Letter: Portsmouth needs to review its zoning ordinance

Posted 7/18/17

To the editor:

In addition to reviewing our current fee structures which makes sense to me, I hope the new Economic Development (EDC) subcommittee being formed also looks at the current …

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Letter: Portsmouth needs to review its zoning ordinance

Posted

To the editor:

In addition to reviewing our current fee structures which makes sense to me, I hope the new Economic Development (EDC) subcommittee being formed also looks at the current residential tax base and preserves it with sustainable development. 

For the past 10 years the EDC has been a strong advocate for expansive, high-risk retail proposals to town without looking at the longterm financial impact on Portsmouth. Low-wage jobs increased traffic and declining surrounding home values. 

What good is O’Reilly Auto Parts store coming to our community if he gets a five-year property tax break, with the lifespan of his store being nine years, as the developer said at a Planning Board meeting. 

The committee that needs to be formed is a Zoning Ordinance Review Committee to decide where we want our retail and how do we want our town to look.

Middletown reviewed its ordinance 15 years ago and is doing a lovely job cleaning up the ugly sprawl that defined Route 114 for many years. 

Conni Harding 

884 Union St.

Portsmouth

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.