Issues of taxes, “Penacook Village,” urban sprawl and questionable city codes are upon us. We need more than our 25% commercial tax base, not the 54 tannery site units or 42 proposed CATCH units at the cemetery. Urban sprawl is not cute!
One thing we might control is the number of students coming from these “affordable” and “workforce” apartments. The number of Penacook school students is 735. Of those, 89 are special needs. That’s one out of eight students costing $40,000 to $160,000 a year per student. The superintendent’s office says the special needs costs increase our school taxes the most.
Therefore, the fewer bedrooms in a development, the fewer students, and the less the special needs and student costs for the taxpayer.
Developers, please: One- and maybe a few two-bedroom “units” only. Consider our town and taxes by finding funding that will support this.
CATCH could consider the abutters with one-story, one-bedroom units. They have a right to “quiet” neighbors not being able to peer down on their activities. Attractive privacy fences with shrubs are needed for abutters and cemetery folks.
“Not in my backyard” is a damned good policy, meaning: “Don’t mess with my privacy, quiet and pleasant surroundings.”
The tannery site is in a TIF district, so Penacook would get no tax money for its schools for 20 years. In my opinion, TIF is a form of bribery. Complete the project and pay the school taxes. And by the way, no TIF for Exit 17!
CAROL BREAULT
Penacook