Portsmouth Middle School

1. Portsmouth Middle School Portsmouth Listens Group G Nancy Beach, John Howe, Jill LeMay, Bill Lyons, Barbara Massar, Bess Mosley, Jack Walker,Tina Wilkinson Facilitator: Shari Donnermeyer

2. Top 5 Criteria Defined • Quality of Education • State and Federal Standards • The Americans with Disabilities Act • Security • Requirements of the educational narrative • Access to valuable community resources • Physical Activity – recreation fields and ability to bike or walk to school • Community Impact • How the sites would contribute to the character of Portsmouth, specifically historic character, compact form, and walkability

3. Top 5 Criteria Defined • Environmental & Sustainability • City’s Master Plan & Current Initiatives • Long-term impact of decision: • Energy consumption, both direct and indirect • Open space & potential for more broad use • Environmental habitat • Transportation • How students & teachers travel to school • Impact of sites on traffic, infrastructure, on-going costs • The group put a significant value on the ability of students to walk or bicycle to school

4. Top 5 Criteria Defined • Full Cost • Cuts across the 1st 4 criteria • Costs are beyond design & construction costs • Environmental mitigations • Land trusts or restrictions • Infrastructure • Non-Monetary Costs “Essential that there be an open and transparent process that involves the public in trading off non-monetary costs related to sustainability, environmental, and community impacts alongside full monetary costs.”

5. Parrott Avenue Connection to downtown Access to community resources and events – library, Strawberry Banke, Music Hall Dislocation of students during renovations Sagamore Creek Greater design flexibility Potential for future expansion Space for additional fields Proximity to high school Remote location Increased transportation and impact on after school events Criteria Applied to SitesQuality of Education

6. Parrott Avenue Physical anchor for the downtown Staff & students actively and easily participate in downtown community Multi-generational environment (Senior Center) Sagamore Creek Accommodate potential future growth Proximity to city pool Loss of one of the last large open spaces Less opportunity for students to be part of the diverse city community Criteria Applied to SitesCommunity Impact

7. Parrott Avenue Ability to walk & bike Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, car transportation, energy consumption, & air pollution. “Carbon Footprint” Preservation of open space at other Sagamore Creek Infrastructure in place Possible loss of Pierce Trust land Renovation debris (short-term) Sagamore Creek Attractive setting Loss of wetlands and sensitive habitat Loss of future park potential Building & infrastructure would create “heat islands” Criteria Applied to SitesEnvironmental & SustainabilityImpact

8. Parrott Avenue Ability to walk & bike Most students within 1 mile of school – Potential for  Lack of parking Car & bus drop-off location needed Sagamore Creek Easier parking Aggravate traffic problems on Rt 1/Layfette Middle & High schools have similar schedules Limited ability to walk or bike Criteria Applied to SitesTransportationImpact

9. Parrott Avenue Infrastructure in place No use of environmentally sensitive open space Pierce Trust land buy-out Sagamore Creek Possibly sell or rent Parrott Ave Significant Infrastructure needed “Cost” of lost open space Conservation land trust Wetlands mitigation Criteria Applied to SitesFull Cost Impact

10. Other Criteria Aesthetics & Design “any new alternative include the cost of a quality design to allow a fair comparison to the existing historic school” Open Parrott Ave Site Don’t want another vacant school (i.e. Layfette) Alternatives Reconfiguring elementary schools, either K-8 or K-6 Evaluate additional lands Site map only included parcels > 28 acres Ideas Encourage public use of Sagamore Creek park Publicize to residents Natural Recreation park Dog park Recreation fields Other Criteria, Alternatives & Ideas