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Eric Spear
Age: 39, yrs. in Portsmouth: 10
Occupation: computer programmer
Public Experience: Traffic and Safety Comm.; Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Comm. on Appointment Process; Pierce Island Comm.
-What can be done to provide affordable housing for working
families and people with moderate incomes?
Before we can make real progress, we must assure the neighbors that the development will remain affordable and not turn into luxury condominiums or Section 8 housing. Next, we must overcome reluctance of neighborhoods to accept affordable housing projects. Then, we must find financing for home ownership and not just rentals. I look forward to more creative solutions.
-What would you do to manage growth in the city’s Northern
Tier?
1) Make sure zoning regulations conform to the goals of the city’s Master Plan. Zoning affects not just simple things like building height and permitted uses, but pedestrian accessibility, sustainable development, open spaces, waterfront access, and affordable housing. 2) I would work with the next mayor to insist that we get the best people for land use boards.
-What kind of new businesses would you like to see opening
in Portsmouth?
Except for the “sin” industries, like strip clubs and casinos and the like, I don’t have a preference for what kind of new businesses. Portsmouth has enough diversity on Pease, Lafayette Road, Islington Street and downtown so that all types of new businesses should be able to find a place to succeed. We have enough different types of business districts in Portsmouth so that everyone can be satisfied.
-What would you do to promote sustainable practices and
green building in the city?
While green buildings are a good start, they are merely a start. For an urban environment, the quickest way to achieve sustainability is through density. Building out and requiring oceans of parking for every building perpetuates an “auto-centric” way of doing business and is not sustainable. With zoning, we can require developers to follow green building practices.
-What was the last cultural or artistic event you attended
in Portsmouth?
Ken Burns at The Music Hall on Monday Oct. 22. Prior to that, the Fairy House Tours (I have three young children). The summer Air Force Show, Seacoast Local Festival and volunteering with the Families First Scavenger Hunt.
-It was largely the artistic community that made Portsmouth
a popular destination, but now most artists will tell you that they cannot
afford to live or work here. Have we killed the goose that laid the golden egg?
I look forward to working with organizations such as Art Speak, the Housing Partnership and the Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast to solve this problem. However, this is a regional issue, and neighboring communities should be encouraged to look at their zoning regulations to encourage more affordable housing options.
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