THE MANCHESTER Saint Patrick’s Day Parade will be held Sunday, March 24, a week later than the actual Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17 — but a week earlier than it’s usually held, because Easter falls on Sunday, March 31.
As always, the Queen City’s holiday parades march to the beat of a different drummer.
Meanwhile, Manchester aldermen have voted to receive and file a request for an all-way stop with flashing lights at a busy Ward 1 intersection, effectively killing the idea.
City traffic engineer Kristen Clarke said the public works department received a request from Ward 1 Alderman Chris Morgan for an all-way stop with vehicle-activated flashing stop signs at the intersection of Campbell Street and Union Street in Ward 1.
The equipment, which carries a price tag of around $16,000, is not available in the department’s operational budget, Clarke reported.
The intersection of Union Street and Campbell Street is a T-intersection about one mile west of the Interstate 93 Exit 9 interchange. Union Street provides access to residential single-family, medium-density housing to the north of the intersection, and single-family, high-density housing to the south.
The speed limit on both roadways is 30 mph.
Traffic conditions, accident history and physical characteristics of a location are looked at to determine the necessity for signage or signal installation, with installation of multi-way stops or signalization only considered if specific thresholds are met.
In a 2019 traffic study of that intersection, none of the criteria for an all-way stop were met, Clarke said.
A request for updated data produced similar results, Clarke reported
The Manchester Police Department Traffic Unit provided the accident history for the intersection for January 2021 through January 2024. Fewer than five crashes occurred at the intersection in a 12-month period, and the types of crashes “are unlikely to be mitigated by a multi-way stop,” Clarke said.
“Since the accident rate and minor street volume do not meet the minimum threshold criteria prescribed in the warrants, an all-way stop sign installation is not recommended,” Clarke said in a report to aldermen.
“Unwarranted stop signs can create new safety problems at intersections, including drivers driving faster between intersections to save time, increase of rear-end accidents, disobedience of the stop signs, an increase in noise from acceleration and deceleration of vehicles, and higher likelihood of traffic to cut thru other neighborhood streets,” Clarke said.
“There are also potential safety concerns when stop signs are used for speed control if side street traffic is expecting the main line to stop and someone at a high rate of speed on the main line goes through the stop sign.”
Ward 11 Town Hall
Mayor Jay Ruais will hold a Ward 11 Town Hall on Wednesday at Gossler Park Elementary School, 145 Parkside Ave., from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The alderman and school board members representing Ward 11 have been invited.
Fire alarm workaround
City fire officials are warning of a previously unforeseen issue with construction of two high-rise buildings next door to Central Station at 100 Merrimack St.
Officials are concerned the two buildings will impede certain radio signals from reaching fire department dispatch. The radio signals are transmitted from commercial properties throughout the city and notify fire officials of sprinkler and smoke detector activations.
In a letter to aldermen, Manchester Fire Chief Ryan Cashin offered a solution — putting up new receiver sites at Station 6 on Amory Street and at Station 7 on Somerville Street.
The projects’ general contractor, PC Construction, has agreed to pay the costs associated with installing the two new receiver sites, Cashin wrote, but has asked the fire department to run the project.
“I do not have any issues with the fire department running the project as it will give us more control over the timeline, oversight and involvement in purchasing the materials and equipment needed,” Cashin wrote.
The initial cost of the project is estimated at $80,000, and PC Construction has agreed to cover any overruns, Cashin wrote.
Fire officials plan to invoice PC Construction for the initial $80,000, then invoice them separately for anything over that amount as additional costs are incurred.
Cashin asked for a project account to be established, as the project will cross fiscal years.
Aldermen supported the plan on a voice vote.
Healthy homes grants
City officials are inviting property owners of qualifying single-family or multi-family residential structures to apply for the Healthy Homes Production Grant Program, which helps property owners with housing-related health and safety hazards.
The Healthy Homes Production Grant Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and supports. It exists to support property owners with single-family residential or multi-family structures in the Queen City.
To qualify, the properties must have people 62 years or older, persons with disabilities and/or a child under 18 years of age living at or visiting the property.
Incomes must not exceed 80% of low/moderate income guidelines as defined by HUD.
Under the program, the city will perform Healthy Homes interventions in approximately 100 units of housing at up to $10,000 per unit.
Along with the grant funding, property owners are required to provide a minimum 10% property owner match of the overall cost of the project. Property owners who participate in the program will receive assistance in the form of a three-year, 0% interest forgivable loan.
Healthy Homes interventions may include addressing deficient electrical systems; repairs or upgrades to plumbing, roofing, heating and ventilation systems; integrated pest management; mold remediation; radon mitigation; asbestos testing and removal, and ADA upgrades to improve accessibility to properties.
For more information and to apply, go to visit https://www.leadsafemanchester.com/ or email healthyhomes@manchesternh.gov.
