Can Playground Opponents Find Common Ground?

After more than an hour of public comment on the reasons why Greeley Park may or may not be the best location for an accessible playground, Infrastructure Committee Chair Jim Donchess invited all those involved to come together.

"I do have a suggestion as to how to proceed to the next step," said Donchess, who then proposed a Feb. 3 "around the table" session involving the Leadership Greater Nashua group and neighbors opposed to the playground being placed at Greeley. 

"As I listened at the inauguration to Mayor Lozeau's remarks, one point she made is we should avoid issues that pit neighbor against neighbor. At least the way this has developed at this time, this is what's happened," Donchess said.

At odds are a group of business leaders who have come through the Chamber of Commerce's annual Leadership Greater Nashua program, and neighbors who, for various reasons, either are opposed to building the $250,000 park at Greeley, or at the proposed location, behind the bath house. R-14-001, legislation proposed at the Jan. 14 board of aldermen meeting to approve Greeley Park as the site, was sent to the Infrastructure Committee for consideration.

"What I propose we do is a work session so all members can be there, and any member of the Board of Aldermen, and we sit down at a table... and talk to each other about this. My observation is everyone is talking by each other," Donchess said.

Alderman Brian McCarthy asked Donchess why he thought that process would produce a different outcome.

"Why do I think it could work? Well, first of all, why not? Second, as a general rule I think people talking to each other achieves a result that is surprising," Donchess said.

During public comment resident Francis Murphy brought forward a suggestion "to break the impasse," by hiring an outside firm that specializes in accessibility design to consider every feasible location in the city and rate them objectively.

According to the firm's website, the Boston-based Institute for Human Centered Design was founded with a focus on helping families and communities solve practical problems of the design of places for optimum accessibility. 

"That's what should have been done, and still could be done, if you want to break the impasse," Murphy said. 

It was Murphy's suggestion that brought Alderwoman Pam Brown, who is not a member of the Infrastructure Committee, out to join the meeting to weigh in. She spoke in favor of Murphy's proposal, and eventually asked if someone from the committee would make a motion to ask the Leadership Greater Nashua group, which is proposing to build the play structure, to pay for such a consultation if agreed on by those involved. No motion was made.

"That doesn't mean we can't discuss it at a future time," Donchess said.

Eric Brand, playground project leader for Leadership Greater Nashua, said the group  has raised about half of the money needed, but are awaiting a city-approved location to move forward with blueprints and other particulars. Based on the city charter, proposals to alter Greeley Park in any way must be approved by the Board of Aldermen.

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