The Langley Parkway Meeting Just Got A Lot More Interesting

Ed Roberge (the city engineer) spent Tuesday and Thursday night outlining the Langley parkway project in front of about two hundred members of our community who will be the most impacted by this project.

So when the Concord Monitor reported the Mayor stating at the second informational meeting for the third phase of the Langley Parkway that; 

“I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that when I look at the list of priorities, the things that need to be done in the city, this doesn’t even register,”  

Did the mayor forget about the priorities that the city council decided and voted on. Did he forget about the memo the city manger sent the council in August of this year?

This is from the City Council’s 2012-2013 City Council Priorities:

Ongoing Initiatives

1. North State Street / Fisherville Road / Village Street Corridor Improvements

2. Langley Parkway – Next Phase – Planning and Permitting

3. Penacook Village Redevelopment

4. City Hall Campus / Public Building Improvements & Long-term Planning

5. Sewalls Falls Bridge

6. Expand Street Rehabilitation Program

7. Hall Street Wastewater Treatment Plant Odor Control Program

8. Advance Creative Economy Work

9. Loudon Road Improvements

10. Library Opportunities

This is a report to the Mayor and City Council from city manager Tom Aspell dated August 28, 2013: 

ON-GOING INITIATIVE 2. LANGLEY PARKWAY – NEXT PHASE

Status: The traffic and environmental feasibility study is underway to determine the project-related impacts of the Langley Parkway – Phase 3 project. Engineering staff continues to work on the project with VHB, the City’s transportation planning consultant.

Extensive traffic modeling with the regional traffic model, through the assistance of the NH Department of Transportation, was completed. Conceptual design of corridor alignment and intersections is underway, including coordination with Concord Hospital, Lincoln Financial, and area residents. The project study is expected to continue through mid-2013 with additional informational meetings with neighborhood groups and businesses, concluding with a presentation to City Council in late 2013.

And here’s the link to the city’s website for the complete reports:

http://www.concordnh.gov/Index.aspx?NID=283

Let’s look at what we know.

In fact the city council gave Ed Roberge permission to apply for a grant to fund this project over two years ago. And because of the requirements of the grant’s timeline, had the city been awarded the funding for the Parkway, construction would have already started.

Remember it isn’t so much the answers you receive as much as it is the questions that aren’t asked. And the question that was never asked is do you want this road. Let’s put aside if I think (or you think) it is a good or bad idea or if it is good for the city or just the hospital. The point is I was never asked and neither were you.

So when Robert Baker asked at the informational meeting about the grant application in September of 2011 and he is told by a city councilor that was over two years ago and when we reapplied for the grant in February of 2012 we didn’t meet the criteria for the grant funding of the Langley Parkway project, something isn’t adding up here.

Let’s be clear about this. The grant the city applied for in February of 2012 and the grant the city applied for in September of 2011 were the same grants. They were TIGER III grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Here’s what the City Council minutes from the September 12, 2011 meeting have to say about going forward with applying for two projects in the grant application:

...City Engineer Ed Roberge provided a detailed overview of the report submitted to Council outlining the two main projects including the Downtown Streetscape Improvement Project and Phase III of Langley Parkway and listed other projects considered...

...Councilor DelloIacono inquired as to the time estimate for the grants. Mr. Roberge responded that the pre-applications are due October 3rd and the final applications are due by October 31st. He noted that with Council’s approval this evening, staff will begin...

...Mr. Roberge responded that he feels that both of the projects that they are looking at right now are excellent candidates and both have different plusses and minuses...

And while there was concern for how the  city portion of the Main Street project would be financed, there were no such concerns voiced for the Langley Parkway. In fact this is what Councilor Nyann had to say:

...Councilor Nyhan commented that he favored the Langley project over the Main Street project.

It should be noted that the council voted with no dissenting votes to accept the report from engineering authorizing the application for the TIGER III grant funds for both the Main Street Project and the construction of Langley Parkway.

The city engineer is given the go ahead to apply for funding. Money has been and is being spent on traffic modeling and conceptual design. And the project is and has been a priority for the city council for more then a decade.

And after two meetings with those who will be most impacted by the construction of the Parkway and an election less then a month away our Mayor states:

“I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that when I look at the list of priorities, the things that need to be done in the city, this doesn’t even register,” 

All I can say is the timing of the Mayor’s response is quite interesting.