City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Public Works, 21 Sep 2022

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From YouTube: 9.21.2022 Pannaway Manor Sidewalks Project

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9.21.2022 Pannaway Manor Sidewalks Project

A

On the corners.

B

um Hopefully you shouldn't take too long. I'm dave the closest from hogwarts. So see you all again.

B

uh With me tonight, eric in here a traffic engineer from the city there's in here.

B

Mark bachelet, design engineer for the sidewalk project. Beth moreau from the city council is here.

B

And she is improvising me well. Thank you. I'm just here.

A

Again, I said that we ignored him.

B

We've had two uh public meetings at this point on this project, and this is the third.

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Meeting that we're calling information, so we have a brief presentation: we're gonna.

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Give it to you and then we'll take some questions after a presentation will be here after the.

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Meeting, if you want to ask this additional questions, so with that um start, the presentation.

C

And that's today today is 21st, which means it's going to be fall. Real, quick right.

B

I'm happy about that. I spend most of the summer outside, so I've had enough of the hot winter myself, but.

B

Okay slide one and we've used this slide for here. Are you doing? We have.

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Used this slide for the two other meetings. This is your existing sidewalk network in panama, manor.

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It consists of a two and a half foot wide hand-paid sidewalk. That was.

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Done by the developer, we assume at the time that some subdivision was built. All the houses were.

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Built back around world war ii and next slide, and it consists of that two and a half foot sidewalk.

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There's about an eight foot grass strip on either side of the road.

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Between the sidewalk and the road, and in that grass trip, we have many trees so.

B

We uh went out, we've reviewed all all the sidewalks in getaway blocked them all.

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I don't think we need to tell you that they're all atrocious, they need to either be removed.

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Or replaced they are not non-compliant with the ada.

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American disability act and they need to. We need to do something, they all have poor drainage.

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Grass builds up over time, most of them flood with water and they're, just not generally safe.

B

So here's some pictures of the general conditions of people who said this is pictures from last fall.

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It leaves them started yet, but here they are already on the ground.

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The pictures, so that's how long talking about this.

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Next slide, um so we have a resident survey that was passed around of that we have signatures from.

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More than two-thirds of a neighborhood that wants the sidewalks constructed so we're more.

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Than more than confirm, a majority sidewalk needs to be replaced that people wanted to replace so.

B

We've had a couple of divisive meetings in the past and most of them have to deal with.

B

The removal of the trees I'd like to speak to that and we've spoken about this before, but.

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Essentially, there are 29 trees that were initially um well the first one.

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The first thing we did was we went out and we counted the trees. That would be impacted.

B

um And particularly, the first phase of the project involves putting a sidewalk around the outer ring.

B

And of that outer ring made a decision inside ring or outside, and that decision.

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Was largely based on two factors: one the number of trees, that would be impacted.

B

And then b the number of houses that would receive a sidewalk directly adjacent so of.

B

That we identified 29 trees that would need to be impacted. We went to the trees at greenery meeting.

B

When was that, that was the spring, it was in april and we told them. We had a bunch of uh presidents.

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Come to the meeting and um voiced this pleasure about uh cutting edges and the.

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Trees and greenery committee, he asked us to have one more quality, so here we are so.

B

Subsequent to that mark and tyler spends more time outside with a couple of the residents and.

B

I've identified three more trees that we can save. That's it, though, we're sort down to 26 streets.

B

But I want to point out basically that there are more trees on the inside of the loop than on the.

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Outside, if we put the trees and move the sidewalk to the other side of the street would be kind.

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Of more than that, and I'd like to point out that none of those trees on that inside are getting cut.

B

I'd also like to point out that I have a little bit of inside knowledge, because I know most of the.

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People most of the local people at every source, and I know for a fact that every source needs to.

B

Do a voltage upgrade in your neighborhood and then even if we weren't building the sidewalk project.

B

Many not most, but many is a fair statement of the trees that are being impacted by the sidewalk.

B

Project would be impacted and be removed because of the electrical upgrades anyway,.

B

So there are a lot of houses in your neighborhood that are being upsized.

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And basically, the wires that are in the neighborhood now.

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Are at their they're beyond their low limit of what the eversource has for standard wire loads.

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Going around the neighborhood, so they are planning on doing a pretty hefty project to replace all the.

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Poles in the neighborhood, those will go higher, the voltage will be increased and that will make.

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And they'll put more transformers in so that, uh because they actually have some issues with.

B

Some of the wires are starting to the pacing of the wires are starting to come off, because the.

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Wire's getting spot so quick question and we'll take we'll take all the questions at the end. Okay,.

B

So our proposed sidewalk, it's five and a half feet wide. We do that so that we can plow it.

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The sidewalk tractor that we use to plow the sidewalk is about 4.10. That gives us a little.

B

Bit of clearance, when the guys have been up for three days, plowing, so that they don't fall off.

B

The sidewalk and rip your lawn to shreds, if they miss by you know it used to be that for years,.

B

We would build a sidewalk that was five feet wide and we would have turf damage every year. So.

B

We've gone to our new standard as of three years ago that we built sidewalks, five and.

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A half feet wide, so that's what we're proposing and we're proposing concrete.

B

And again, the considerations were the fewest number of trees, maximum houses.

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Walkability, so they can do a room around the neighborhood safely, walking on the sidewalk.

B

And available funding, so we have funding um confirmed today that unless the bids come in.

B

Screwy, whichever they can happen, but assuming the bids don't come in screwy, you should have.

B

Available funding to build the sidewalk around the entire neighborhood in one fiscal year.

B

In addition to that, no guarantees, but we are looking at additional funding so that we can.

B

Start replacing the payment cross-section at the same time, so we have some issues with some.

B

Poor drainage, here there and everywhere I had identified a quarter of a million dollars to do.

B

Some improvements in the neighborhood this construction season, because originally we.

B

Were going to build a sidewalk this year um so that money did not get spent, we try to find a.

B

Little bit more money, so we can at least start replacing the payment while we're out there as.

B

It stands right now our current schedule to build the 3 700 on linear feet of sidewalk.

B

Is to finish the design, we need to go back to trees and greenery and get their approval to.

B

Remove the 26 trees now, which we plan to do in the next month of the month after finally,.

B

Finish the design finish, the grading on the plans make sure that everything grades out right and can.

B

Create a good set of drawings this winter that we can bid and go into construction next spring.

B

Summer and fall so this is part of this big enough project. It's going to take probably three months.

B

The inside loop of panaway will get done in the second phase.

B

It will get done it's in the cip to get done. You don't have enough funding to do the inside loop at.

B

The same time, but we are planning on coming back for the inside loop as well, and we are planning.

B

On removing the redundant sidewalk, so all the sidewalks on the inside loops will be removed.

B

um I don't know mark, do you remember? Are we removing the blue lines on the inside loop.

B

This part of this are we not touching the inside as part of this product? They were part of this.

D

Project, okay, so we're removing the redundant sidewalk, which is what's listed in blue. There.

B

On the photo as part of this construction effort as well, a yellow sidewalk will remain temporarily.

B

Wherever we can we're saving the existing trees, the ada allows us to go down to a certain width.

B

For a certain number of feet,.

B

So, wherever we can, where the roots are not going to be impacted and that's really the side factor.

B

Is if the roots are going to be impacted, the root's going to be impacted and the tree is going.

B

To die because of what we do, then we're just going to take the tree. So doesn't quality tell us so.

B

It's the same thing to do it's the plan. If there are trees that the roots aren't really heaved up.

B

And we can build a little gravel and go over and make a path around them. Then we're not gonna.

B

Impact the tree roots, then that's what we're planning on doing and that's how we're saving.

B

Quite a few of the trees, I mean there's a hefty amount of trees of the.

B

26, that would have been like 42 or something like that that we weren't planning on.

B

Doing what we're going to do so we're doing everything we can.

B

To save the canopy on the outside again remember everything on the inside loop no touch.

B

And this shows the tree impacts. um Anything that's got a x on. It is a tree that we are planning.

B

On removing those are get removed, sometime probably before they leave out in the spring.

B

Plan too yeah, and we have plans on the table that you can look at after many as well.

B

And we will be replacing the trees. We have a massive tree planting effort planned for next year.

B

For the 400th anniversary mission, so we have a large budget to replace the trees and I understand.

B

They're going to be planted as little trees and they will never get big.

B

Probably in your lifetimes, unless you're young.

B

But we are neighborhood planning for the next generation and that's the way to look at it. The.

B

Sidewalks are just not safe. We're building one sidewalk, not two, we're minimizing the impact.

B

Of the maximum amount that we can and still become, a project.

B

So, like I said, trees are greenery finalizing the design advertising.

B

Bids and we plan on building this project once something happens and we get scary bits.

B

You never know what's going to happen, but we're planning on being there in the spring.

B

Okay, now we'll open it up for questions. Yes, sir, do you happen to know how many traditional trees will.

B

Come down as part of ever sources of prey project beyond the 26th, I don't know that specific answer.

B

I know that most of the trees that are impacted whatever source are the ones on the outside.

B

Yes, how much is this project costing.

B

I don't think we've had a full budget yet, but I would imagine it's sick.

B

I'm not sure that they know they to haven't just like any other. Just like any other corporation.

B

They have to tell their bosses that they need money. It has to go into a budget planning thing.

B

And then they get money and they start. I know that they're they're planning on doing there's.

B

Two spots um in panaway, where the wires the wires don't enter the neighborhood via the main.

B

Entrance there's two spots where they actually go across backyards. They are planning a project, a.

B

Preliminary project that actually brings the wires in through this area underground into the vaults.

B

And then it comes up out of the ground and feeds the neighborhood area like it does now so they're.

B

Planning they're planning that right now, one of the last ones being off the sherman way down and.

A

That's when we lost power, the outside circle to a certain end and it didn't have any power.

B

The rest of the neighborhood followed because that other line feed came over from both ways.

B

B

Source people play on their network, but that is generally part of the reliance.

B

That they do nowadays is they try to have two feeds and they just have those switches.

B

So that if something happens in one switch computerized now so then you have to go outside.

B

uh And he turned it into peter rice. Walk around the neighborhood.

B

And that petition signed yeah. He gave it to you, and I mentioned it in my presentation, but.

E

On your previous map, you have the yellow line and the blue line. Yes, and it is the.

B

Yellow line on the outside, that's getting the sidewalks before that one! That's true, and you.

B

Had mentioned, you said it was the did. I say it backwards, yeah, okay. I said it as a stop. Sorry.

B

Phase two you're going down mason avenue and that yellow line is, on the left hand, side of.

B

The street, as you go down the hill, there is not one tree on that street.

B

So you're gonna wind up with more trees when you're done than we have now. Maybe but here's.

B

The honest truth: okay, we haven't put the thought into the phase two and then we've waited at the.

B

Same time, so thank you for pointing that out we'll look at it. Let's do anything about wrap.

B

I have neighbors who want trees when they're running today, so maybe with your 400 trees for.

B

Next year, you're planting, you can get more than what you're taking that's a good idea.

A

I have one of the mussels treated on.

B

Okay, um yeah I'll go to knight you next; okay, sorry in the back, but I'm not going to stump the trees.

B

They will take the stumps out. Yes, I have to because we don't have time.

B

But to grind the sumps and have a decompose we're going to have to.

B

uh It seems to me from what I know about eversource's situation. Is that.

B

When they're, in a situation where mines would be impacted,.

B

They do have authority, I think, to trim trees. They don't. I am not aware that they have full.

B

Authority to take out entire trees, there are trees that are in the neighborhood that.

B

To the degree that there is not enough left okay and that's why I said what I said so my next.

B

uh Question would be, or or my proposal maybe to ever source is bury the cables.

F

Bury the cables- this is a small enough area. Lots of houses are being served by that cable. They.

D

Can't make the excuse that this is just too expensive, because there's not enough people.

B

Being served by it and the trees post no no threat to those cables once they've aired.

B

Okay, not up to us.

G

But you know, uh I'm in front of my house doing the big trees are coming out. Yes, um I know that.

G

At least one of them is very close to the water and sewer lines. Yeah, so is that in the plan to.

G

Is there going to be any fixing or something gets damaged into my process? We will have contingency plans.

G

It's not like you know. A week later, I'm still using my neighbor's toilets.

B

E

I think the tree in front of our house is not going to go, but there are two trees.

E

Which are part of the landscape that on either side, which are going to go.

B

And I I have great concern about this five and a half foot wide sidewalk, or this particular.

E

Neighborhood, it just seems like it's overkill, and I listened to the whole meeting last time and at.

E

The end there was considerable discussion about how there are priorities in terms of.

B

um And it was three months agreed that you might not ever get out there to fly. That's not true.

B

What I'm sure we said, I'm not sure what you heard and I'm not actually, I'm not.

B

Sure what to say but here's the truth, as I understand it when it starts to snow.

B

We send about a third of our employees out in sidewalks. They go out to downtown.

B

First, because we treat all the sidewalks that have the most pedestrians person as we should.

B

After that, before school starts, we make sure all the school boots are done and then generally.

B

Speaking, we go home because we're exhausted the next day. They start radiating out of the city.

B

And as time permits, we try to get to all the sides of the sidewalks, because we're actually required.

B

To do it a lot of times we don't get to it before there's another store, and I understand that.

B

So I can understand why you would say that, but I work at public works. I see what goes on.

B

In a case you know, occasionally, you know chemistry where, where I just live is like you know, sometimes.

B

They can get there for a week and a half, but they got there. They will come. They may not.

B

Come before the next storm, but we're trying to come, we only have so many employees and.

B

We only have so many tractors, but we build the sidewalks so that we can't come. That's the true.

C

But we have to build it for the future three more feet of asphalt all the way around cement.

B

Has there been an analysis done whether the foot traffic in the neighborhood warrants this sidewalk.

H

Right how much how many people actually walk here and close neighborhood? You know.

H

Not like it lincoln street, where there's through traffic, very dangerous and and.

H

You know, has there been an analysis done? I think there has been. Maybe okay, does this really warrant.

B

Yeah this we have an answer. Yeah. We have an answer to you, generally speaking, based on the traffic and.

B

That's why you are serious he's an expert on this. I'm not I'm a lay person just like you are, but and.

I

Yeah, we've done traffic counts in the area. We haven't counted the pedestrians, but we've.

I

Counted, vehicles and- and we have an idea of what the pedestrian traffic is too.

I

And based on the volume of traffic and the speed of traffic and the of expected pedestrians that.

I

Sidewalks are not required in this neighborhood. They are preferred they're, a nice option to have.

I

In the neighborhood, but they're not a requirement, we have complete streets guidelines in the city.

I

And for these streets classification, which is called the neighborhood slow stream.

I

Sidewalk is a preferred alternative, but not a required alternative like it is on.

I

Other streets in the city, so no it's based on the volume and speed of traffic. They are not.

I

Required so most people, probably you know it's low enough traffic low enough people.

H

That this isn't an absolutely and it's not an absolute bust. What is true, however, is that.

B

People from your neighborhood requested the sidewalks that was put into the cip.

B

The planning board reviewed the cip and they approved it. They sent it to the city council, the.

B

City council approved the cip and then, furthermore, the city council voted to appropriate the money.

B

For the sidewalks, because people wanted, then we did the survey that we did subsequently in second.

B

Meeting and we have an overwhelming amount of people that say they want this concrete sidewalk.

B

So, even though it's not a necessity enough people want it, it's funded and that's why.

B

We made a decision that we're making that would make it yes, sir, so just continue down what you.

D

Were just saying, assuming you'll never have any. This presentation is very similar to the.

D

One I was at before the only difference, but for members of people, yes, why haven't we gone forward.

B

If you're still having this kind of support, yeah, what's honest answer, we we're waiting for the.

B

Survey to come in, we are all busy. We've been out building construction projects all summer, just.

B

Being completely honest with you sure, but we're at the point now that we are setting ourselves up in.

B

In in our constructive little world, it's already almost winter we're setting ourselves up, so we can.

B

Do the construction drawings and do the beds over the winter, so we can build a project in the spring.

B

Because that's the kind of timeline it takes to to finish drawings, to go on the bid.

B

To find a contractor to make sure that they have subcontractors to line up all the things that have.

B

To happen and be able to hit the ground running in the spring, you have to start that literally.

B

Now, for that to happen, that's why I wouldn't say: you've been frustrated. That's frustrating.

B

It all makes sense what you said yeah. I thought we were at this point in whatever february march.

B

And you said: yeah we're gonna go, get the it's gonna be more. We are not far from where we were.

B

Be honest with you, but in the trees agreement people would ask us that no have no meaning so.

B

We try to accommodate everybody, but that's the truth and starting to take the trees down.

G

Before the winter time, is that what we said? No, um I don't think that would happen.

A

Or the leaves fall out.

B

Just want to mention that uh the the idea that the sidewalks are not being used enough.

B

Anyone who sees those size logs would not want to use it. I don't live there, but I can't we always.

B

Right, so it's no wonder that people don't use it, but I I would suspect that once the sidewalks are.

B

Nice and level we'll see an increase in usage by a lot of people, and especially because now they're.

D

Going to get plowed as well, I think they're going to be a big difference. So it's means.

B

The other thing is with regard to heat islands, uh you're removing some some of the sidewalks.

B

So you're that's an excellent. It's not just you're, actually moving in you're, removing old ones. We're.

B

Only gaining about half a foot of width going down the stream right, so so the last question.

B

I was going to ask you is how many new trees are being applied to this part of this program. You're.

B

Removing at least probably planned more, I think, and are they are there different kinds of trees.

B

Exactly and there are trees that will live harmoniously with eversource.

B

Okay, and so yes, okay, so hi, I'm joan hamlet, I live on colonial drive and I'm one of the walkers I'd.

E

Love to walk around the neighborhood and since I started paying attention to the sidewalks, I.

E

I started walking up on turbine and I had forgotten how nice it is.

E

I feel so much safer at that point. I just want to point out that at the last meeting.

B

It was pointed out that this, uh the sidewalk near melissa economy is in really bad shape.

B

Thank you, and I I put it on my forms as well.

B

So I'm hoping that in future years, hopefully not too long, that'll get funded as well.

B

We heard you we looked, we agreed it's in there thanks uh any consideration of having like.

B

Oh boy, curves curving, in any words the problem with the adding of the curve, is that.

B

None of the yards will accommodate it without putting in additional drainage.

B

Now we're talking about a six million dollar project. So no honest answer. No, yes, one of the.

B

Situations in the manner too, and because people did not walk on the sidewalks because of the.

B

Condition of them they're narrow it's a single file when you're walking so you're, not walking.

B

With a friend right, it's kind of like the ultimate everybody is in the streets today,.

E

Almost every adult in that neighborhood has a car. They didn't have them when we, when I was young.

B

So it looked like wide open spaces. Today we have kids riding up the street on a bike going around.

B

A car on the street parked and hitting a car, that's coming up the street and doesn't see it.

B

That is the danger because kaiser park on the street, all over the neighborhood.

B

You're going around them and so are the mothers pushing carriages and little toddlers riding.

E

Their bikes, this slow, you can't see them coming and that's a bigger danger than.

B

The sidewalks we have that's right, you're, either in the street or you're, not walking.

E

And I just have one question for the arborist.

E

The armorers are not, you know. Unfortunately, we lost the army left.

B

Do you have a list of the trees that are going to be appropriate for streetscapes.

B

Do we get any choices about what we can put in there.

B

um Yeah we have a master list of we try to plant. We try to. We try to plant many different species.

B

So that we don't have a monoculture, okay, um they do have a lift. You know kind of like a go-to list.

B

Like 15 species that they like and of those seminary, are lower trees for under.

B

Eversource, okay and then the other ones are bigger. Trees, that'll grow in other environments,.

B

So when we, when they do that, I'm not sure what the how they're planning on doing the layout.

B

For the tree planting, but that would be a question for corn, okay yeah. I believe at the last meeting.

B

We asked that question if we were going to have the choice of trees from a certain list of trees.

B

We might be able to select the type of tree yeah. We wanted it in front of our house.

B

I mean I bring that up because some of the ones that planted recently.

B

Look more like shrubs than trees. Multi-Trunk flow, not like a charlie brown.

B

Please write us an email and then let us respond with the kind of trees that we can provide.

F

And communication is key right, so if you have a preferred choice, let us know.

B

And we will try to accommodate as best we can, as we usually do.

B

Yeah yeah we'll um can you please talk tyler's writing right now we're going to have him post.

B

A list on the website, so we can start having that discussion too. The question on your.

B

Pavement cross section the pavement project that may coincide: they never follow right.

B

What does that look like? What are you, what are you thinking like a repaving of the whole neighborhood.

B

Well, yeah they've been shot yeah, absolutely back back when we put the drainage project in 2002.

B

All right, okay, so we we overlay, we just did a quick overlay of the streets. Remember.

B

At this point, the roads need to be reclamated grind them up turn them back in the dirt.

B

And then what we typically do is we put a binder layer on the first layer of pavement.

B

The structural layer and then we usually let things kind of mellow out for a year and then.

B

Come back so in regards to that, in the comments that many people in the neighborhood park on the.

B

Side of the road there's an opportunity to do something with the edge condition of the.

B

Road not a curve, but I've seen examples of it on fairview drive where they did like a free band of.

B

It uh cobble on the edge of the road, so when people do the park on the side, yeah people.

B

Do that doesn't crush people do that on their own and because we're nice, we rarely say, don't do that.

B

But that's that's people doing things on their own. That's not something that.

B

Somebody did somebody did a yellow.

A

My family was at seven, that's what you say.

B

But um just from the perspective that the cars on the side of the road have done a.

B

Lot of damage, what we can do in the grass strip and it has accelerated erosion. I understand what.

B

You're saying I understand what you're saying the answer is: we could use a stonier alone.

B

By the edge of the road to mitigate that, like a recycled ethanol, children, something like that.

C

It's something that's got some organics in it, so it'll grow.

B

Green but it will be strong enough to support a vehicle. Should somebody decide that they want to.

B

Park off the edge of the road instead of keeping their car in the pavement.

F

So I'm sorry so I'm one of the people who's kind of against it right. One of the few- and uh I just.

F

Want to talk about maybe the negative effects of trees right so who here walks regularly in the.

H

Neighborhood, a bunch of people, okay, who here likes to walk in direct sunlight in the sun,.

F

Direct sunlight in the summer.

H

So I think a negative is what's going to happen, you're going to take out all the trees, no, not all.

B

A lot of the trees and you're going to get a lot of sunlight.

F

Right right on that, so the number is closer to 30, okay yeah, which is still.

B

More than zero yeah, but it's not we're, not deforesting and we're not enforcing indoors. Okay,.

B

Will people start walking on the other side of the street where there are trees on the street.

H

Shade there there will be shades well less, there will be shapes.

D

Right and then, who here has gotten a very large heating cooling bill last month, anybody get a real.

H

Big electricity bill recently right has there been any uh people who have air conditioning.

B

Wasn't that big 192 bucks? Well, it did go up.

H

And by removing these trees, you're going to negatively affect our cooling right, you're going.

H

To have direct sunlight straight to these houses, which is going to I'm saying maybe one percent or.

H

10 increase, so my bill is going to go from 400 to maybe 500 or whatever in perpetuity. I work from.

H

Home so I always have to have the expedition right, and so there are going to be some people who are.

H

Negatively financially negatively affected right like this right, so other people, maybe on the other.

H

Side of the street will not have to bear the brunt of these high bills because they get to keep their.

H

Treats right and other people are paying for you know, you know it's not exactly there right.

H

And so um that's from from my perspective right, I was just gonna propose something have they just.

F

Thought: okay: let's remove all the terrible sidewalks right, all the bad ones right, because.

H

The people who are getting their sidewalk removed have a more yard down. I mean it's not technically.

H

Theirs, but they have a big beautiful yard, now, no ugly sidewalk and we did a five and a half.

H

Foot ada sidewalk right next to our house goodbye right and then um you know how: how can we start.

F

With an initial project where we take out the the sidewalks first, make it nice and uh again.

H

As as the gentleman said, we don't truthfully have to have these sidewalks and um and then maybe, if.

B

They're needed because have there has there been an accident in the neighborhood reported.

A

Young boy, from around the corner, a friend of mine and this guy's part of the road which is legal.

B

He came around and he got hit by another cop. He did it because he did it. Yes, we knew that he.

H

Is that this is irreversible right once you do this, once you spend the six hundred thousand.

H

Dollars once you do all of these things, you can't take it back. You can't say well, there's.

F

A lot of sunlight here, people aren't walking in the sun, you know they're walking on the side.

H

People aren't using the sidewalk as much as we thought. Well, we can't really look there.

E

Right, even in the winter yeah I mean great.

H

But um my whole thing is is maybe we can take an incremental approach to this.

H

And say: okay, let's take out these sidewalks, everybody gets a nice bigger.

H

You know we doing maybe another analysis on the foot traffic you know. Are we trying.

H

To fix a problem that doesn't really exist right, what is what is the problem, but because.

F

Manny has a problem with this tree. Can we do that on that case-by-case basis right.

A

I don't think we have an empty house in there. Every house has three or four cars.

A

It needs something for these young mothers, young, kids, parents. My wife is.

F

My business, but again people have been walking.

A

There was not a lot of traffic because everybody knew their own cars.

E

One of the pieces that needs to be incorporated into your.

E

Analysis about whether you may not have been here- and I don't know what your.

E

Eight nine years ago, maybe yeah.

B

One of the original trees crashed.

C

E

I think we're all at risk of those those tall phases, but just on one side.

H

Why not on the other side again, I think we should take it on a case-by-case basis.

F

Instead of doing this very powerful, irreversible take at all.

E

And continually getting more money that doesn't work that way, you do it or you don't. It's sort of.

E

Where you lose that opportunity and then reapply, I'm sorry, that's! Okay! Good! um I live on the.

E

Interior colonial drive, if you were saying those side what's going to be correct, there is a bump.

E

From the tree, that's in front of my house will that tree be removed because of that tree root.

E

It'll still stay there like you're able to remove the sidewalk. The tree will still stand back.

A

Would you pay attention to make sure that you don't plant them over.

A

Everybody's full pipe yeah, yeah right.

A

Right over my sewer pipe but there's nobody clay spikes in the manor that that tree now.

A

Was taken off my sword bite so just feel pretty sensitive to that another question.

A

These are going from two and a half foot wide to five and a half so you're, adding three feet.

B

How far is this, how far from the street is the city owned into everybody's property? I'm sorry.

A

We went with that in the first few meetings. I'll say it again just so: it's clear: okay in general,.

B

It's a little different a little bit, but in general.

B

The city owns about that much room behind the back of the sidewalk.

B

The sidewalk and the green strip, that's between the sidewalk and the street, is all the right way.

B

So it's city right away, it's owned by all the residents, that's what it means right.

A

Yeah, so if you're going from two and a half foot.

A

Five and a half are you going from or just toward the road toward.

A

A

You know yeah go ahead and then I see you.

B

Next, okay, so I'm familiar with two homes on colonial drive, one four twelve dead using.

C

Older generations for the younger parents that are living in the neighborhood.

F

Yeah I just I think I just wanted to say that it seems a little bit like there's a newer.

F

Sort of acknowledging that there's a bit of an equity issue where.

F

You know people that don't necessarily want to lose their trees are also losing well, not.

F

Losing yard, but you know the people on the other side of the street are gaining well we're losing.

F

Yard and losing trees that we don't particularly want to lose them. I totally understand the need.

F

For sidewalks and everything and wish there was an easy solution, but it's there I mean I assume.

B

We have done everything that we can do to minimize impact so that blends harmoniously as possible.

B

I'm losing two jesus. Each of you can have one of the cheese it's gonna go in front of my house.

I

All right mary go ahead.

J

um Hi yup hi, hi, everyone, I'm I'm, okay. um I didn't get to see the presentation, unfortunately, and.

J

I haven't been able to hear everything, but I'm following along as best I can hi to my neighbors.

J

um So I'm mary I live at 478 colonial drive. I've lived there for almost three years. My.

J

Husband has lived there for a previous seven. um I appreciate all the hard work that's gone into this.

J

I have, I don't know, 10 follow-up questions that I've been writing down as I've been listening.

J

I think I'm looking for more information on why.

J

Why we have to do this now and why I'm not saying that we would need an incremental approach, like my.

J

Other neighbor, but there's a lot of attention that I think the city hasn't paid to this neighborhood.

J

For a long, long time since it was built- and we are now starting to get some attention um and.

J

I know that there's conversations happening about what will happen to the old sherborne school.

J

And I think I want is it: is there an opportunity to have a neighborhood-wide plan so that this.

J

Could be part of a neighborhood-wide plan and not a one-off response to what was put in the capital.

J

Improvement plan, so this could be a part of a holistic plan. That's planning for neighborhoods.

J

For future generations, ideally I will have a child and get to raise it in this neighborhood.

J

And I want them to be able to do that. Breathing clean air, not being awoken in the night from.

J

The noise of planes and cars, I know that we're getting a sound wall but we're getting a sound.

J

While based off of the stocks and figures for 10 years from now, those facts and figures were based.

J

On noise that wasn't based on the air pollution, we are sandwiched between a highway that is expanding.

J

And an airport that is expanding and we're taking down tree canopy that will impact our.

J

Air quality and the noise reduction, while also creating a hotter street area and home for us.

J

I just wonder if it's necessary to remove all these trees now for for this purpose,.

J

I feel strongly that we are so lucky to live in the neighborhood, that we do.

J

The average speed limit, if you can share the average speed limit that you saw.

J

You mentioned that the speed limits and the traffic counts wouldn't necessarily require.

J

Sidewalks they could be preferred. That's not the language I've seen for complete streets, but okay.

J

So if you could share with us that that data point, um that would be great, I know that.

J

Cars are getting bigger, cars are getting faster, people are ordering more packages, but we have.

J

No through traffic, it's just neighbors driving around neighbors. um So that's one element to it.

J

um That, I think, could be uh some useful to understand and what does slow enough mean.

J

Does that mean that if someone is driving 25 miles per hour, what happens if some they hit a child.

J

um Versus the the other effects- and I don't think it's also possible for anyone to continually walk.

J

On the sidewalks once they're built without having to go into the street at all, so if you're going.

J

Into the street at all, humans typically take the path of least resistance. The path that's the least.

J

Disruptive they'll end up walking in the street anyway. I think that's another important aspect to.

J

Think of and for my neighbors that didn't know that this is how I feel please don't hate me.

J

You know who you are.

J

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah.

I

So when we mentioned the speeds out there, the average speed was 18 miles an hour.

J

Can you share a little bit about what 18 miles an hour looks like and how frequent that, like? That's.

J

The ultim optimal speed in a neighborhood. Can you tell us a little bit more about what that.

J

Means if it if a child were to get hit by a car going 18 miles per hour? Yes, they are the survival.

I

Rate is greatly enhanced when your speeds are 20 miles an hour or below it's. When you get up to.

I

Speed 30 or above that's when the fatalities are happening, so our target speed in neighborhoods.

I

Is 20 miles an hour for speeds and so we're at 18 miles an hour. That's the speed of your hour.

B

Is it higher for our buses, uh where the school bus goes down to cater and they fly, and they should.

J

J

Another question that I had is: why is the sidewalk being built at five feet wide.

J

Is it for 88 compliance or is it compliance with the plows? Yes, yes to what mostly yes.

B

Okay, both 88 rule is a minimum of it's a minimum of four feet, but every uh so many feet in distance.

D

You actually have to have it at least 60 inches, so that hypothetically, if you had two people and.

D

Wheelchairs coming at each other that they could actually pass each other. So that's that's why the.

D

Most places typically build it at at least five feet to have that uh clearance.

D

Going back and forth because otherwise you have to have essentially pull offs.

D

Every you know so many feet to have passing so that's that's! The the ada standard portion is.

D

5P, okay and then my other question is so if the city is required to plow sidewalks.

J

Now why haven't you been plowing, our sidewalks? Is it because you haven't had.

J

No, it was just everyone spoke at the same time, so I couldn't hear now. I could hear it. Okay, it's.

J

Because they're unplowable as they are yes, if they were ada compliant but not five feet wide, would we.

J

Lose less trees and could we still somehow have them be plowed, or is that not possible in almost.

B

Every case the trees that are coming down are coming down because of roots. It does not matter.

B

If the sidewalk was four feet, five feet, or in this case five and a half feet, the truth would.

B

Have to be removed anyway, okay, and do you know the percent of how many trees are coming down? I know.

J

That it's 29 and I know that's two less than it was before, but what's the percent I think.

J

That's an easier way to understand when we're thinking about when we look outside the window.

J

What the tree canopy difference will be yeah um so again for the earliest part of the presentation.

B

All the trees on the inner loop are staying. Yes, I understood.

D

About 80 on the outside outer circle, so 26 of about 80. we're removing about a third of the.

B

Trees on the outside loop, all the ones on the inside looper stay. So, sixth, roughly okay and.

B

Then we're going to plant the new, smaller trees right, but then here which granted or smaller yes.

H

Okay, all right yeah, I mean I just want to uh remind people that- and many of you know this.

B

Because you lived there so long uh this, this development was done in 1940s and when that was.

B

Done it was planned, um it was a planned community and everybody has kind of standard housing and.

B

Standard curbs whatever and the trees were planted at the time without a whole lot of consideration.

B

To say you know: what will this do to sidewalks in the future and what kind of tree is the best.

B

To plant those were not primary conditions at the time that need to be considered, um but what.

D

What many of you are going to encounter because of this project is some inconvenience obviously, but I.

D

Would I would venture to guess that this is going to enhance the value of your home? If you have nice.

D

Sidewalks in front of your home, it will increase the walkability of the neighborhood and do a lot.

B

And positive things for the future and you are benefiting from what people did in the past.

B

And then you know when people say okay. Well, I don't want this. Why should we do this now? Well,.

D

Somebody did this in the past for you, okay, so it seems to me we owe it a little bit to them to do.

B

Something for the future as well, and it might require a little bit of inconvenience now, but.

B

But these are actually good investments in better trees that will ultimately provide shade.

D

Where they're removed and all actually probably better better equipped to do things with.

D

Pollution and climate change issues as well. So it's it's it's something that we you do.

B

Because you provide a community benefit uh for the future, as well as for yourself right now,.

A

So go ahead, I feel like I'm getting off the.

B

Against the island, I just assumed that the ones that they removed and feel that necessary as far.

B

As what you just said about future trees, a 10-foot tree doesn't give you much shade. One thing has.

B

What was mentioned earlier about the individual on the bicycle that almost got hit by a car addicted.

B

But the brand new sidewalk was there, I think, by city ordinance.

B

You're not even supposed to write it by school of sight.

B

Anyways um there's plenty of neighborhoods mountain city that don't have sidewalks period.

B

You get down sherman road, get down to hauling lane and the other side. There's no sidewalks in there.

B

There's all over the city, there's neighborhoods with no sight. It's not like we'd, be unique to.

B

Get rid of the sidewalks; they feel that the trees are more important to me, particularly. I got one.

K

In front of my house is going to go the three on the corner go. The one beside me is going to go.

B

That's all the state I have other than my back yeah and I can't park the car back. There.

B

Quick question on tree selection, where there is no competition with eversource, do they plant trees.

B

That can achieve a height or that uh I really think so. Yes, so I mean the power lines are largely.

B

Not on the outside of the loop in a significant portion of the neighborhood, so imagine the trees.

B

That can be selected or something that can achieve a shade tree quality as opposed to a compact. Don't.

B

Disrupt the power infrastructure quality, I would imagine that our arborists will do their jobs. Yes,.

B

um You're next then I'll go to you. Okay, it is know we're not talking millions of dollars.

B

But the curve feel and the value to your phone that walkability and ability to.

E

Use the sidewalk is part of an appraisal, so thank you, city of portsmouth, for increasing my values.

E

It's not a million dollars and raising the taxes and raise our electric bills.

H

And these canopies for the trees are about four times bigger right now than they were.

H

In the 60s trust me there, it's a lot shadier and there's a heck of a lot higher trees. I.

H

Mean the highest tree in the manor was about 30 35 feet now: they're, 50s and 60s.

H

And another point: is god help you if you're on a sidewalk when paul used to come by because they.

H

Did an excellent job cleaning that side, because we had to walk to sherman school and they used to.

H

Clean that thing so good they'd have the highest banks. You couldn't get hit by a car. If you tried.

C

Okay boone's lesson over here yeah, I just wanted to say the people who.

B

Planted those please or thinking of the future and the house that we own that's been in the family.

E

For eight years, um my granddaughter's grandparents brought it in early 1940s, and I've spent a lot of.

B

Time out there in summers in the late 20s and early 50s and through the 50s, and it was like.

E

A desert for me, I you know, I lived it down in the south end in a small house, with a small backyard.

B

But it just seemed like it's hot and bright and not conducive to anything growing there and the.

B

Soil is really very sand. In fact, ours is more like us, and um those trees have flourished there.

E

And it just, it seems like it's the only thing that I don't have to really struggle to get to grow and.

E

I know that a lot of people struggle with them and things like that, and it's just. I just think that.

E

I bring a long history too and to me the place, that's become much more livable and I also know.

B

That I think the tree shade and access the trees and whatever factor into housing, values.

B

So it's not the trees are a detriment to housing. I mean all these things are true.

B

And that's why I want to point out one time that we didn't put a sidewalk on both sides.

B

Of the street so that all the trees on the inside could stay and then we went through.

B

And did multiple walks to try to minimize every possible opportunity. I mean we have really tried.

B

It's not like we're going to go out there with a bulldozer and take down everything.

B

And then you're it's going to be like it was in the 50s. It's not true.

B

Yes, maybe the side of the street of the big trees can be planted on your inside.

B

Circles so that one side has all the big tall ones, because we've lost them in hurricanes.

B

You know these big trees can do a lot of damage with all the storms. We.

B

Seem to be having on a regular basis um and nobody hates the heat more than me. You ask.

E

Anybody in my house, I don't leave the house in the summer, so I'm all about the shade.

B

But this is the first improvement in panaway manor, since these houses were built in 1940-41.

B

The first improvement folks, you won't see them back here.

B

About your life, about the underground place that we put in you know.

E

If your babies and trees will grow, I want more trees in the whole neighborhood.

B

Nobody loves them more than I do, but let's be serious about the future of the neighborhood and.

B

The walkability and you can have both shade and trees and enjoy new sidewalks and they're doing.

B

It but the walkability is especially important in the winter time I mean those sidewalks get.

G

I mean most people, don't at this point. You said they're unplowable streets get icy and then.

G

You know, there's there's a picture of all ages right and it's, I think there are times it is a.

G

Safety issue I mean I understand that he like gets back and forth, but in the winter time it can be a.

G

Legitimate safety issue for anybody walking around the neighborhood with the heist and everything so.

G

New england yeah exactly right, you know, I think my sidewalks are important.

G

During a certain point in here, just for everybody safely, all right, so anything else.

E

I'll go to you because he's going to your second one, I have a couple questions.

B

Which one I'm sorry you can't hear. Okay, I heard you the sidewalk on our side, we're in.

B

Grass and dirt in front of our house years ago, we had to we finally had to pay to.

B

Put dirt out there and see it, and um they still I planted a tree and put a tomato basket over it.

B

And they pulled in before they got to my driveway and pulled them right out of the ground and drove.

B

With the tomato basket, the bottom of their car to my neighbor- and it's not the neighbor.

B

It's people that go over there um if they're gonna be anything for repairing like.

B

I can't imagine that I'm gonna still do it. I've knocked down the um you know the concrete and.

B

Stuff and my other question is about the um the old hanging first place, what concrete? Oh.

B

uh We're gonna have concrete at the end of the sidewalks between the street and.

B

Sidewalk in a second, it's gonna, take care of that and we're gonna have to cut them down and we're.

B

Gonna cut them to the left, walk in the sidewalk and decide what goes in. There's any trimming that.

B

Has to happen so that people don't get knocked in the head when they're working on the sidewalk.

B

Vehicle that'll get done what they're doing after they build the sidewalk we'll do a clearance.

B

Check and when are they standing on the cave road I'd like to be alive, for it.

B

I honestly can't ask you a question because I don't know the honest answer.

B

Okay, I'm not gonna lie to you. I just don't know yet.

B

Hopefully it will be too far down the road, but I I can't give you an understanding.

B

All right, we got three people on yes,.

I

Tyler go ahead.

K

Hey dave, it's tyler, I just want to say thank you uh for the presentation. It was really good.

K

um I just got a quick question: I'm gonna pick it back off of one of the people that.

K

Talked uh previously, the utilities um have they been touched since the 1940s, since.

K

We've uh since the neighborhood's been uh developed, yes, they've been touched.

K

So is it so water main has been updated. I can tell because most of the polls are very very old.

B

And they have the old climbing marks from when the guys used to put the boots on and climb the.

B

Poles so technically, the answer to the question is yes. They've been touched, however: what you're.

B

Really asking me is: have they been upgraded yeah? They have not been upgraded, they are horrifically.

B

Not upgraded is it been talk since we're going to do sidewalks and potentially repaving or.

K

Reclaiming and paving this whole neighborhood uh to doing a upgrade of the water and sewer.

B

So early in the presentation we talked about how eversource I almost said: psvh eversource,.

B

Is planning on doing an upgrade to the power and the polls in your neighborhood in the near.

B

Future, I don't have a date for that, because they're looking for money from their company.

B

And they haven't announced it yet, but it is not far off the horizon. As I understand it,.

B

As far as comcast and consolidated, which is the phone company, I have not heard.

K

Okay, okay um and then one more thing: if we do do the sidewalk and remove all the trees.

K

um Are you guys completely removing or grinding down the stems? We will remove.

B

Them because we have to build sidewalks directly on top of them, and we don't have.

B

Enough time that they would decay naturally and not have sinkholes.

K

Okay, all right, I appreciate it guys. Thank you. Okay have a good night. You too next.

B

uh Kathy hatch, hi kathy nearest um hi. I can hear you, can you hear me, I can hear you too.

L

Great, I just wanted to say that my home is on the outside, where you will be placing.

L

The new sidewalks and I wanted to add to the statement you made about eversource.

L

Possibly taking down these trees anyway, because I've lived here for about 20 years and initially.

L

I had two beautiful trees in front of my home and over the years I've watched eversource come.

L

Year after year and cut off branches to the point where they had to remove the trees and.

L

That's without this sidewalk improvement, I'm watching both of my neighbors to my left and.

L

My right, having the same situation again due to the power lines, so I feel like taking down the.

L

Trees that you are taking down, you made a great point: they'll, probably be taken down by eversource.

L

Eventually, anyway, and if we can replant trees, that will not interfere with the power lines and.

L

Won't be cut down over the years. That's also an improvement. That's that's important, because I've.

L

Watched the front of my yard become devastated, there's no trees and I have sinkholes still.

L

So, um and aside from that, I feel like if these trees that you are replacing um that you're, that.

L

You're, giving us to replace are not tall enough to provide shade. Is there any reason in the world.

L

Why I can't plant my own tall tree, that's further away from the power lines that will give me shade.

L

So that could be said for anyone in the neighborhood if they don't have enough shade.

L

They can plant a tree to give them that spade back, if they're not happy with the trees that.

L

Are being planted by the city right? Okay, that that's all I wanted to say. I just I think you.

L

Guys are doing a great job. Personally, you probably can already tell that I'm for the sidewalks. I have.

L

Raised my child in this neighborhood and have always wished that I had safe sidewalks for him.

L

To ride his tricycle on he's now grown, and I have a puppy that I love to walk.

L

In the neighborhood and walking safely on flat level, sidewalks sounds great to me, so thank you.

L

No question: okay! Thank you. Okay,.

B

Anybody else want to say something: will we close.

B

It appears on the map. However, it's like the sound bear every time I.

B

See an ever source: first, no, it's not like the sound barrier. That's different.

B

But every time I run into somebody from every source I was like anyways. I always.

B

Had a couple days: well, I'm glad you're going to meetings about me because maybe we're.

B

Kind of waiting for you guys to get through because we wouldn't have to do it if you were.

B

And I'm paraphrasing, I'm not going to quote anybody, but what I speak is the truth.

B

So so, as I know it, as we know it.

B

In other places, every source owns the lights, but the city of points, but actually owns the lights. There are.

B

There's a dark spot in your neighborhood. You think, there's an issue.

B

Write us an email, we will come out at night and look if it seems unsafe, then.

B

We can certainly ask every source to put up a light. We do that all the time.

B

It doesn't have to be at the same time. Well, we just got to write a little letter.

B

That was my whole life, so the city owns the lakes yeah but come ever source replacement because we.

B

Pay every source to do that. We have a contract with every source. We pay them per light per month.

B

Based on the number of lights and actually the wattage, so a couple of.

B

Years ago I don't know if you noticed, we changed all the lights off. The leds.

B

And we did that because the cost went down per month because if the leds use a lot less power.

B

But so that we don't have to go in a bucket truck and do it ourselves, we pay every source.

B

That monthly fee covers the electricity around the lights. It also covers yearly maintenance.

B

Which basically means if the light goes out, they show up in a bucket truck.

B

And they change the photofill, the leds generally last.

B

18 15 years, something like that and leds, unlike bulbs, so regular bulbs that we used to have the.

B

High pressure sodium bulbs, they the work that they did in the ball blows leds actually degrade.

B

So over that lifespan, over that 15-year lifespan, they consider an led bulb to be no good anymore.

B

When a corner cuts down to 70 percent of the power that did when it was built.

B

So they actually will last longer than that right, so there it is. Thank you. Okay,.

B

Yes, sir, can we talk about pipes again.

B

E

B

Yeah, because, whenever you planted in mayan after you cut the big tree down.

B

Everybody I didn't get a spun off of that stupid tree.

B

I never asked for that trippy that god did. I wish I had a choice: you're going to hurt that tree.

A

You know I'll call it the secretary.

A

B

Shame because otherwise it makes no sense.

B

That's not necessarily true. Well, no, I mean ornamental tree's fine, but you're putting.

B

This in because you're replacing trees that do provide shade right, appropriate and when. If it's.

B

Under wires, we can't do that yeah, so we will plant shade trees where we can absolutely yeah.

A

So, do you guys take a vote now? Is this past one sorry we're doing it.

B

This is a public informational meeting, got it okay, because the last meeting I watched, I.

B

I was waiting for this for the meeting to yeah, take a vote and just went.

E

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. You have additional questions.

B

You right additional questions. All this information is coming up on the website.

B

We will post a list of trees.

B

On the website, sometime very soon and talk to corn about that, don't let them go through trees.

B

You know, and they have all the authority to do it because of the icebergs.

G

And it's like: they don't do it, they don't do it when the wire.

B

Is the secondary household power, but anything that's primary voltage, they're.

B

And I have no eyeball sign in the front yet so um do I have to put my name on the list.

B

To ask for with your address 265.. Thank you. We'll put you on the list. Okay, anybody else.

B

Yes, I just want to thank you guys. This is very informative and thank you dave. Thank you. So much.