public mulls Islington Street options

Imagine if Islington Street were a one-way traffic corridor with a bike lane, widened sidewalks and small trees along the roadway. Or what if the massive parking lot at Plaza 800 were converted into open space above a two-level underground parking structure? Supposing the street was dappled with pocket parks, raised crosswalks, small parking areas and a bus hub?

These were among the ideas pitched during a final public workshop for the “Islington Street Improvement Action Plan” project. The meeting, held at Portsmouth Public Library on March 27, concluded a series of public feedback sessions aimed at determining what type of Islington Street area residents would like to see. Consultants Richardson and Associates, of Saco, Maine, used that feedback to devise three loose concepts for improving the street. Those concepts were presented to a few dozen residents last week, each of whom had a chance to comment on their favorite ideas.

Initiated by the city’s Economic Development Commission in partnership with Art-Speak, the Islington Street project is aimed at improving a one-mile section of roadway that stretches from Maplewood Avenue to the Route 1 Bypass.

“The project goal is to create short- and long-term action-oriented recommendations for the corridor, including improved circulation, pedestrian and vehicular safety and economic development tools to benefit growing businesses in the corridor,” said city economic development program manager Nancy Carmer. “This is also in addition to enhancements to the city’s cultural and artistic activities within the corridor.”

All three of the concepts unveiled at the library share a handful of common traits. All include basic streetscape improvements, such as safer sidewalks, enhanced lighting, curb extensions and clearly marked crosswalks. All three ideas also include basic visual improvements, such as plantings and public art displays.

The first of the three ideas, known as Patchwork Quilt, consists of a number of small alterations to the street, including numerous “pocket parks” and “satellite surface parking” at small sites. The plan would also include an intermodal bus hub and park toward the rear of Plaza 800.

“Patchwork Quilt is a collection of small and many unique changes within the overall corridor,” said Todd Richardson, principal of Richardson and Associates. “These are intended to create a diverse whole, and they kind of build upon a lot of the things that we’ve learned that people like about the corridor.”

The second plan, called Rich Street Life, would entail realigning certain intersections and rerouting traffic along a one-way loop. The portion of Islington Street from Maplewood Avenue to CVS would be one-way, heading out of town. Traffic heading toward downtown would be diverted along Jewel Court (between CVS and Blockbuster) and onto Brewery Lane before heading along a one-way stretch of State Street. The one-way section of Islington Street would consist of three lanes separated for traffic, parking and bikes.

Richardson noted that such dramatic alterations would require further study before the plan could be implemented.

“This alternative recognizes that there are serious unexplored repercussions, in that the changes that we’re proposing are fairly significant,” Richardson said. “There are significant changes that would need additional study to confirm that the approach is valid and to identify additional issues and make sure that they’re addressed.”

The third plan, titled Gateways and Anchors, was designed to safeguard the street’s positive qualities while bolstering two areas at either end of the one-mile stretch. The plan would turn the intersection of Maplewood Avenue and Islington Street into a “cultural gateway,” reusing the former library building as a cultural center and turning the Bridge Street parking lot into a space for performances, farmers markets and festivals. At the other end of the corridor, Plaza 800 would undergo mixed-use redevelopment to become a “West End anchor.” The existing parking lot outside Hannaford’s would become open community space, which could be used for festivals or performances, while a two-level underground parking structure would be built underneath.

Project manager Emma Kelly stressed that the timeframe for implementing any plan is unclear. The most immediate changes would occur within five years, but more dramatic alterations could stretch between 10 and 20 years or beyond. The plans also require varying levels of city investment and public-private partnerships.
After Richardson and Kelly completed their presentation, guests were invited to migrate to their favorite plans, which were laid out on paper maps at tables. The Rich Street Life plan drew the most support, while slightly fewer people chose Gateways and Anchors and a handful selected Patchwork Quilt.

Carmer said the consultants will now go back to the drawing board with public feedback from the final meeting and develop a hybrid of the three plans designed to suit as many residents as possible. It will then be up to city departments to come up with a plan for implementing the recommendations.

“The Economic Development Commission is committed to seeing some actionable items come out of this, both short-term and long-term,” Carmer said. “We will do our best to move forward with this.”

The Islington Street project is funded by the city’s Capital Improvement Program and is augmented by a $12,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Richardson’s full presentation can be viewed at www.cityofportsmouth.com/economic/islingtonstreet.htm.