What's New

At its May 26 meeting, the Citywide Neighborhood Committee (CNC) announced that after consulting with City Health Officer Kim McNamara, Portsmouth will join more than 17,000 communities nationwide to celebrate the 38th Annual National Night Out on Tuesday, August 3, 2021 (with a rain date of Tuesday, August 10.)

Spinnaker Point Adult Fitness Center reopens on Monday, June 7 at 6am. All members and new members can register upon their first visit.

The City of Portsmouth closed Spinnaker Point a year ago as a precaution to protect against the spread of COVID-19. One of the concerns that needed to be addressed before reopening was an evaluation of the air circulation inside the facility. 

Construction of the new Athletic Field located off of Campus Drive is complete, and the field opened on June 9, 2021 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 am.

In agreement with guidance from Portsmouth City Manager Karen Conard and City Health Officer, the City Recreation Department will open the Peirce Island Outdoor Pool for the summer season, June 21 through August 20, 2021, with no reservations required. The pool will be open from 11 am to 6 pm, seven days a week. Only Portsmouth residents will be admitted, with a limited number at one time.

At the Third Reading on May 17 of the amendment to the City of Portsmouth Ordinance on parking penalties, the City Council voted to accept the recommendation of the Parking & Traffic Safety Committee (PTSC) to increase fines for four citation categories: session expired, parking in no parking area, parking during an emergency snow ban and parking in a commercial loading zone.

The City of Portsmouth Recreation Department and Department of Public Works have worked together with local resident skateboarders to make modifications and upgrades to the Greenleaf Skate Park located at 195 Greenleaf Avenue. The park has now reopened.

Appointments Still Required for Planning, Inspections and Assessing Departments

As the NH Department of Health and Human Services continues to report declines in cases, hospitalizations and positivity rates of COVID-19, and as more of the local population becomes fully vaccinated, the City Manager and City Health Officer have determined that City Hall walk-in services can be made available again. Appointments will no longer be required, as of Monday, May 24.

With plans to reopen the Peirce Island Outdoor Pool on June 21, 2021, the City is making additional preparations to allow for summer recreational activities on the island.

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works will dedicate the new Pease Water Treatment Facility located at 97 Grafton Drive in Portsmouth on Tuesday May 4, 2021 at 10:30 am.

The McIntyre Subcommittee has received the final sketches from Principle Group that will be presented and discussed at a Special City Council Meeting on Tuesday, May 4 at 7 pm (via Zoom). These enhanced sketches (including the one featured here) incorporate feedback received from hundreds of residents who participated in the April 20 McIntyre Final Draft Forum and the Zoom “office hours” Principle Group hosted on April 21.