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Happy May,
The warm weather is finally here! While the April showers linger, just think of the benefits for the May flowers! The crocuses blooming in my backyard are one sign of spring I've been enjoying, in addition to the opportunity to fire up my grill for some pre-summer barbecuing. With daytime temperatures in the 80s and 90s this week, I'm sure I'm not the only one enjoying this foretaste of summer.
Here at SRPC, staffers are busy planning the final work products and processes of Strafford EDD's Brownfield program, diving into the Dover Rising Waters project, planning our Annual Luncheon on June 28, and putting our smart commute plan into action for the commuteSMART B2B challenge.
In this issue you'll learn about the Annual Luncheon, planning events of interest, upcoming Bike and Walk month events and challenges, and staffer Nancy O' Connor's trip to D.C. to present on Partnering for Performance NH. You'll also find planning news you may have missed, information on the nomination of four communities in our region to the opportunity zones program, and community happenings.
Until next month,
Shayna Sylvia
Communications and Outreach Specialist
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Save the Date for SRPC's Annual Luncheon
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DO YOU KNOW there are over 30 trail systems in the Strafford region? We do, and we want everyone else to know, too! That's why this year's SRPC Annual Luncheon will be devoted to trails.
Please mark your calendars for Thursday, June 28, and join us from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Governor's Inn in Rochester.
The meeting will also provide an opportunity for our Commissioners, colleagues, and friends to meet SRPC's new executive director.
Formal invitations are to follow.
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Planning, planning everywhere: events of interest
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NHDES Drinking Water Source Protection Conference - May 17
The annual NHDES Drinking Water Source Protection Conference will take place on Thursday, May 17, at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.
This year's event, the largest of its kind in New England, will focus on many interesting source water protection topics, including:
- PFAS and other emerging contaminants.
- An update on NH's Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund.
- Legislative updates involving drinking water.
- Research from Dartmouth on the health impacts of exposure to arsenic.
- Projects related to source water planning, land conservation, and community engagement.
The $65 conference fee includes lunch and refreshments. The event qualifies for 5.0 technical credit hours toward the NH Water Works Operator Certification Program.
REGISTER at the American Ground Water Trust website:
REGISTER at the American Ground Water Trust website:
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"Missing Middle" workshop - June 7
Plan NH will host a workshop on Thursday, June 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Concord Audubon's McLane Center The event will address what Opticos Design has dubbed the "Missing Middle," those duplexes, triple-deckers, small apartment buildings, and other types of homes that fall between detached, single-family homes and large apartment buildings.
The morning session will explain "Missing Middle" housing in detail and the zoning that might support it. A hands-on workshop in the afternoon will test out ideas.
This workshop has been approved for American Institute of Certified Planners credits (American Institute of Architects credits pending).
Find out more, or register, at:
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Bike/walk month has arrived!
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SRPC Team Captain Shayna Sylvia poses as the B2B challenge mascot Supra
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It's here, the moment you've been waiting for! Drum roll, please! Bike and Walk Month has arrived!
As the old saying goes, April Showers bring May Supra powers (at least I think that's how it goes?). And in the month of May, everyone can flaunt their Supra powers by commuting smart. You, too, can contribute to this month-long effort by participating in the
commuteSMART B2B challenge
or in
Bike Walk to Work Day
and its free commuter breakfasts on May 18, or by attending
one of several other events
like Cycling Movie Night, or PS21's "Safer Cycling in a Future Portsmouth" talk.
Bike and Walk Month is the result of a handful of proactive companies and organizations throughout the Seacoast taking it upon themselves to raise awareness of the positive impacts smart commuting can have on our environment-and our wallets!-and encourage people to try out smart commuting. We hope you'll find a way to take part in this month's activities!
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SHRP2 PlanWorks Expert Task Group and Champions Peer Exchange
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At a meeting of past participants in the Federal Highway Administration's Implementation Assistance Program in late April, Nancy O'Connor, program content coordinator, reviewed how SRPC's use of online planning tools provided by the FHWA led from the 15-month "SHRP2" project in 2016 and 2017 to today's Partnering for Performance NH effort (
www.partneringforperformancenh.org
).
The SHRP2 project was funded by the Implementation Assistance Program. Nancy focused on our group's experience using the FHWA online resource tool to frame our project. She explained the how and why of our coordinated effort for performance based planning and how we used online assessments to identify areas for improvement and to tackle them.
FHWA organized the Expert Task Group and Champions Peer Exchange to collect feedback on the Implementation Assistance Program as it updates the online resources. Nancy joined professionals from state transportation departments and metropolitan planning organizations from around the country who had taken part in the program.
The meeting in Washington, D.C., on April 24 and 25 provided "a lot of fantastic information sharing and opportunities to learn," Nancy said. She looks forward to further events and to meeting with her transportation peers from throughout the country.
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In case you missed it: planning news
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NH Planner's Association Spring Conference
The New Hampshire Planners Association (NHPA) will hold its Spring Conference on Thursday, May 31, and Friday, June 1, at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Nashua. The conference will highlight the City of Nashua and its downtown improvements. Other topics to be covered include new urbanism techniques for municipalities, unique financing options, and form-based codes.
The day-long conference on Friday will be preceded by a session on ethics and an opportunity for networking at the Hunt Memorial Building in Nashua from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Thursday. To learn more about the conference, or to register, visit http://www.nhplanners.org/2018-Spring-Conference.
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Opportunity to host Smart Grown America training in your community
The Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI) at Smart Growth America is offering an exciting opportunity for five communities to host its highly regarded two-day class on form-based codes.
As Smart Growth America explains, "form-based codes focus on how the form of the community-the streets, buildings, and open spaces-work together to create great places." This is different from conventional zoning, which is based on what happens inside the building, with little attention paid to the overall community character.
In recent years, municipalities have begun updating their zoning codes to encourage walkable, mixed-use development that supports physically and economically healthy communities. Adopting form-based codes is one way to do this.
To be considered for hosting a class, you must send by Friday, May 18, an email to Smart Growth America (
info@smartgrowthamerica.org) that includes your responses to these questions:
Are planning and land use professionals in your region interested in learning more about form-based codes?
Can you provide or find classroom space, on a complimentary basis, for up to 50 attendees for a two-day workshop?
Can you identify two or three local organizations (like APA or CNU chapters, ULI district council, municipal league, or zoning association) in your area who you think would be interested in helping FBCI market the class?
Smart Growth America will choose five winners. If you're interested in being one of the five communities to host an FBCI course this year, send them an email now!
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Four regional communities nominated as opportunity zones
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On Thursday, May 3, Gov. Chris Sununu nominated 27 census tracts in the state to be federally designated as Opportunity Zones. The Opportunity Zones program, which was established in December 2018, allows investors to take advantage of tax incentives when reinvesting unrealized capital gains into the designated zones.
Five of the 27 nominated tracts are in the Strafford region: Durham, Dover, Somersworth, and two in Rochester. SRPC is excited to see our communities so well represented, and looks forward to supporting the communities through the designation process and with implementation of the program.
The U.S. Treasury Department now has 30 days to process the nominations and decide whether to accept or deny them.
For more information on the nominations, or to learn about the program, visit:
_________
Information sourced from NH Economic Development
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Community happenings
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Kid-Venture Course, Dover, May 5, 2018, from 9:50 to 11:00 a.m.
We know everyone is bursting to get outside after this long winter, and this looks like a super event for children (and their parents)! On Saturday, a "Kid-Venture" course will be set up at Henry Law Park in Dover for children to compete, get their bodies moving, and enjoy some active and silly fun. Participants are encouraged to dress in a spring theme-think wings, flower petals, bright colors, or insect antennae.
Fly By Disc Golf, DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee, May 18 - May 20, varying times*
Looking for something different to do, or a new activity get you outdoors and in motion? How about disc golf at DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee on the weekend of May 18? This event sounds like a really fun way to meet new people and enjoy being outdoors at this beautiful farm at a time of year when it's not usually open to the public!
*Learn more at:
Lilac Festival, Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, May 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Did you know that the lilacs at Wentworth Coolidge mansion are the oldest in the United States? Saturday, May 26, is your chance to see them in bloom and to tour the mansion, enjoy the stunning views, or have a picnic on the lawns! There will even be a scavenger hunt for the kids. This promises to be a fantastic spring event for the whole family.
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Sincerely,
SRPC Staff
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