Some residents and city officials fear unchecked development in the Northern Tier of Portsmouth could result in the “walling off” of downtown, with tall buildings eclipsing views of the skyline.

But a proposal to lower the maximum height of buildings in the Central Business A district from 50 feet to 40 feet has received mixed reviews. Most residents offering input at a public hearing on Jan. 8 spoke against the measure, and the City Council opted to table the proposal until after a joint work session with the Planning Board.

Assistant Mayor Thomas Ferrini said he expects to see a “nuanced version” of the proposal when he meets with the Planning Board and consultant Rick Taintor on Feb. 1. But he insists concerns about growth in the Northern Tier must be addressed to consider issues of walkability, space, aesthetics and economic development.

N.H. State Rep. Paul McEachern said many existing buildings in the Central Business A district are more than 40 feet tall and would be out of compliance if the amendment passes. He said concerns about walling off downtown are unfounded and reducing building heights by 10 feet would not accomplish anything.

“It’s counterproductive,” McEachern said. “What you’re doing is not going to achieve what you think it’s going to achieve.”
Other residents said they were in favor of controlling the mass of buildings, but simply reducing heights will not solve the problem. Architect Steve McHenry said arbitrary height reductions would contribute to sprawl by impelling developers to make up for lost space with outward expansion.

The hearing on Jan. 8 followed a similar public hearing during a Planning Board meeting on Jan. 4. After listening to public feedback about the proposal, the board recommended looking at other ways to address the height issue.

During the Jan. 4 meeting, Planning Director David Holden acknowledged that the plan needs more work. Taintor said other options could be considered, such as allowing tiered buildings that seem shorter from the ground but can rise to 50 feet in the middle.

Councilor Kenneth Smith said the height proposal was intended as a way to get discussion going about development in the Northern Tier. He said the Planning Department will continue to look at other ways of addressing growth, and the public hearing will reconvene at a later date.

“This is one very important issue that really needs to be singled out,” Smith said.

The City Council tabled a second reading of the height ordinance and scheduled a joint work session with the Planning Board for Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m.