Business & Tech

Building Height Limit for Downtown?

A city councilor is proposing a new measure.

A city councilor tonight will propose a height limit on downtown building projects.

Esther Kennedy will propose the measure at the 7 p.m. City Council meeting. She said the restriction will help preserve the city's historical character. 

Kennedy recently proposed a one-year moratorium on all building projects, though it didn't receive strong support from fellow councilors.

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"It's not fair to landowners," said City Councilor Brad Lown said. "It's an invitation to time-consuming litigation."

Kennedy has made the requests after a group called Portsmouth Now! launched a petition demanding a slowdown in downtown building projects.

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[Read the petition]

"There are people out there who are very concerned," Kennedy said.

Clare Kittredge, of Portsmouth Now!, said the height limit would be a move in the right direction.

"We feel an emergency height limit will protect city taxpayers' fiscal interests by giving the City Council much-needed leverage over major development projects," Kittredge said. "Our elected city officials should be held accountable for the future direction of our city."


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