Category: Lincoln Street

Important meeting

Good Afternoon All,

There will be a public information meeting on Tuesday, August 4th at 6:30 p.m. in the Nowak Room (Town Office) to discuss the upcoming utility project on Lincoln, Tremont, Daniel, Front and Winter Streets. We will be discussing the schedule and traffic control for the project, followed by a question and answer period. The meeting will also be on Channel 22 for those that can’t attend.

Attached is a notice for you to post and share.

Have a great weekend,
Jen
Jennifer Mates, P.E.
Assistant Town Engineer
Public Works Department
13 Newfields Road
Exeter, NH 03833
(603) 418-6431
jmates@exeternh.gov

 

It would behoove all Town residents to take time to become aware of this project before it begins.

Here is the flyer.

Lincoln public mtg 8-4-15

Mike

End of Season

I yanked the scow this morning, the few warm days left  can be used for cleanup and winterizing. When exiting the boat ramp I ran into our parking officer.

Not literally.

I asked him a few questions  about the train paid parking proposal which I support. I told him that  frequently when  I visit Romeo’s Pizza on Lincoln St the owners (believing I have some clout) will inform me of another  all day commuter using the shopping strip  parking spaces. The last one was a  huge Tahoe. The  businesses on this strip rely on  those slots for their duck in, duck out customers, which form the bulk of the trade. Parking there is just plain wrong and frankly, insensitive to these businesses and customers.

If  paid parking is instituted we should revisit the parking regulations on Lincoln Street.

Just prior to  the decision to build a new High School we enacted  a no all day parking rule on Lincoln Street.

There were signs and the required 4 0r 5 hearings. I always felt the rule was simply to drive the kids away and felt it was suspect. I did not understand  the push.

Those signs are gone now and will someone weigh in and tell me why?

If we enact a pay parking system we will need   parking regulations and signs  in place. Otherwise the pikers will avoid the RR lot.

Oh yea, get an EZ Pass will you please. I cannot believe the number of NH  windshields not sporting an EZ  Pass .It saves you money and time. I love the guy that blows  by me at 80 on 101 ,  ducks in at the last minute for the 95 exit while cutting off another driver, then  is  digging in line  for change at the toll booth.

Mike

Lincoln St Charette

I won’t be there so use my seat, I have another commitment.I hope it is well attended and generates lots of discussion. My last charette was one concerning Epping Road.It remains in my opinion, a mess. Felder is going to build how many more buildings? A renter has to live there  while that goes on? I live near the site and there was blasting I swear all  Summer. Ask my  dog. I am assuming some of the  work force housing will be occupied by those that work nights.

When  we will stop blaming the recent economic downturn for what amounts to decades of property owner neglect ?

Take a drive on  Route 1 with a critical eye.

Questions for  Charette

I had heard that  the building at 97 Lincoln   has a second floor that  was not authorized and it is only to be used for storage. Who checks that? This the tiny building next to the  American Legion Hall.

Some feel the Goupil baggage  building deal is the wrong deal. We should buy Gerrys. It is the station and still has it’s fireplace  hidden behind a wall.

It will be difficult for business owners to attend but there is great  interest in the outcome. How will we engage the owners? I hope Mr Burnham attends. Why does the map on the town web site not reflect  all the buildings?

http://town.exeter.nh.us/plan/workshop%20info%202010.pdf

Some of  Mr Burnham’s property seems  to be missing from the map.

Can some time be spent on alternative sites for the dumpsters at the head of the avenue, please. If we do nothing else can we at least get the dumpsters moved?

Do we have to wait for a business with a drive thru component  to buy the defunct bank? The tax card has a value on the pneumatic tube  devices? Weird.

6 Portsmouth Ave comments while you are here.

The  picture in the paper of the new Provident Bank building on Portsmouth Ave was a tightly cropped photo.

I am  dismayed that the home next to the Hilton is not being razed . It is a stretch to  call that professional office space  today.  It’s an old house. That  the hospital could not make a deal on that entire parcel still puzzles me.

Auto Part Stores see no retail traffic and really are warehouses that could be sited  someplace other than  prime retail.

I want all my readers to go buy something at the Gandolfo’s  New York Deli, spread the word. Try the joint, make  their day.

Please stop using the  freight  entrance to Stop & Shop to enter from the North  or exit to the South ( Town) Use the intersection. It’s safer for us all.

Blocking of driveways  and streets approaching Dunkin Donuts from Town needs to be discouraged with signage.

Check your smoke detectors, they are on sale  everywhere. You are on your own.

Mike

Lincoln Street

This was a night  shot as you can see so I have had to reduce it. It’s a bit fuzzy  otherwise. Too bad,  but it is certainly  a powerful  image regardless of size. I never miss an opportunity to visit the Lincoln Memorial.  Abe and I share the same birthday, February  12th.

I just called Barb Rimkunas of the Exeter Historical Society to make sure the street was not named after Fred Lincoln.

She wrote a sweet little piece on this very subject that appeared in the paper  a year ago. It is hoot, how things remain the same when  money is on the table.

Barb’s Essay

The Exeter  Newsletter today has an editorial regarding spending for the Train Station. They are suggesting we wait a bit. You will perhaps notice that  I have ceased banging the drum for a composting toilet on the Swasey, times are tough . So I concur with the paper on this one.

I still believe however that we can talk   about what we might do moving forward. Lincoln Street requires a face lift.

A few pictures, since there is little  landscaping  Winter images are not much different from Springtime. This post is not meant to skewer anyone, it is a suggestion.

During the day the street does not suffer from a lack of customers or traffic, that’s a  good thing.

Small business incubators are great but the entrepreneur often in my opinion goes too small. This building has tried but  really is only suitable as a shoe repair shop.

Here is list of things that might be  talked about in a Lincoln Street Strategy Session.

Relocation of the dumpsters

Awnings or one big one( are they passe’?)

Ask Jeff Hyland to sit in on the meeting

Cohesive Sign  Strategy

Paint

landscaping

A second floor

Power washing

Parking

Paint( couldn’t resist)

Lighting

Faux New England Facades or  Old West. Mediterranean?

I believe there is one major  owner of the strip and a handful of sole proprietors. We  really have something up there. It is not unusual on  a weekend strolling Town to be asked  for directions to the  Handkerchief  Factory. It just could be so much better, and talk is cheap.What to do? You invite them all in and discuss,invite a bank or two and talk it over.

Lincoln Sesquicentennial Celebration Event

Save the date — Saturday, March 6, 2010! The Exeter Historical Society is partnering with Phillips Exeter Academy, SAU 16, Exeter Public Library, American Independence Museum, Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce, Inn by the Bandstand, Infinite Imaging of Exeter, NH Historical Society, Town of Exeter, Exeter Arts Association, Manchester Historic Association, NH Political Library and Woodman Institute to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s visit to the state. Festivities will include guided walking tours of Lincoln-related sites in town, a Geocaching adventure created by local 8th grade students, a Civil War-era band concert and kids’ activities sponsored by the Exeter High School History Club. The event will culminate in Lincoln’s encore presentation at Exeter’s Town Hall, where he spoke on March 3, 1860.

This program is made possible by a grant of the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

How great when and if anyone asks about  Lincoln Street we can say” Oh we just had a meeting, some things  are moving forward!”

Mike

Thinking ahead

November 6, 2008

Ridership  is up, and the  ticket prices are going up too.The Empire Service, which runs between New York City, Albany and other upstate New York destinations, served 994,293 passengers, up 4 percent, and recorded $41 million in revenue, up 6.5 percent. Finally, ridership on the Portland, Maine-to-Boston Downeaster skyrocketed 31 percent to 474,492 and revenue shot up 36.7 percent to $5.8 million.

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=18251

Here is the news on the  proposed fare increase

http://downeastriders.us/blog/

So, it’s a success. There is however a continuing issue with parking. There simply is not enough parking. I remember at the initial planning additional  land was in play . It  would seem the deal did not go through. This land was at the end of the lot. Parking should have been a larger part of the overall plan. The issue will not go away. Business owners  on Lincoln Street  have expressed to me concerns about  commuters using Lincoln Street all day. This came up many months ago and I spoke to  Bob Eastman. I understood additional signage with restrictions were put in place. It does not seem to be working. I think  in the short term  the owner of the defunct bank should be approached for additional parking. That building is going nowhere  this Winter. If there are parking rules in place they should be enforced. Lincoln Street  is a  busy shopping area all day long.  The  business owners should be able to  count on  short term parking for their customers.

The Train Station needs a parking garage, this is not  an over the top suggestion. This should be brought forward to the  people that can get it done.  The  Town would definitely be contributing to solving regional transportation issues with a garage. These are prefab structures  and go up very fast. The  hospital garage went up in a week.

Mike

I don’t own a crystal ball

Beyond those trees is Tan Lane which flooded yesterday. This is the proposed location for a parking lot at Main Street School. A parking lot may not be a good idea for this location. Unless it’s maybe a new super duper parking lot, a cutting edge parking lot, a green parking lot. How about no parking lot and more grass for a pickup game?

I can remember elementary school quite well, large classes, not alot of parents around. Those years my sons attended Lincoln & Main Linda and I both participated , occasionally during school hours. Between Cass St and it’s own parking lot Main Street School seems besieged by volunteers. It’s a good thing, in some measure.

If the level of visitors remains the same perhaps some could carpool or arrange a lighter presence amongst themselves.

This parking lot requires a rethink.

UPDATE July 29th

Well it would seem that some don’t want to tangle with the Schools on  this parking lot. It’s really not smart to go ahead or let the school go ahead with a poor parking lot design. I hope we are not relying on the Schools facilities team  for this project. I would much prefer to hear what Exeter Academy and their facilities  dept have to say. My point being that the Academy  has a more experienced team.