From:	Karen Edwards
Sent:	Thursday, October 23, 2014 10:02 AM
To:	Karen Edwards
Subject:	FW: Mill Plaza Development



Karen Edwards
We have recently moved our offices.  
Please note new address below.

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

From: Newkirk, Thomas []  
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 7:06 PM 
To: Karen Edwards 
Subject: Mill Plaza Development

To the Planning Board:
 
When I heard that there were plans for redeveloping the Mill Plaza, I was naturally interested because I 
was a neighborhood representative on the original Mill Plaza study committee.  We met regularly for over 
a year and  sought advice from a range of experts--architects, planners, environmentalists, energy 
experts--and from community members.We did everything we could to imagine what it would be like to 
live, walk, cycle, congregate, and shop in a newly-designed plaza. We spent days considering the 
environmental effect of development on College Brook; we reimagined ways in which the Plaza could link 
up with Main Street; we explored various mixes of housing and businesses. And we were proud of our 
work, hoping that even if it wasn't redesigned as we planned, it might set a standard for future 
development.
 
The current preliminary plan put forward to the Planning Board bears little resemblance to our plan. In 
fact, it removes the small bit of greenspace we now have. It places a big apartment complex at the 
center of the Plaza that will create a glut of student housing (assuming we are not already glutted). 
There seems to have been no consideration of how people walk and move and meet in the Plaza. It is 
difficult to tell if there is any consideration of College Brook. 
 
Our current Mill Plaza was created in the mid 1960s as a strip mall and parking lot. The central concern 
was--can you drive and park close to stores. It was a mistake we have lived with, though understandable 
given the era. Everything deferred to the automobile then.  We now know so much more about creating 
a livable town center, so there is no excuse for a plan that is essentially buildings and parking spaces. 
 
In his 2006 letter to town manager, John Pinto wrote about working with the town on a "vision" for the 
Plaza. I fail to see the "vision" in the proposed plan. It seems a hurried attempt to cash in on the 
expansion of student housing. We should expect far more.
 
Sincerely,
 
Tom Newkirk
40 Mill Pond Road
Durham, NH 03824