Council approves cooperation agreement with EDA to solicit developers for Crawford Bay site

The Portsmouth City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 27 to approve a cooperation agreement with the Economic Development Authority (EDA) to support public solicitation of developers for the Crawford Bay site, covering parcels listed in the record as 2 Crawford Parkway, 2 Harbor Court and 3 Harbor Court.

The clerk read the resolution describing the cooperation agreement. Donna Biggs raised questions about the Community and Economic Development Department’s organizational structure and how residents can access budget and division information. Mark Gedaldi Yutrovsky questioned why the city was deviating from standard practice if the EDA could act on disposal of city property on its own, saying the EDA already has authority and council liaison representation.

Council members moved and adopted the resolution 7–0. Council did not record additional conditions in the resolution text that night; the vote transferred authority to pursue a public solicitation process with the EDA. The council did not, in the meeting record, indicate further delay or additional hearings specific to historic-preservation consultation; public commenters said they had not seen outreach to the Historic Preservation Commission or downtown civic leagues.

What happens next: the EDA is authorized to proceed with public solicitation steps described in the agreement; residents asked for explicit outreach to Historic Preservation Commission and civic leagues and may request follow-up from city staff.