EDC proposes 'handbook' of peer-city examples as midyear reset

The Portsmouth Economic Development Commission opened its August 7 meeting with a midyear "reset" for three working groups, and commissioners expressed interest in creating a compact compendium linking Portsmouth topics to peer-city examples. Chair (speaker 1) said the goal is a practical resource the EDC and staff can use: "...a handbook that could probably go on and be expanded" to connect topics such as outdoor dining, bike paths and ordinance examples to cities that have applicable design standards.

Commissioners discussed how to structure the compendium — by topic first, then linked examples, rather than by single-city profiles. One commissioner outlined a selection method for examples that prioritized downloadable design standards, naming Aurora, Ill.; Salt Lake City; and Alexandria, Va., for outdoor-dining templates. The commission agreed the compendium should be flexible and used as a tool to inform staff and council rather than a standalone policy mandate.