Politics & Government
Legacy Playground Dominates Public Comment at Aldermanic Meeting
The first meeting of the New Year took about one hour and consisted, mostly, of public comment.
A short Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday night with little actionable business was wedged between two public comment sessions dominated by talk of the proposal to build a new playground at Greeley Park, behind the stone bath house.
Speaking against the proposed Resolution, R-14-001 were Barbara Nelson, Doris Hohensee, Paula Johnson, Bob Early, and Tracy Pappas, a member of the Board of Public Works.
Speaking in favor were Nashua Chamber of Commerce President Chris Williams, Brian Hubert, Eric Brand, Jamie Stein and Dave Robbins, all involved in the playground project.
Nelson said a playground would ruin the natural beauty of the park, where passive recreation space serves all who come to play and picnic there.
"If you put in a structured playground of this nature it will change it forever. This will leave a permanent impact, and it will lead to other changes," Nelson said.
Hohensee suggested putting the playground on the opposite side of Concord Street where horseshoe pits are currently situated.
"They aren't used. Why not put the playground there? It's flat, there's parking, there's a bathroom, it's close to the ballfields, and you're adding to something that already exists," Hohensee said.
Johnson said that the project would likely require the cutting of more trees and "angering more people."
Early said the existing playground had served several generations of his family well, and didn't see why it needed to be removed. He also said placing the playground "out of sight" behind the bath house would invite vandals.
The Board of Aldermen are taking up the placement of a universally accessible playground, a gift to the city by a Leadership Greater Nashua group, after the Board of Public Works in December approved Greeley Park as a feasible site. They have raised about half of the projected $250,000 playground cost to date.
Pappas, whose property on Swart Terrace abuts Greeley Park and is the only member of the Board of Public Works to vote against the playground, said Tuesday night she was "stunned" that seven board members co-sponsored the resolution for the playground at Greeley Park.
"We have no idea what it looks like, and it's going to be rammed through in January of this year when not all the money is raised," Pappas said.
Williams said the Legacy Playground group understands "there is still due diligence that needs to be done," and said the goal is to continue to go through the proper city channels to make sure the project is done right.
Stein said he is serving as chair of the project design for the group, and that it should be regarded as a treasure for all citizens of Nashua.
"We're looking to leave a lasting legacy, a lasting gift that will last for years and be treasured for years to come," Stein said.
Brand, who is project leader for the group, reminded those who spoke against the proposal that more than two dozen sites were visited before Greeley Park was selected as the best fit. He also noted that it has been two years since the project's inception.
"Since we started this process we've done nothing like 'ramrodding' anything through. Ever since the beginning of the project we've listened to concerns and tried to make changes along the way. Someone spoke about us having no design or budget. Our budget was $250,000 – some of that funding is on hold, and one big hold up has been over where the park is going. We're not expecting approval from Infrastructure (committee) or the Board of Aldermen until we do have a design," Brand said.
Board Chair David Deane referred the legislation to two committees, Infrastructure and Board of Public Works.
In other business, Deane said iPads approved for use by the Board of Aldermen last term are still in the works. He has asked Board Vice Chair Brian McCarthy and Ward 9 Alderman Ken Siegel to work together to expedite the technological considerations.
Siegal and Ward 3 Alderman David Schoneman announced upcoming Ward meetings – Ward 9 will meet at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27 at New Searles Elementary School and Ward 3 will meet 7 p.m. Jan. 29 at Amherst Street School.
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