Parking Garage Debate Set to Resume

The city's Economic Development Commission is scheduled to resume talks about building a new parking garage in Portsmouth at its meeting on Friday.

According to the agenda for the meeting, slated for 7:30 a.m. at City Hall, the City Council voted on Jan. 21 to request the commission to report back with a suitable location for a downtown parking garage that is not the Worth Lot or Parrot Avenue. The commission is to consider "privately held properties and municipal properties and/or a public-private partnership." Friday is the commission's first meeting since Jan. 21.

"I am not sure how the EDC will proceed as this Friday's meeting will be the first time they are meeting since the Council referral was made," Nancy Carmer, the city's Economic Development Program Manager, said via email Tuesday. "If past practice is any indication of what the process will involve, I imagine that an EDC subcommittee might be established to review the opportunities (both public and private) and bring that back to the EDC for concurrence before reporting back to the City Council."

But she said that's just speculation on her part and she can't be sure how the commission will proceed on Friday.

The issue of whether to build a new downtown parking garage and where to put it has been an extremely divisive issue in recent years. The previous council on three occasions rejected building some type of parking structure at the Worth Lot behind the Portsmouth Health Food Center. Some residents complained about its appearance and said construction would negatively affect businesses.

A study commissioned by city officials recommended building another garage. The city currently has one garage downtown on Hanover Street that frequently has to close because it hits capacity.