City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Public Works, 9 Mar 2023

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From YouTube: 3.9.2023 Market Street Utility Code Compliance Project Public Meeting

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3.9.2023 Market Street Utility Code Compliance Project Public Meeting

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Thank you for coming, um we'll be putting this up on the webpage as as well. This will be a youtube.

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Recording uh the city of portsmouth is holding the meeting for work that is going to take place.

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Starting in april 2023., so um we have several city employees here, I'm going to introduce.

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Them as we go uh it's starting to my far left is eric eby he's the city's traffic engineer.

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To his right is mark batchelder he'll, be the on-site project manager.

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For this project, it's a collaborative project I'll get into that tyler reese is here on my left.

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Tyler will be helping out mark he's, transitioning learning into being a field. Tech.

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So um he'll be out here and then christine is to my right and then sean clancy's. The.

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Economic development director he's over there by the windows out of the camera.

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Right um and monty monty, um but he's here too so marty just started working.

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City a couple of days ago, but we're hopeful that he's going to help us out.

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With a lot of the communication, so that the communication between the residents and the.

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Businesses in the city is better than it and better than it has been so uh this project.

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Started about a year ago now with actually, I think, we've been aware of the issue for.

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Probably uh two or three years so the principal issues of market street are, I think, threefold.

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um We'll get these on a sheet right.

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There, okay, so this is the project area and.

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Basically, we have unitil replacing the gas main on market street.

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uh The market street gas main is a steel main. It's got a plastic jacket, that's been compromised.

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And it's not hard to compromise a plastic jacket, literally taking a utility knife and slicing the.

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Jacket open underground or a rock scratching, it is enough to compromise it, and then you start being.

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Able the main will start to rust, and once that happens, the gas company is bound to replace it.

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So somehow that jacket got impacted, they can tell from their equipment that the jacket's been.

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Compromised so they are going to replace uh the main and the main starts. The feed for the main is.

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In congress street near the intersection of daniel right there in front of ali's jewelers and then.

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The gas flows from there down toward bow street so that's issue. One uh issue: two is aerosource.

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And commercial alley you know eversource was out in market street last year. I know you know that.

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uh So that was more or less the setup for this project, so back when market street.

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Was first redone in 19? I think it was 72 when they redid it and created in market square as.

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We know it today when they did that they pushed all the aerial wires out to the back streets.

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So they go up porter street. They go up penhollow street, they go up hanover street. They went up.

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um Kind of down fleet and um in the way that they they fed commercial alley and the and the.

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Businesses on market street by commercial alley, is they actually they put a wood pole in that's.

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Right outside, what's the restaurant cava, so that wood pole is getting power from panhola street.

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And then from like a spider web, it flows to all the buildings over all the other roofs and that's.

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Not allowed today it's not allowed by the national electrical, so eversource is working in commercial.

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Alley and they're they're, basically going to put an underground conduit system in under commercial.

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Alley and they're going to feed all those businesses, both with power and communications.

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Underground get rid of the pole by kava, so we'll get rid of all the aerial wires in there and make.

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Everything up to national electric code and then they're, working with comcast and consolidated to.

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Do that so they're kind of like one contractor, is going to put in everything for a commercial alley.

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And that uh public works themselves us we have to do a little bit of repair work so last year.

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Just before christmas, we had the big sinkhole, I'm sure everybody remembers, the big sinkhole.

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So the sewer that um that drains market street the sanitary sewer was installed 130 years ago, roughly.

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uh It's a clay pipe, it's actually in really good shape, but when they put the pipe in they put in.

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Extra connection, ports that are, and they block them up with just wood boards and 130 years, go.

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Figure they're finally starting to rot. So what we figured out was that one of those boards rotted.

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And the dirt that was just burying around the pipe started slinking into the water main, the sewer.

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Main pipe and that's what caused the sinkhole, so what we're going to do is, uh while the gas company.

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Is going to be working the road we're going to run a plastic slip line inside the clay pipe so.

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We don't have to dig up all the street. All we have to do is put in a manhole down by the gas light in.

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The brewery put a manhole down there and then I'm going to drag this big plastic looks like a giant.

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Pasta noodle, when they do it and they'll drag it right through the entire 330 feet of sewer pipe.

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They're there and then they blow it up with steam and make it round like the inside of the silver.

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Pipe and then they just cut out everybody's service inside the pipe with a little robot.

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So that we think the public works, part of this is probably two or three working days.

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We suspect we, we don't know for sure, but um we've seen the inside of the pipe. The pipe is.

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In good shape, so we think the public works part will go smoothly. So that's the project overview.

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um Okay, affected areas so uh schedule, so we we set the schedule for the project.

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um We know that no good time is a good time. We're aware of that. We understand.

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um But there are better times a year than others and.

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So we're trying to get this project done and out of the way.

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And have everything restored well before memorial day weekend so before the school gets out and the.

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Streets really get populated, we're trying to be in and through and out of here, so.

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We're going to start that off april 10th weather, permitting that's going to be when the gas company.

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Starts the project and they will start running a new gas pipe starting at market square, because.

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That's the feed and they will run alongside their existing pipe underground. All the way down to the.

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Bow street intersection they'll install that pipe they'll pressure test. It make sure it's worthy and.

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Then they'll charge you with gas and then they'll go up and down the street and they'll connect all.

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The buildings from one gas main to the other and then they'll abandon the old gas line. They suspect.

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That's going to take four or five weeks while they're doing that, because they're going to be.

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Working in the middle of the road we're going to close the road to through traffic okay, so that's.

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Really, the reason for closing the road is because the gas main needs to be replaced and the only.

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Way to do it safely, with all the work that they have to do so that it gets done expeditiously.

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Is to close the road to through traffic, so the the road, when I say close the road through traffic, I'm.

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Talking about in the morning, they start at seven o'clock. In the morning we told them they have to.

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Be off the road by five o'clock in the fall in the spring. Excuse me in in april the sun's.

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Still out until 7 30., so you'll have at least two and a half hours of daylight after they finish.

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And we also told them that they have to be off the road on fridays by one o'clock and they'll. Be no.

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Work on weekends, so, basically from one o'clock on fridays until monday morning, the street will.

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Be wide open, just like it normally is there'll be parking just like there normally is. There may be.

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Some dirt patches in the road but we'll make sure that they're safe and that people feel comfortable.

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Walking around okay, so that's the that's the hours and then, while the work is going on we're taking.

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The opportunity to fix some of the running that happened in the bricks that we installed.

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um So we've hired a uh we've hired a heart check who's, our normal brick contractor to go in so.

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Some of those areas like by the gas light or the brewery there's a little bit of running there and.

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There's a little bit of running by the uh by the clock in front of uh in front of the jewelry store.

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So those areas are going to get fixed, as well as the bump out in front of where pvs.

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Used to be where the cigar shop is so, which got dug up last spring, so we'll.

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Get that all bricked in and fixed and then meanwhile eversource is going to be busy.

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Working on putting in the conduit through commercial alley for we're hoping four weeks.

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No more, hopefully, and as soon as they're done putting in the conduit system, the bricks are.

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Getting replaced we're going to take photographs, so we try to put them back the way that they are.

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They came out so beautiful the first time that we're going to try to replicate what we did.

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um The only other thing of note is that there's one good sized tree in commercial alley, we went to.

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The trees and greenery committee yesterday we're going to need to take that tree out because the.

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The where the tree stump and root system is is heaving up in the cross slope of the commercial.

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Alley is now so steep that it is no longer ada accessible for wheelchairs, so we're going to take.

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Out the stump uh fix cava's wall, whatever we have to do and um and then put the brick system back in.

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um What else on the slide anything else? No, I think we're good okay next slide, so dave. Can I.

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Just jump in absolutely so just to be clear. These projects are going on at the same time, right we're.

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Going to be treating commercial alley and we we uh we did meet with the commercial valley. Folks.

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um And kind of looked at everything and walked through it and talked about it so.

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And I just as the non-dpw guy here so when you say we're closing the road we're closing it to.

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Vehicular traffic vehicular traffic sidewalks will be wide on. The sidewalks will always be.

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Open now that being said, as I said, we're going to repair those three main spots of brick, sidewalks.

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And unitil is telling us that, to put in the gas main, there's three services to three different.

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Buildings that they're going to impact and they're going to dig right up to the buildings. So there's.

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Going to be those three repairs for the gas company, plus the three areas where we're getting.

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Out out the ruts in the sidewalk other than that, no one that I'm aware of is going to be working.

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In the sidewalk system, so it's our intent, we'll work our one sidewalk at a time and then flip.

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Traffic to the other side, so our intent is to keep positioning traffic going up and down the street.

A

Thank you, sean for clarifying that I'm listening, yeah well and the other thing just for those of.

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You from from market street, we in in talking to commercial alley as well we're not going to be.

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Closing commercial alley they're still going to be access, we're not blocking access to any business.

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It will be disruptive and it will we're going to have to sign some things and in certain ends one.

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If one ended of commercial is closed, the other one will be open and there'll be a sign on how.

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To get there right, which we will not close both and we will not block businesses and that's the so.

B

That's kind of the standard for for market street as well yeah kind of like what you did on daniel.

C

Discussed right right, it's, it is disruptive and we need to sign it and- and we need to.

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Keep it safe right, whether it's temporary crosswalks or whatever the case may be right.

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Right so this slide behind me is the red line. Is the extent of the eversource work.

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um So they're, not they don't have to go all the way through commercial alley. They're going to stop.

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um Just pla just past cava yep um from the market street side. So if not the stuff way at.

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The end uh doesn't get impacted, it's just uh the market street side and uh they'll be putting in.

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Conduit as we talked about it because we talked about that and what else uh that's details that.

D

The pedestrian traffic changes in commercial alley, yeah we'll have a sign on either side.

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And we talked about bbw, so that's good.

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And restoration, so the restoration will start happening as soon as we can get them in for the.

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Where you know, as I said, we're we're endeavoring to truncate this project as much as possible.

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So, as areas are finished, we'll get the brick guys in we'll get the sidewatch repaired we'll get.

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Everything opened back up [music] traffic control plan, so um I'll have mark and eric talk about the.

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Traffic control plan, what we're planning to do with the vehicular traffic, while this is going on.

D

Okay, um so the plan is to detour is the obviously shut down market street uh during the unitil.

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Portion of the work, this would uh then detour traffic, that's coming uh at either beau or further.

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Down market street and hanover street towards um penhollow street, the plan is to actually reverse.

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The flow of pen hollow street so that it flows up towards daniel, so this will be done by a series.

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Of blockades and uh and flaggers the uh penhollow will, the parking stalls will will remain open. It's.

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Just that they'll just be parking in the opposite direction, so that we don't lose any of the parking.

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There and then we'll also have a barricade to shut off ladd street as it approaches uh market street.

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What uh what this will require, then, is that high street and lad street would be switched to two-way.

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Traffic, we did this last year when we did uh the underground conduit worked all the way down. Ladd.

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Street it requires having a flagger on either end and flaggers would be there to assist the.

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Vehicles getting in and out our current plan, I think it worked last year. uh Fine was to leave.

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Those parking spaces that are on high street open. I know that starbucks uses there's a couple of.

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15-Minute stalls there that they're very uh high priorities, so the other thing is that may affect.

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I know further down on hey, I guess it's haven court there's uh some deliveries uh and trash.

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Pickup there that again, the flaggers will help get all those uh those amenities uh in and out.

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As as quickly as possible, the other thing is is with this is that we will be positioning flaggers.

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In certain locations, in order to facilitate, we understand that uh during the day, you're going.

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To get fedex you're going to get ups you're going to have other deliveries, and things like that. So.

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We're going to be stationing flaggers to assist. You know there might be a a set of time where the.

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Construction is happening closer to market uh market square, that, if you're getting delivery.

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We can get them in on the other end, so we'll have those people there to help the deliveries.

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Come in it may be times when they're trying to come in on uh near the portsmouth brewery.

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Area and we're doing construction there we'll have them loop around and help them back in to.

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uh To to get deliveries as close as possible to your storefronts, um we know it's it's going to.

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Be disruptive but uh we'll have we'll have have people there to to help out those as well in the.

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Temporary loading zones- yes and we'll also have some temporary loading zones that aren't currently.

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Out there to assist with uh with the deliveries as well and unloading and loading so you're going.

E

To be stopping traffic in the market square, taking a right on high street and holding it.

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Up and allowing traffic to come back down. I live on lab street and I'm a little concerned about how.

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That's going to affect my ability when getting out of my house, let alone the anthony behind me.

E

Yeah, it's going to be basically a two-way street, so we'll have flaggers on both ends like we did.

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Last year so give them your driveway and then get back out and go back out toward the square.

E

So I know you missed the beginning of the meeting but um and that's okay, so we're going to start.

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Weather permitting april 10th on market street, the gas company is going to start april 10th.

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The work in commercial alley starts the week after that, okay and then um the hours of work daily are.

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Seven to five monday through thursday and then seven to one on friday, no work on the weekends.

E

Yeah, I know I still am you missed my opening volley, which was there's no good time to work.

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Downtown yeah- and we understand that, um which is why we're trying to expedite this project just.

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As fast as we can and get in and get out in and just get the hell out of your way, yes go ahead.

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We will yeah okay, yeah yeah and then there's a question.

D

If anybody on zoom has questions.

F

Hi, I'm elizabeth tompkins and I'm owner of putting on the glitz at 40 market street and I'm here.

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I've kind of had a meeting with some of the other shop owners and because of the time.

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New doors to senate, I kind of um was sad, you're doris's tenant. Yes, I should call me.

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The other one- yes, I remember I used to live upstairs in that building for years yeah. You.

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Had a good conversation, oh yeah, but a personal relationship, yeah yeah nice- to see you again.

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um So I've spoken with some of the other shop owners and also chamber yep um there's I have a.

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Couple of things I can run through them, so I don't tie you up too long. You've answered some of them.

F

um First of all, we're glad you're doing this, because that same call reminds you of no. You.

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Don't want gas leaks or electrical problems or things falling in right or failed sewer.

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Lines nothing worse when your toilet doesn't flush. Well, thanks for having this meeting.

F

um What we kind of came up with is also maybe the historical society if there could be some.

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Collaboration among the city, the chamber and historical society. It's a 400 year anniversary.

F

And just advertising somehow to promote that we are open. You know so when people hear there's.

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Construction, it is slowing down our concern, our immediate concern, where it becomes detrimental.

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That there's no good time is for some of the boutiques it's when people are traveling and.

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Freshening, their wardrobe, it's my galahat season, it's derby season for me, trunk, shows fashion, shows.

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And stuff like that, going on we're climbing out of a tough winter again so to hear this, you think.

F

Okay april is when we might double and triple our income after january and february, so postponing.

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That another month as well as living here is is it is not a good time and there is never a good.

F

um We're not trying to choose and change it, but we came up with some ideas that could.

F

There be a collaboration in advertising that portsmouth is in fact open that it's.

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Going to be accessible because there is some confusion as to sidewalks and commercial alley,.

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Like we're picturing, it close, so this has been helpful and I will transfer. I will share this.

F

Information thank you, but I think it would be great to see a collaboration with advertising.

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Whether it be radio newspaper, however else tourism and valerie from she was on chamber.

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And now she's with historical society, I didn't get to reach out with her, but she is a fabulous.

F

Contact to help figure that out and I'm sure there'd be some collaboration yeah. So there's.

B

There's obviously, a lot of portsmouth 400 events that are planned right and, and so my tagline was.

B

It's great we're 400 years old and and we're 400 years old right. So so we have to yeah. We have to.

F

Walk down, we have to walk that balance, but you're right we're not, I think portion 400 has events.

B

That they're, not stopping them no, but I think it'd be great to advertise to somehow put not.

F

To be on us as the business owners to let everyone know it's open, but to somehow publicly sure yeah.

A

We can definitely do that tourism in that industry, but the flip side of that coin is um as a business.

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Owner understand what the construction hours are. Yes understand that we're going to be out of your.

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Way at one o'clock on friday and we're not going to be there at all on weekends and that we're not.

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Going to be there generally speaking, I mean something might happen, but, generally speaking,.

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We're not going to be after five right, so if there's stuff, you can do as a business.

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To kind of load those areas where there's nothing going on it's helpful to everybody.

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Right, I'm already thinking how I can schedule differently with information provided, but I think.

F

Letting in the tourism industry to somehow cross over in there and let people know.

F

That were, in fact open and it's not as accessible is important. So I talked to ben all the time you.

F

Do- and I will bring up this this conversation because I think it's a good idea and they're.

B

They are really our tourism arm. If you will, I mean we have our internal communication, but we also now.

B

Have some additional social media channels that will run through monty, and uh so I feel like we.

B

We're we've got more tools in our. We have a lot of good minds here and a lot of good people. I.

F

Think the other questions that came up quickly- I don't wanna, go too long- um is also a cute. You.

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Know a fun way to sign it. You know when you go up to kennebunk, if you had even signage that.

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You know inside out and putting on the glitz this way you know, and you have your street ambassadors.

F

But some way to have people out there and that is ideas for ben yeah yeah. So what we're doing.

B

With this is flaggers right, I don't want to go there. So what dave and his team have agreed to is.

B

um The folks on commercial alley are sending us their logos, yes and we're going to make the signs.

B

And and maybe even you know have some direction because if you can't get in one end of commercial.

B

Alley- and you literally have to navigate all the way around and take three rights or three.

B

Left to get there, we want to help out yeah. So, in addition to the logos which will get people used.

B

To the fact that I know they're there, oh, they are open and they recognize that that just will.

B

Hopefully, cut down on people definitely will doing about things. Did you see the orange flaggers for.

F

Traffic is highly important for foot traffic is I understand, and it's the balance machine we've all.

F

Said you know, should we close market square and to traffic all the time should we not and then how do.

F

We access so this kind of tells us we need to stay open because of deliveries. We don't have alleys.

F

To have back entrances, you know my building yeah. She was building nothing. um The other.

F

Question some people brought to me that asked me to speak, and I agree with it is.

F

Are are all these utility companies? Do they have their contractors set and are the dates set? Yes,.

F

Next question was: are there I'm going there? Are there penalties if it goes over? The four.

F

To five weeks to encourage it to be done, I mean things happen with construction. Things happen.

A

But understand that the dates that we're giving you today are conservative dates, yeah and we're.

A

Very hopeful that it won't take that long yeah. If anything goes awry, is there or is there any.

F

Agreement or any of the businesses under agreement for any type of compensation. At this point, you.

F

Don't have like knowledge now, okay, um I think you you answered. I think if the other people were here.

F

With me, they'd feel better. I answered a lot of it and we really appreciate you having this forum.

F

Too and I'll just add all the way, all the way up through to city council, the same questions are.

B

Being asked in terms of do we have to do this, and can we wait, and the answer is really no, because.

B

We don't want worse problems, but my point to you is all the way up to the top of the city.

B

People are looking at this- it's not just it's, not just those of us in in the room. I've not been to.

F

A city council meeting here before so it was like they asked about it last at the last meeting, yeah.

B

So yeah it's it's got everybody's attention. Thinking on the same, oh sure we are yeah. You.

B

Know if we could choose, but you can't you can't and you don't want to risk any public, and I mean.

A

You know, even though the public works portion of this project is really relatively minor yeah when.

A

The sidewalks back together slip lining the sewer pipe. I mean we're committing two of our inspectors.

A

To this job, to make sure that you guys are taken care of so understand that that we're we're all.

A

In yeah and that we care yes, I got that I will pass that along and I think the collaboration.

F

With chamber and historical society really make sure people know foot traffic is available, despite.

F

The detours of car traffic, we want to keep the sidewalks open, defining that is going to make.

F

Everyone feel a lot better because I even went this sidewalks. We put our racks out, you know and.

F

Then you settle down and you go. This is important and right. It's public safety is first concern. Yeah.

F

Always it just you know there we had our questions and I think everyone's going to be.

F

Feel better with what I can report back good. Thank you and keep in mind that this.

A

Presentation will be on youtube, they can listen to it and understand they can see the powerpoint. Yes,.

B

um For the record and a couple questions have come up: please reach out I'll. Let them reach.

B

Out yeah tell them to reach out. I have one more question answer. Yes, sir, the barrett gallery asked.

E

Me I apologize for getting here a little late. I missed her. It's it's more than okay. Go ahead!.

E

You want to know whether or not that sidewalk along the side of market street is going to do.

E

Straight down or it curves yeah, I mean it's like a roller coaster. Yes, so that was one of.

A

The things I talked about we're going to fix some of those sidewalks that are in that area.

A

um That got rutted from putting in the clock. So that's what happened so we're gonna we're gonna.

A

Excavate the bricks out in the immediate area, that's squirrely and relay the bricks in those.

A

Areas, there's no there's an equal area almost directly across the street, from that behind.

A

That parking meter- that's pretty bad too uh just about where the brewery is maybe just up straight.

A

From the brewery so we'll we'll be attacking those areas and and fixing those while we're.

A

Here we're gonna, do it so that we're good again, uh the final thing that I that I really should tell.

A

You is that all the utility work in the asphalt will get patched for the fall for the spring. For.

A

The summer in the fall after indigenous people's day, I will return with the paving company we're.

A

Going to take off the top layer of payment of the road and resurface the road we'll do that.

A

In the fall once it gets a little cooler after the summer's over so we'll give you the summer.

A

If anything settles or anything happens, we'll be right in to fix it, but then we'll come back in.

A

And put a new overlay on the road, so it'll be a brand new road before the christmas season. Okay,.

A

Okay, thank you. Thank you very much. Actually you just thought of it um have have very well.

C

Aware of that telephone pole in the little alley off of daniel street, that's the other poll, the.

C

Other broadcast bowl yeah so and you were talking about um overhead lines over buildings and that's.

C

Not kosher right there, how is, how does that fit in with us like again we're behind modes? There's.

C

That I think whatever source's main problem is I'm not I'm not up on the on their policies. Probably.

A

As much as I should be, I I know most of them, but um I think the issue at hand is that the electric.

A

Lines in that case are crossing property lines, and maybe that's not the truth. There, because they're.

A

Clearly, all set with what they're doing, because they ran the power on the ground. To the pole and.

A

There, whatever happened in your alley, they're fine with versus commercially they're, not and.

A

I'm not sure why that is to be honest with you, I'm not going to try to come up with some reason, but.

A

I think that's probably the only reason I could come up with and it might be the voltages involved.

C

Area behind yeah.

C

Yes, the pole right.

A

Which they will deal with, if you make it, if you make a a thing, you know it's like it's like every.

A

Little thing you you try to you, try to make it leave it better than you than there was before.

G

One other item dave that has questions.

C

The outdoor dining officially starts may 1st, but obviously will hold off until the construction's.

G

Out of there, too, in the construction area yeah in the construction area, yeah yeah and on.

H

um Series at olive street as well is there any anything going out there.

H

Well, there was last year the last two years it has been moxie and and tj's, but that that will also.

H

That that's considered in the construction area. No, no, no, no! No! um We're not going all the way to.

A

Penn holla street, with the commercial alley work so other than loading. We need to look at loading.

A

Make sure that we have adequate loading for commercial rally so other than that. That may.

A

Impact something, but I don't think we've kind of thought that through all the way yet should.

A

Two restaurants right tj's, yeah, tj's and moxie, because I don't think bamboo, okay, they didn't.

A

Last year, no no and no one has applied yet this year. So we'll do that when the time comes, that.

C

Street is going to be one way. It's going to be one way going toward toward daniel right, yep.

A

During the week- okay, oh, oh, then it reverts back for the week. Have we thought that through I don't.

D

Think we've thought that through yet it'd probably be best to leave it on the weekends as well. So.

G

We're not confusing people, okay, so for the month or so month, and a little bit that we're going to.

A

Be working it'll, be, I think, the other way yeah. They don't want to be out there swimming signs.

A

Right it'd be like a stooges. Yes, you have a question in the back: yeah you're gonna have.

E

To go over to fleet street to get it right. Yes, unless you know you can go up bow street, you.

G

Know if you're coming up state street, you usually take ben hollow all the way across.

G

You can continue up and then take both street or, if you're, coming in from kittery. You could.

G

Take immediate right on the boat: if it missed that, then yeah you'd have to go down the fleet street.

A

It's a couple of weeks and we thank you for your patience, we're just.

A

Trying to make it work for as many people as we can.

F

Okay, thank you appreciate you coming.