The Public Works and Building Committee on July 17 recommended that the full City Council accept a proposed slate of streets for a $3 million bonded paving authorization, prioritizing several rural neighborhood reclamation projects while including Whitehall Road as a connector route.

Gretchen (city staff) summarized options that reflect the committee’s prior direction to focus on rural neighborhood roads that rank low in the standard PCI (pavement condition index) approach. The staff proposal would fund reconstruction in multiple neighborhoods — including Blue Hill Drive side streets, Lowell Avenue side streets, Forest Park/Hope area and several smaller segments — and add Whitehall Road to avoid overcorrecting and to balance neighborhood repair with heavily trafficked connector maintenance.

After discussion on complaints, pavement life and program equity, a councilor moved “to recommend that the full City Council move the streets as recommended,” and the committee approved the recommendation by voice vote. Committee members said they favor mixing rural neighborhood projects with at least one connector route each funding cycle to avoid neglecting main roads.

Related pavement items addressed later in the meeting:

- Pavement moratorium waiver: The committee approved a request from Berry Survey and Engineering for a pavement-cut waiver at a new lot on Edgewood (0 Edgewood / Edward Lane). The motion required the standard $5,000 pavement-restoration security and conformity with city restoration standards; members voted in favor.

- Intermunicipal paving coordination: Somersworth officials proposed paving a contiguous gravel section of Rocky Hill Road (about 650 feet in Rochester) in 2026; Somersworth would pave its portion and proposed Rochester fund and pave the Rochester portion concurrently. Staff said they will return with cost estimates and a proposal if the committee wants to proceed.

- Union Street parking-lot construction: The committee received a scheduling update. Staff reported a conflict between an Eversource underground feed and the project’s target grade; Eversource work may require rerouting a feeder. That utility work was initially estimated to take a month but staff later learned it may take closer to 10 days; the city intends to keep the project on schedule unless the contractor reports a material cost or quality impact.

Committee members discussed technical constraints (the bonded fund must fund work that produces at least a ten-year service-life improvement) and affirmed a conservative approach to cost estimates. Staff said the recommended streets would be programmed for the next paving season and that additional streets could be considered in future years.

Ending: The committee voted to recommend the street list including Whitehall Road to full council; separate pavement waivers and intermunicipal paving proposals will return to the committee with firm cost estimates.