FOLLOW UP to the June 2nd Budget Hearing. Thank you! Coalition Accountability. IMPORTANT NEXT STEPS!

Thank you SO MUCH to all those who participated in the Budget Hearing Thursday night - we had over 65 citizens show up to testify! Unfortunately, the LP3 testimony was pushed to the very end so many folks had to leave before speaking. There will be another opportunity for public testimony on June 9th - 5:30pm City Chambers - the trail depends on your voices!

IMPORTANT: Please email your City Councilors (template below) by June 8th! The Council is taking concerns seriously and the more they hear from the community the more likely they'll consider our request to remove CIP40 (LP3) from the budget on June 9th!

A few things from the hearing are clear:

Concord citizens care deeply about green space, outdoor recreation, preserving the natural resources of our City, places that foster community, and removing CIP40 from the budget.
We request the community trail LP3 and the surrounding natural habitat be preserved and officially turned into a dedicated wellness/nature trail for generations to come.
Concord citizens and the City care deeply about the housing shortage and would like to see smart, sustainable housing be a development priority for the former Lincoln Financial area.
In the push for more housing, Concord citizens request the City and developers stay true to the City's Master Plan (Vision 20/20) proposing: a vibrant, livable downtown, neighborhoods served by walkable villages, and preservation and access to the natural environment.

URGENT NEXT STEPS:

1) Email your City Councilors before June 8th!

Email template below.
Ward map here.
City Councilor contacts here.

2) Show up to testify June 9th - RSVP

3) Yard signs "Parks Not Parkways" still available!

Email concordgreenspace@gmail.com for directions on how to pick up yours today.

COALITION ACCOUNTABILITY

When we first put up the website, we put up a quote that appeared to be attributed to City Manager Tom Aspell. In fact, it was NOT a quote from the City Manager, but it was taken from a Concord Monitor article. We should have done a number of things differently. We should have contacted the Manager for a comment to the Monitor article, and we should have cited the quote referencing the Concord Monitor article.

Once we had done that, we should have made clear that it was not a quote attributable to the Manager, but the words used by the reporter describing the project. To further clarify this issue we are posting a transcribed version of the Manager's State of the City address at the Chamber of Commerce and providing a link to his address at the Chamber.

We hope this clears up the error on our part and apologize for implying the City Manager referencing development projects along Penacook Street had added new urgency to the project (Langley Parkway), because that is not what he said.

https://www.concordmonitor.com/concord-chamber-state-of-the-city-budget-preview-45809309

From the Monitor Cassidy Jensen 4/7/2022

City Manager Tom Aspell said the City Council would soon begin discussing phase three of improvements to Langley Parkway near Concord Hospital. Plans for a roundabout and bypass road have been in the works for years, but a recent Concord Fire Department study on response times and a proposal for new housing development by Brady Sullivan at the former Lincoln Financial site have added new urgency to the project. That project could cost between $17 and $18 million, Aspell said.

TRANSCRIPTION:

Template to Write your City Councilors

(Copy & Paste into an email or call your Councilors)

Send it to:

Your City Councilor (by ward)
All At-Large Councilors
Include cityclerk@concordnh.gov to ensure your testimony becomes public record.

Subject: Remove CIP40 from Concord’s budget

Dear City Councilors,

I live on (INSERT NAME OF STREET/ROAD/ETC HERE) in Ward (INSERT CITY WARD HERE).

I am against the Langley Parkway Phase 3 extension because it is an expensive and unnecessary project that will destroy a treasured community natural resource. The Parkway is an old plan from the 1950s that doesn’t reflect the current desires of the Concord community and is based on outdated and faulty data. The Parkway won’t fix traffic issues, it won’t save lives, and it destroys habitat and community resources. We request Langley Parkway Extension Phase 3 and the surrounding natural habitat be preserved and turned into a dedicated community nature/wellness trail to continue to serve the Concord community for generations to come.

I am asking you to remove CIP40 from the budget. It is a waste of taxpayer money, and is an outdated plan that destroys a valued Concord community resource.

Thank you for your time and I hope you will take action to remove this item from Concord’s budget.

Sincerely,

(YOUR NAME HERE)