October 2019
Strafford Regional Planning Commission Newsletter
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Henry Law Park in Dover (
Photo courtesy of Shayna Sylvia
)
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Happy October,
Fall is here! I for one am excited for the beautiful changing leaves and the foliage that has started to peak in the northern part of the state. Football season is in full swing, hockey opened this week, and pumpkin flavored drink and snack mania is upon us. To embrace the season, check out the state's
fall foliage tracker.
Here at SRPC we have started to update the Dover Recreation Master Plan chapter, will be starting Road Surface Management System (RSMS) data collection and forecasting in Wakefield, and will be setting the final eight traffic counts of the season in the coming weeks.
In this issue you will find: information on the recently published NH Flood Hazards Handbook; a Save the Date announcement for the 2019 King Tide contest; a welcome to SRPC's newest staff member; planning events of interest; an overview of SRPC's new partnership with Dover to work on its recreation master plan; reminders of important announcements that you may have missed; an announcement about the upcoming Buses, Bikes & Brooms commuter challenge,
and community happenings.
Until Next Month,
Shayna Sylvia
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IN THIS ISSUE
NH Flood Hazards Handbook Released
Save the Date: King Tide 2019 Photo Contest
Staff News: SRPC Welcomes Jackson Rand
Planning Events of Interest
SRPC Partners with Dover on Recreation Plan
In Case You Missed It
CSNH Buses, Bikes & Brooms Challenge
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STAFF SNAPSHOTS - September
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SRPC assisted NHDOT consultants on outreach for the NH Pedestrian & Bicycle Transportation Plan at the Dover Farmers Market. (
Photo courtesy of NHDOT
)
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Colin Lentz, senior transportation planner, attended the COAST Annual Meeting at the Governor's Inn in Rochester.
(
Photo courtesy of Vanessa Polychronis/COAST
)
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James Burdin, senior regional planner, presents on the update to the regional economic development plan at SRPC's Quarterly Commission meeting (
SRPC photo)
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New Hampshire Flood Hazards Handbook Released
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The New Hampshire Silver Jackets, a team of individuals from federal and state agencies focusing on flood risk management priorities, was founded in 2015.
Over 15 different agencies were involved in creating this report, which serves as great resource for all NH municipalities.
Read the report or learn more
online
.
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SAVE THE DATE: King Tide 2019 Photo Contest
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The NH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup (NHCAW) recently released the dates for its annual King Tide Photo Contest. The term “King Tide” refers to the highest high tides that occur multiple times a year when the moon is in alignment with the sun and closest to the earth. These higher than normal tides often can cause coastal flooding, especially in low-lying areas, and are increasingly viewed as harbingers of what could become the “new normal” as sea level rises.[i]
This year's contest will take place between Oct. 27 and 30, and encourages citizens to document the event in an attempt to raise awareness sea-level rise in New Hampshire. To enter, participants must snap a photo of the abnormally high tide in one of the following coastal communities: Dover, Durham, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Madbury, New Castle, Newfields, Newington, Newmarket, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Rollinsford, Rye, Seabrook, and Stratham. The photo must then be posted to Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook using the hashtag #KingTideNH2019. Those wishing to participate and who do not have social media may enter by e-mailing submissions to
nhcoastaladaptation@gmail.com
.
More information, and complete contest rules can be found
online
.
[i]
NHDES Coastal Program definition of a King Tide
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Staff News: SRPC Welcomes Jackson Rand
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Jackson Rand started as the new GIS Planner on Sept. 11. Jackson will be primarily responsible for providing technical assistance to SRPC communities through GIS mapping efforts.
Jackson graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, with concentration in conservation and urban planning. Prior to joining the SRPC team, Jackson worked as a project technician for Stantec out of Boston from 2017 to 2019, and completed an environmental co-op for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in 2016.
In his first month Jackson has jumped into a variety of projects including analysis for the Pathways to Play project, assistance with outreach maps for the Dover Recreation Plan, and finalizing map products for the Northwood Hazard Mitigation Plan.
When Jackson isn't at work, he enjoys hiking year round, eating out with friends, and other activities varying by season. According to Jackson, fall is for country fairs, haunted houses, and cider donuts; winter is for downhill skiing; and summer is for festivals, amusements parks, and swimming (often including bridge/cliff jumping)!
Join us in welcoming Jackson.
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Planning Events of Interest
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New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management Benefit-Cost Analysis/Hazard Mitigation Application Workshop - Tuesday, Oct. 29, Wednesday, Oct. 30, and Thursday, Oct. 31
The New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) will hold a Benefit-Cost Analysis/ Hazard Mitigation Application Workshop from Tuesday, Oct. 29 to Thursday, Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on each day. This course is designed as an introduction to the fundamental concepts of benefit-cost (BCA) analysis. Participants will learn how to obtain benefit-cost (BC) data and conduct analyses using the latest version of the Benefit Cost Toolkit. The course discusses the process of preparing and submitting quality Unified Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant program planning and project sub-application elements.
The three day course will take place at the Foundation for Healthy Communities on 125 Airport Road in Concord. There is a
pre-requisite
for this course, which can be taken online.
New Hampshire Municipal Association 78th Annual Conference - Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 13 & 14
Registration is now open for the New Hampshire Municipal Association’s (NHMA) 78th Annual Conference and Exhibition. The event will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 13 and 14, at the DoubleTree Manchester Downtown Hotel.
The theme of this year’s conference will be Working Better Together, and will feature keynote speaker Jim Hunt, a former Mayor, Council member and Past President of the National League of Cities. Hunt is also the author of “The Amazing City-7 Steps to Creating an Amazing City,” a best-selling book that is being used by thousands of city officials, as a guide to creating positive change in their communities.
Conference sessions cover topics including economic development tools like economic revitalization zones (ERZs) and Tax Increment Financing Districts (TIFs), the impact of social media on a municipality, land use law, creative placemaking, clean energy and many more!
Coastal NH Climate Summit - Wednesday, December 4
Save the date for the Coastal NH Climate Summit on Wednesday, Dec. 4, from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center. This theme of this year's annual event will be "Tips, Tools, and Perspectives: Paying for Climate Adaptation and Resilience.
The summit will provide information on options for funding climate adaptation and resilience, case studies from communities who
have successfully accessed grant funding or implemented programs to prepare for future climate impacts, and will new ideas for creating mechanisms to generate secure, adequate, flexible, and equitable funding for adaptation and resilience.
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SRPC Partners with the City of Dover on Recreation Master Plan
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The Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) was recently selected as the consultant to work with the City of Dover on its recreation master plan chapter. The kick-off meeting with the steering committee was held on Sept. 25, and the first outreach events for feedback on the plan will be held Friday, Oct. 4, followed by another on Saturday, Oct. 5.
The recreation chapter was last updated in 2009, the bulk of which contained an inventory of recreation facilities and areas in the City. The 2020 plan will be more focused on uses of the recreational opportunities in the City, programming, recommendations for making Dover's recreation even better, and will for the first time incorporate a public art section.
Citizens and visitors to Dover can get involved by visiting SRPC at an upcoming outreach event, or by taking the
recreation
or
public art
surveys, which were released Friday, Oct. 5.
Upcoming outreach events include:
Downtown Trick or Treat
(11 a.m. - 2 p.m.) - Oct. 26, tentativly @ Cocheco Mills Courtyard
November Art Walk
(4-8 p.m.) - Nov. 1, location to be determined
The goal for completion of the chapter is February 2020.
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SRPC FY 2019 Annual Report & Commissioner's Handbook
The Strafford Regional Planning Commission Annual Report was accepted by the Commission at the Sept. 26 quarterly meeting. This annual report published by SRPC documents the projects completed during the fiscal year, and also serves as a handbook for Commissioner's.
To view some of the archived annual reports click the links below:
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Public Input Opportunities for NHDOT
The Governor's Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT) is currently reviewing and seeking input on the update of the State's Ten Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TYP) (2021-2030). There are multiple ways in which the NH Department of Transportation and GACIT are completing this outreach and engagement.
Their strategies include:
- A video made by NHDOT Commissioner Victoria Sheehan explaining the 10 Year Transportation Improvement Plan and input opportunities
- A survey to gather information about what is important to you regarding the transportation system in New Hampshire
- Six remaining (there were 20 total) public hearings
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CommuteSmart NH Announces Buses, Bikes & Brooms Commuter Challenge
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CommuteSmart NH (CSNH) is hosting a statewide commuter challenge at the end of October. The goal of the competition, as was with the pilot challenge in June, is to encourage workplaces from across the state to rethink their commuting practices by trying new, more sustainable methods of getting to work. Participants will be rewarded for carpooling, taking public transit, walking and biking/skateboarding, and even working from home. By using these alternate modes of transportation, participants will save money on gas and increase vehicle life, reduce stress and increase productivity, and help to reduce rush hour congestion therefore lowering environmental impacts of vehicle emissions.
The challenge runs October 20-November 2 and is open to all employers and individuals in New Hampshire. The sign-ups for the challenge will be held on the NH Rideshare website, where participants can join their workplace team, log their trips, and see where they stand against other teams on the new and improved leaderboard. Individuals without a workplace team are able to join the “Free Agents”, a team comprised of all individuals from around the state.
Workplaces interested in competing should contact info@commutesmartnh.org, or visit the CommuteSmart NH website (http://commutesmartnh.org/buses-bikes-brooms-challenge/) to learn more. Prizes will be awarded to individuals based on the total number of days logged by that individual during the challenge. Every participant will receive a prize for logging at least one day of sustainable commutes, and the more trips you log the more prizes you’ll get!
CSNH is a partnership between the state’s nine regional planning commissions, state agencies, and various non-profit transportation-oriented programs, working in collaboration with transit providers and businesses. CSNH actively encourages and assists people to choose sustainable transportation options in place of driving single occupancy vehicles. For more information, please contact
info@commutesmartnh.org
, or visit
www.commutesmartnh.org
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UNH Musuem of Art Exhibitions
Andy Warhol: #NOFILTER and Orly Cogan: Children of Eden
Saturday, Oct. 5
Noon-4 p.m.
Paul Creative Arts Center
Two art exhibits will be on display at the UNH Museum of Art during Homecoming weekend, Oct. 4 - Oct. 6. Orly Cogan: Children of Eden Orly Cogan uses embroidery to transform vintage printed textiles into contemporary explorations of feminine archetypes and stereotypes.
Andy Warhol: #NOFILTER includes behind the scenes black and white photographs of his friends and acquaintances, Polaroid images used for his silk-screen paintings, as well as, a selection of silkscreen prints.
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1st Annual Seacoast
Electric Bike Expo
Sunday, Oct. 13
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Stratham Hill Park
Seacoast Area Bike Routes (SABR) and CommuteSMART Seacoast bring you the Seacoast's first E-Bike Expo.
Multiple local bike shops will be participating, bringing e-bike models for test rides along a half mile marked route at the park.
The event will also feature a raffle to win a brand new Aveton Pace 350 E-bike valued at $1,200.
Visit the SABR tent at the event to say hi and get the skinny on all things bike-centric. They'll have hot chocolate, too!
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NH Sky Watch
Wednesday, October 23
7 – 9 p.m.
Hill Library in Strafford
The NH Astronomical Society will be at the Hill Library in Strafford for a Skywatch! Beginning in the library at 7 pm, the astronomer will speak about the night sky and demonstrate how to use the library's telescope. At the end of the demonstration, attendees will walk up to the National Guard Parking Lot, where the NH Astronomical Society will have large telescopes set up to experience a new view of stars and planets.
All ages are welcome to join!
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