
NASHUA, NH – After being tabled at the two previous infrastructure committee meetings, O-24-036 – relative to extended outdoor dining – is back on the agenda for Wednesday night.
The ordinance would continue to eliminate certain on-street parking spaces to be used for extended outdoor dining from May 1 through Oct. 15 for the next three years (2025 to 2027). The fee to use the parking spaces would double from $500 previously to $1,000.
Barriers would be used where “crashworthy treatment is needed.” In areas where it is not, other options may be used.
Members of the public who are opposed to the ordinance have stated that the barriers have worsened traffic, which could also hinder emergency vehicles from getting where they need to go.
Others have said that the barriers for extended outdoor dining are not aesthetically pleasing, and that they have served the purpose of helping restaurants during the pandemic, and are no longer needed.
On the other hand, some are in favor of the ordinance, due to economic benefit. At the Oct. 23 meeting, restaurant owner Jeff Bois said that his experience with the extended outdoor dining was that it was well attended and that the additional seats helped him create additional jobs.
During that meeting, Economic Development Director Liz Hannum gave a presentation on extended outdoor dining. She said that 23 parking spaces were used, and that approximately $5,184,750 was spent at the extended outdoor dining tables.
She said that extended outdoor dining is also in line with the Imagine Nashua Master Plan as it expands pedestrian safety, slows down cars, and brings money into the community.
As far as aesthetics, Hannum said that they are looking into using concrete planters as barriers.
Alderman-at-Large Ben Clemons said that he could not vote for the legislation as currently written, and that compromises would need to be made. He suggested keeping two travel lanes on each side of Main Street, and putting the barriers only out to the parking spaces, not into lanes, which was liked by others on the committee.
The committee decided to table the legislation until Dec. 3 in order to get input from various departments regarding safety, and to hear from restaurants downtown to see if they would be willing to pay more for extended outdoor dining.
The ordinance was again tabled at the Dec. 3 meeting as no one from the relevant departments were present.