What's New

On Monday, October 9th, City Hall, Public Works, the Library, Senior Activity Center and public schools will be closed in recognition of Columbus Day.

Trash and recycling collection will continue on Monday as scheduled.

City Hall will reopen on Tuesday, October 10th, and remain open until 6:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, October 11th, weather permitting, pavement crack sealing operations are scheduled to begin in Portsmouth. The following roads and neighborhoods have been selected for treatment, and will be completed as time and budget allows:

• Maple Haven Neighborhood
• Market Street (from Albacore Way to Interstate 95)
• South Street (from Lafayette Road to Junkins Avenue)
• Jones Avenue
• Elwyn Park Neighborhood

*Additional roads may be added if schedule and budget allow.

At approximately 12:27 A.M. on October 6, 2017 (Friday Morning) Portsmouth Police were called to the McDonald’s at 1000 Lafayette Road for the report of an Armed Robbery.  An employee of McDonalds reported being approached in the parking lot after locking up the business by a male with a handgun.  With the gun pointed at the employee the suspect demanded to be let into the restaurant.  The suspect was not able to get back into the restaurant and ultimately took personal belongings from the employee.   

Mayor Jack Blalock has declared October 5th to be Energy Efficiency Day in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Portsmouth now joins a nationwide network of energy efficiency groups and partners who are celebrating the nation’s second annual Energy Efficiency Day.

For Mayor Blalock, it is important to further unite the community in the City’s sustainable efforts. This action to officially recognize Energy Efficiency Day complements ongoing initiatives by the City and invites residents to celebrate more eco-friendly practices.

With the Portsmouth Municipal Election a little over a month away, Mayor Jack Blalock would like to thank exiting City Councilors and remind residents the importance of participating in local elections on Tuesday, November 7th.

On September 21, 2017, the Planning Board voted to recommend to the City Council for adoption zoning amendments to allow for a mix of residential and nonresidential development in some of the City’s primary corridor areas and to increase the diversity of housing types.

The proposed Gateway Mixed Use District amendments include two new zoning districts: Gateway Corridor Mixed Use (G1) and Gateway Corridor Mixed Use Center (G2) in four primary areas:

On September 21, 2017, the Planning Board voted to recommend that the City Council adopt amendments to Articles 8, 11 and 15 regarding off-street parking regulations.

Portsmouth, N.H. – It's a campaign called “Beards for Bucks.’' Starting October 1st, law enforcement officers across Rockingham County will go razor-less to raise awareness and funds for the Child Advocacy Center of Rockingham County (CACRC), a local non-profit organization that collaborates with law enforcement to provide safe, child-friendly spaces for investigative services of child abuse.

Between Central Office and the schools across the Portsmouth School District we know frequent and clear communications with families, students and staff are essential for any high functioning school system, so we’re continuously working to improve our outreach. We would like to take a moment to share just a few of our communications tools to ensure everyone can follow the moves of our bustling district.

The Planning Board is currently considering amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, Article 11 – Site Development Standards, Section 10.1110 – Off-Street Parking.

For more information on the Planning Board, please visit https://www.portsmouthnh.gov/planportsmouth/planning-board.