To the editor,

Today, I am writing concerning the safety in Portsmouth at the intersection of East Main Road and Sprague Street, both of which are state roads. A timeline is provided of recent events regarding this intersection.

On March 19, 2015, the Zoning Board of Review of Portsmouth approved a two-building complex. Dollar General occupies one of these buildings, and received a special-use permit. Only one abutter attended this meeting. I would have attended, but my address was not notified.

Since this was the only public meeting, my questions have not been answered. Why were there so few questions asked? Didn’t anyone require additional time to investigate concerns?

The July 2, 2015 edition of The Portsmouth Times ran an article on the Dollar General proposed for Portsmouth. This was the first time that many heard of the proposal, present company included. The community response was swift and vocal. They made their views known to the media, to government officials and via petitions. The common theme of safety was across the board.

In early August, the RIDOT granted approval to the project that included the Dollar General. On Oct. 3, 2015, the Newport Daily News carried an Associated Press article by Jennifer McDermott. The headline is: “State DOT to fix what ails it: The agency, working with the governor, has developed a 10-year plan to change its priorities.” It starts: “The director of the state Department of Transportation said Wednesday he’s making changes to the agency, which has been called dysfunctional by the governor … Citing problems with the record-keeping and dishonesty, Altivi said four or five employees were dismissed or allowed to retire instead of being dismissed. Three top engineers are on administrative leave.”

Did any of these people referred to in the article work on the East Main/Sprague Street project? Have safety issues been overlooked? Has anyone investigated these concerns?

The Verizon property is located directly opposite Sprague Street. In December, Verizon expanded their parking lot to accommodate more of their large trucks, as well as other vehicles. This creates the possibility of additional traffic at this already busy intersection.

This intersection has a high pedestrian as well as high vehicular traffic. Safety should be a top priority. Has overdevelopment placed people’s safety in jeopardy? Time will tell.

Peggy L. Mercer

3217 East Main Road

Portsmouth