From:	Michael Behrendt
Sent:	Thursday, December 15, 2016 1:29 PM
Subject:	Mill Plaza - observations from Phyllis Heilbronner

To the Planning Board (and applicant),
Please see the email below from Phyllis Heilbronner.

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


From: h.heilbronner []  
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2016 9:34 AM 
To: Michael Behrendt 
Subject: observations

Hi Michael and many thanks for your response. I admire your energy and clear thinking. 
I just want to add a few thoughts as a non-abutter to last night’s presentation and 
community input. I hope I can make future meetings, and I hope this e-mail will be a 
helpful substitution for my lack of physical presence, but not concern.
    The plaza is, as Diana Carroll said, a community asset and I hope it stays that way. 
What was presented was a plan in dire need of changes and very lacking in much 
needed information. In addition, many of the suggestions for mitigating appearances 
were of a cosmetic nature and could apply to the existing plaza.
    What was lacking was a sense of proportion, lack of appreciation for the 
inappropriateness of scale, the bulky look of the buildings, lack of addressing access 
adequately and delivery trucks, impact of putting too much in the space, with the intent 
of offering some mitigating landscaping (where?), and the absolute desire no matter 
where one lives in Durham of adding more student housing (referred to as beds). 
    I also disagree that mixed housing of putting students and older residents in the same 
building has any realistic appeal, knowing from experience what the generational 
differences can bring about. 
    I could add many more details, but I really wonder what benefits do these changes 
offer the town compared to the problems they cause for people living nearby and that 
extends to those of us who are not directly next to the plaza, but within walking 
distance, making it a car-free destination for many, even if it begs the question of what 
is considered a neighborhood. Thanks for your consideration, Phyllis Heilbronner