citizens of
Nashua are already stretched too thin. You can't expect the city to step in and buy every piece of property that the
developer wants to build on it just because somebody doesn't want condos built at the end of their street.
| understand the Chairman's information that it would not be up to this board to approve this development but this is a
(inaudible) to the Planning Board. But that some petitioners want this bond approved just to prove to the developer
that we are interested. Those two things are tightly woven together. It would be disingenuous of us to approve this
bond to show the seller that we're serious about buying the property without having a serious discussion and approval
to do so. To approve this bond just to hold up this private sale of private property would be wrong. Thank you.
Chairman Dowd
Okay. Anyone else want to give testimony in opposition.
Laura Colquhoun
Yes. Laura Colquhoun, 30 Greenwood Drive. | just find it very funny that the city all of a sudden wants to buy these
13 acres when they put up for sale when in fact, they knew that the owner of this property was paying full property
taxes and never once went to them and said maybe you want to do current use, which is like forest or something else.
This 13 acres is not going to affect Greeley at all. As everybody has said before, Nashua needs affordable housing
and what the developer has done is a very nice plan and | think it should go through. | give credit to the family, the
property owner, because they've been very upfront and has paid their taxes for many, many years. If they want to sell
their land to a developer, | say go for it. Thank you.
Chairman Dowd
Anyone else who would like to speak in opposition to this legislation? Seeing none. I'll now take testimony in favor of
this. If anybody wants to rebut something that was said in opposition, please don't repeat anything was said before
but if you want to say something to counter what was just said in opposition, you may come up one at a time.
Testimony in Favor
