From:	Michael Behrendt
Sent:	Monday, February 22, 2016 12:40 PM
Subject:	Mill Plaza - email from Richard England

To the Planning Board (and applicant),
Please see the email from Richard England, below.

Michael Behrendt
Durham Town Planner
Town of Durham
8 Newmarket Road
Durham, NH  03824
(603) 868-8064
www.ci.durham.nh.us


From: England, Richard []  
Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2016 6:28 PM 
To: Michael Behrendt 
Subject: Mill Plaza

Michael,

As a former member of the EDC and a longtime resident of Foss Farm, I am 
concerned about plans to redevelop the Mill Plaza with much higher 
densities.  Some current and former members of the Town Council have favored 
focusing new development in the downtown area in order to protect the "scenic 
gateways" to Durham.  So far, they have achieved what they desired.  With all of 
the new student apartment complexes, we now have a much denser 
downtown.  The proposed redevelopment would result in even greater density in 
our CBD.

My question is this.  What are we going to do about the resulting increase in 
vehicular traffic in and near the UNH campus?  We could handle parking 
problems, I suppose, by building a parking structure downtown at great 
expense.  But the fact remains that narrow two lane roads lead to and from our 
CBD.  Imagine the traffic congestion on Mill Road if the proposed redevelopment 
proceeds, especially if there remains only one point of entry into the Plaza.  The 
other end of the Plaza property could also have an entrance from Chesley Drive 
but I can imagine the outrage if that were to be proposed.

In my opinion, the densification of downtown Durham cannot continue.  I would 
favor the creation of a satellite CBD, perhaps at the intersection of Route 108 
and Bennett Rd., to relieve traffic congestion downtown.

Richard England
Professor of Economics, UNH
Foss Farm resident