Bouley Names Committee to Look at Improving Downtown Concord

In a 15-minute special Concord City Council meeting on Sept. 25, Mayor Jim Bouley presented a new advisory board that will take the next two months to analyze what improvements should be made to Main Street in Downtown Concord.

The group of 17, officially called the Downtown Complete Streets Improvement Project Advisory Committee, was created by the mayor in the wake of the approval of a multi-million dollar federal grant. Councilors got a chance to look at the committee membership a few minutes before the meeting started.

According to a memo, the group will look at both underground and above ground infrastructure; car, bike, and pedestrian safety; economic development; and whether or not Main Street will be able to “consistently thrive over time as we make decisions that meet the environmental, social, and economic challenges and opportunities that the future will present.”

Bouley said he was “thrilled” with the number of people who expressed interest in the issue and “feel passionate about the community.” He tried to keep the committee down to 13 but quickly realized that wasn’t going to be possible. Bouley admitted that some members of the committee he “didn’t know all that well” but noted that they wrote impressive emails and “really seemed to want to give back.” He said he hoped the councilors felt the committee presented “a cross section of the community.”

The memo also presented a list of groups of “consulting entities,” which Bouley thought the committee could consult about issues relating to improvements downtown, including city committees like the Concord Planning Board, business organizations like the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, the arts community like the Capitol Center for the Arts, utility companies like Unitil, and others interests.

“I know this list is not everyone,” he said. “If I missed somebody, it is not because they were potentially left off. It’s not limited to the following … if an organization wants to participate, I welcome them, as well.”

Bouley said that while the committee’s meetings will be open to the public, many of the meetings and much of the work will be done in subcommittees. He hoped that the group would come up with some recommendations by the middle of November so that the council could have a public hearing as soon as possible. Bouley suggested Nov. 26, as a possible date, with the entire evening being spent just discussing the recommendations.

Ward 7 City Councilor Keith Nyhan called the committee “a great idea” while Ward 5 City Councilor Rob Werner wondered if there could be “more attention paid to sustainability.” He volunteered to have the Energy & Environment Committee to look at what other communities had done in similar opportunities to re-do their main streets and what sustainability options were discussed at the time.

At-Large City Councilor Mark Coen called many of the names he recognized “great choices,” but added that there wasn’t even a short bio about the committee members included to explain their interests and backgrounds.

“I think it’s important to see, as you explained, the mix of interests that the people have for downtown,” Coen said.

Bouley said that there were six members who had never served on a city committee before and said he would direct the clerk to make sure that councilors got a bio about each of the members.

After approving the proposal, Bouley said, “I wish the committee all the luck in the world.”

The committee membership includes:

• Steve Duprey, the owner of a number of buildings downtown, will be chairman of the committee.
• Domenic Ciavarro, the vice president of facilities for Concord Hospital and an Intown Concord board member.
• Jay Surdukowski, an attorney with Sulloway & Hollis.
• Sue McCoo, the CEO of Capitol Craftsman on Main Street.
• Mike Cohen, the owner of Pitchfork Records on Main Street.
• Mark Ciborowski, the owner of a number of buildings downtown.
• Brian Shea, the owner of The Barley House on Main Street. 
• Betsy McNamara, of Full Circle Consulting, a fundraising consultant for nonprofits.
• Paula McLaughlin, an assistant trust administrator for New Hampshire Motor Transport.
• Dick Lemieux, a former city councilor from Ward 4.
• Rich Woodfin, a vice president of marketing with Charter Trust Company, another downtown business, and a photographer.
• Will Delker, a former prosecutor.
• Matthew Elliott, a freelance writer.
• Kerrie Diers, the executive director of the Nashua Regional Planning Commission.
• Dan St. Hilaire, an at-large city councilor.
• Amanda Grady-Sexton, the Ward 4 councilor.
• J. Allen Bennett, the Ward 6 councilor.