
NASHUA, NH – On Tuesday morning about 30 residents gathered in Jajabelles on Main Street. The coffee and baked goods are enticing but they came for more: a serving of civic engagement.
They gathered for “Java with Jim” hosted by Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess. The gathering is one of his continuing series of open, public meetings to discuss current city issues. The Mayor began with a recap of issues facing the city and his team, and then held a question-and-answer session with the gathered citizens.
He began on a celebratory note recapping the news that Newport Construction Corporation dropped its challenge to the city’s rejection of their proposed new plant. From the Mayor’s point of view, that denial was based on how the project did not align with long-term development goals.
He stated, “There will be no asphalt plant,” which was greeted with a loud and sustained round of applause from the audience.
The construction barges and building activity downtown on the Nashua River was next on the agenda. The Riverwalk, Renaissance, and Bicentennial Parks project is well underway and making good progress. To read more about the project go here.
The mayor noted that the inception of this project began over eight years ago at the Mayor’s Institute for City Design conference. Conceptualizing the river as a design feature and actual construction is a major transformation for the city.
“The river has been there as long as Nashua existed, we are really a “river” city. We are named after the river. But for a couple of centuries, it was a sewer, it was a waste dump for the mills, and it was polluted. But in recent decades it has evolved into a major, beautiful, natural asset”
The projects are making the river a focal point, a feature of downtown by creating access and public spaces on its banks. It is hard to recall the condition of the river when the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 compared to its condition now. The elevated walkways and improved parks are the capstone of a half-century of change for the city
The dialogue moved on to housing and affordability with the Mayor noting the impact of rapidly escalating rents and home purchasing prices. The median price in NH has risen 66% in five years from $283k in 2018 to $470k in 2023. Conditions in the Nashua housing marketplace reflect these changes and are negatively impacting housing options
The city is involved in housing solutions with varying levels of affordability like the nearly complete workforce 46-unit housing at 249 Main Street and other developments. The mayor concedes issues like limited land, mortgage rates, and demographic changes are market factors beyond the powers of local government.
Housing affordability and supply naturally led to a conversation about homelessness. The mayor states that the city has identified a population of about 30 people living outdoors but that notes that number fluctuates and may be under-reported. Progress was made by the four-person health department worker team that is that is servicing that population. Eight individuals have been moved into stable housing through their efforts.
The mayor then fielded questions ranging from driving patterns, traffic disposition of city properties, French Hill pedestrian improvements, and the potential closing of Mt. Pleasant Elementary. He was open and thoughtful as he handled the queries.
One inquiry /complaint was about the lack of local information and limited news coverage of the city. The Mayor noted a solution to the information problem was on hand and graciously allowed this reporter a chance to plug the Nashua Ink Link, helping us grow our community of readers.
Much appreciated