Minutes 05/10/1955 - Laserfiche WebLink

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294 Ma7 loth. 1955. except through sale of the land ~hich the City would h~ve had n~ ~eed~ and could act h~e used. It made no pro- vision as to what might have been do~e with the existing municipal buildin~ and courthouse site. It was, of course, none of the Housing Authoriky'S business. However, the present site on the northwest corner of High and Court Sts. must have been some concern to City Council; yet the City~anager m~de no mention of it in his report and recommendation of_ the Authority's plan. It is almost inconceivable that City Council, the taxpayers, or any~responsibte body would be misled into giving its approval to such an expansive and costly proposal, muck less give it a second thought, or some similar plan that might emanate from the local Authority in the future, particularly mn view of the more urgent and greater needs to "Keep Portsmouth Ahead". For govern~eny, local, state, or national to take more land than it actually needs is not progress and is contrary to long established law. The members of City Council rendered a distinct service io the people of Ports-- mouth by meeting the issue squarely at the last regular session and refusing to cause further delay and addi- tional anxiety to those persons most concerned. Again, the Portsmouth Citizensv Protective League wishes to com- mend City Council for its action. Especially, does the League wish to commend those councilmen who:v~ed to reject the so-called Clvzc Center officially known as Project UR VA 4-1~ as no~ being in accord with or to the best inZere~ts of Portsmeut . On motion filed. 55-131 - The following commamicatio~s were read:i '~The Bo~rd of Directors of the Portsmouth Chamber of ~o~.ly passed a motion to ~icate ~ the C~y of ~rt~outh as~ng th~ t~ take ~he ~e~sa~s~d~O hold a refe~nd~ in t~ City of Po~th ~ t~ Ci~c Center. This. actzon ~s tak~ on th~ part of the Bo~ mem~ ~d ~y of t~-~o~i~te~en. A ~solntio~ is ~closed. Frank ~antz, N~agi~ ~rector, R~01ation - "~, the develo~n~ of the Civic ~ter in the City of ~r~th as projected ~ the ~smo~th City C~cil ~d 'the P~ts~nth P%~ng Co--esPn casi~s me~s pro~ss f~ our ~ty~ '~ c~ ~ in~ra~d ~at ~ll ~erate sufficient ~terest te ~ve co~e~zai ~er p~s e~a~ and locate ~ the area ~ded by the pro~sed Ci~c ~ter ~d private h~e ~e~ and ~home developers a~e not ~terested in th~ section, ~, the r~ng of ~ny dilspi~ated b~ld~, the d~lopm~t m~icipal ~l~ngs, pl'a~oands, park~g ~eas, g~ss plots ~ sh~b~ry at t~ ~tion of ~e p~opo~ ~vic Cent~r, ~lt give t~ Ci~ a refreshing atmoSp~ now ~0~, BE IT ~L~; that the ~ard ~ Dir~rs of the Po~uth ~r of ~ce ~ge the City Co~cil of the'Ci~ o~Port~uth ~ conduct a referend~ to sec~ the opinion of the e~cto~ate on this very ~tant ~tter. ~s resoluti~ pa~d by ~ Board of Directors of the Po~smout~ ~ber of ~erce a~ their reeler ~eting on April 29, 1955. PortSmouth Chamber of Commerce, C.E. A~ams, III, President." "At a meeting held May 4th, 1955, of the membership of the Portsmouth Junior C"nam~er of Commerce, at~hich over one h~lf of onr m~mb~rs ~ere present~ it was~DT~e~ to ask Portsmo~th~ity Co, me oil to hold a referendum on the recent civic center proposal, which was v~ted down by the C~u~cil ~aA~ril 26th, 1955, by s ~ix ~o four vote. The ~ivic center prpposml, ms premented to Cit~Cou~c!l, as we-I~ ap ~he ability of the City to undertake snob proposal ~as beenthoro~gb~ studied by committees of the PortSSmOU~ Juni~r~Chambex ~of Commerce, and was presente~l before the membership, f~fter £urth~r study the m~mbership vote~ in favor of back- ing this propossl. Realizing that the proposal was vote~ dew--by City Council on s~ch a ~arrowmargin, and in view of our own known facts~ it is our firm belief that a~eferendum sh~o~ld he called and the matter decided by the voters themselves. AS directed by a unanimous vote of our memberShip present on ~a~ 4th, 1955~ we therefore ask by this letter of petition, that you accept our request 'for the Portsmouth OYty~uncil and/or other proper authorities to conduct a refere~cum of the civic center proposal as presente~tto the Conncil on April Z6~1955. In behalf of lhe members, WilIismT. Snyder, Secretary." "Reference is made to ypur act~.o~ of April 26, 195~, when: you declined, by a ~oZe of six .~ t~.four, th? c~ty manager's rec~.mmendation to a~horzze the ~C~sl~o~. ~f ~ .s~. a~ _t~e e~e~t~?~,~? T i~s~-' in the ~going of o~r pro~essive m~czpa~ty, ~ve recorded options t~a~ ~ust a ~1~c center ~u~ ~e ~ ] well the purp~esof our progressive city~d ~d fill a need w~ch~sts at t~s.-t~e.. ~ ~e~ t~ ~de~i~ed, .beinE~iizens ~ the City of P~outh, ~ inte~sted in all the actions ef o~ City ~cil, de herein state t~t we believe the ~vic c~ter matter, decided by such an indecisiw vote,.is t~ ~P~ ~Po~sm~uth and to its. ~Ie~. far ~ch a split deqision tube final. It is ~e pu~o~ o~ t~s c~ication ~ pray that ~e gentl~en of t~ Ce~cil ~it t~s ~ter =o be decidpd by ~ vote~ of Po~uth when they go to t~ polls to vote on July l~, 1955. It is r~sted ~at y~ ~pt a resolution auth~zing ~e p~ting of a special ~llot ~o ~e cast aI that t~e~ and ~t t~witI of ~e people of Port~outh, as expressed ~hat day and in t~t manner, ~ ~he fin~ ~ide to action. :- . . _ We ~spect~%iy submit ~ ~Uck a .resp!uti°n on yelpers would ~t$ in n? a~dz~i~a~ e~e~ t0 the C~ty e~p~ t~ ~p~ation ~ tmbulatz~ of the hml~is~ and for ~t ~a~ ~s iS ~ oppor- tune ti~ ~o authorize ~e p~pos~ s~ci~l balloting. If ~ re~ui~ additi~al ~fe~ati~ or if the_gentlemen of the Co~i w~d like to a~au~e a coherence ~ us ~d/or ot~er interes.~ citi~ns of ~rtSmouth we ~e a= your settee. Res~ctfully su~tied, (si~ed) ~ Ba~lett ~d others.