SRPC visits the renovated City Hall Annex       Source: SRPC
Planning

Strafford Regional Planning Commission staffers took a field trip to the newly renovated City Hall Annex in Rochester on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The Annex houses the city's planning, economic development, and zoning departments. SRPC joined staffers from the three departments for lunch and a tour of the building. Pictures from the tour can be seen at https://tinyurl.com/ydfqtun7 .
 
Constructed in 1904, the City Hall Annex was originally a fire station and housed eight horses to pull the steam-powered pumpers. From 1975 to 2004, it served as police headquarters. The building sat vacant from the time the police station was relocated until its reopening last month.
 
Grants from the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), the NH Moose Plate grants program, and the Certified Local Government program helped fund the work of restoring the building to its original state, while updating the interior.  During the renovation, many of the building's original features-covered when the structure was converted to a police station-were restored. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the building was held on Tuesday, Aug. 22.

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Transportation

Colin Lentz, regional transportation planner, was in Portland, Ore., from Sept. 11-14 for training in developing comprehensive, all-hazards transportation plans. He was joined by Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission (SMPDC) transportation/land use planner Jamel Torres.
 
The "train the trainer" program was hosted by the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Portland State University, and funded by the Federal Transit Administration. Strafford and Southern Maine were among the six regions from around the country that attended.
 
This winter, Strafford MPO and SMPDC will host a hazard recovery plan development exercise for a wide range of stakeholders in the Southern Maine and New Hampshire Seacoast regions. Staff members are already reaching out to likely participants. Details of the training will be forthcoming. For more information in the meantime, contact Colin at clentz@strafford.org or at 603-994-3500.


Economic Development

Public feedback is very important for many efforts of the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, the Strafford Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Strafford Economic Development District. It is also an important aspect of the planning processes of municipalities throughout the region. The City of Rochester is seeking feedback from citizens and visitors alike regarding potential funding for activities of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.
 
The City has release two surveys, one soliciting input for the FY 2018-2019 CDBG annual action plan, and the other soliciting input on fair housing concerns for the City's Assessment of Fair Housing.
 
The CDBG action plan survey is available at:

 
The fair housing survey is available at:

 
For more information, see the City's news release.


Pieces of Interest


Strafford Regional Planning Commission | 603-994-3500 | srpc@strafford.org | www.strafford.org


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