August 2019
Strafford Regional Planning Commission Newsletter
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Swains Lake in Barrington, NH. (
Photo courtesy of Shayna Sylvia
)
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Happy August,
With the majority of the summer behind us, now is the time to fit in as many beach, grilling, and outdoor activities as possible. Sadly the endless summer is not a reality for us here in New England. While this season seems to pass the quickest, we are lucky we've had limited rain, and plenty of sunshine and blue skies. Here's to the last 52 days of summer!
Here at SRPC we are preparing remarks for the upcoming GACIT meetings for review of the state's Ten Year Plan, beginning to provide contract planning services to the town of Nottingham and are drafting the fiscal year 2019 annual report.
In this issue you’ll read about SRPC’s upcoming Commission meeting, the ongoing data collection season, new businesses and housing coming to the region, planning events of interest, preliminary results from our transportation plan survey, opportunities for public input, and community happenings.
Until Next Month,
Shayna Sylvia
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IN THIS ISSUE
Save the Date for SRPC's Q1 Commission Meeting
A Glimpse into the Data Collection Season to Date
Community Spotlight: Business Edition
Planning Events of Interest
Transportation Plan Survey Preliminary Results
Opportunities for Public Input
Community Happenings
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A coloring submission from SRPC's Pathways to Play project where we've asked kids to draw what they'd want in their dream parks in Somersworth. ( SRPC
Photo
)
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Shayna Sylvia, communications and outreach planner, attended the Durham Farmer's market with staffers Rachel Dewey and Stef Casella to collect input for the Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress (LTS).
(
SRPC Photo
)
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Marcia Mor
eno Báez, GIS Planner
, conducts outreach at Somersworth Recreation's Day Camp for the Pathways to Play (PTP) project. (
SRPC Photo)
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Save the Date for SRPC's Quarter One Commission Meeting
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SRPC's quarter one Commission meeting will be held on Sept. 26 at 3:45 p.m. The meeting will feature a presentation on the Pathways to Play project, an ongoing effort to assess access to recreation in the region, with a pilot program in Somersworth.
The location will be announced closer to the meeting date.
Please save the date; we hope for you to join us in September!
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A Glimpse Into the Data Collection Season to Date
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Data collection season kicked off with a full team of staffers helping set counts and assess sidewalks. In June, interns Stephen Geis and Gordon Lewis were hired to complete the majority of the data collection tasks.
So far this season the data team...
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set:
80
traffic counts
6
of which were supplemental
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assessed:
17
miles of sidewalks in Rochester
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collected data in:
10
communities in the region
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For the rest of the season data collection staffers plan to collect
46
more counts for a total o
f 126, and assess 23 more miles of sidewalks.
To keep up with the work Stephen and Gordon are doing search #DataDaysofSummer on Facebook.
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Community Spotlight: Business Edition
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The
City of Rochester
will be seeing the installation of more public art, and the renovation of an important building in its downtown with the recent sale of what is often referred to as the Hartigan Block and Bennett building. Justin Gargiulo, senior vice president of Great North Property Management, has purchased the property with idea of converting it into a mixed-use building with a restaurant downstairs and apartments upstairs. This is especially important considering the City's focus on revitalizing its downtown. The idea to include public art came following a discussion with Make Rochester Great founder Jess Clay, who is looking to create mural centered around lilacs, as Rochester is the Lilac City. Learn more in the
Foster's Daily Democrat article
.
The
City of Somersworth
also is seeing repurposing of space in an area identified by the City as important for encouraging downtown development. Three brothers are opening an artisan pizza shop and brewery in the Somersworth Plaza. As quoted in
Foster's Daily Democrat
, "The brothers said one of the reasons they chose Somersworth was because “city officials were actively promoting revitalization, were very welcoming and in part because there were no other breweries in downtown Somersworth." The brothers will also see a tax break if the City approves their 79-E application, a provision under state law that encourages investments in town centers and the rehabilitation of underutilized buildings through offering a period of relief from increased property taxes they would pay due to the upgraded structure’s new assessed valuation.
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Planning Events of Interest
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Designing for Resilience Across Scales, Systems and Sectors - Aug. 14
Smart Growth will host a "Designing for Resilience Across Scales, Systems and Sectors" webinar at 1 p.m. on Aug. 14. The training will examine resilience across scales, systems and sectors, review resilience concepts and look at what resilience means in the built environment.
Panelists Katie Wholey, Vincent Riscica and Amy Leitch of Arup will provide an overview of the key concepts for understanding resilience in the context of the built environment, discuss how resilience can be applied at a systems-level for transportation and infrastructure assets, and provide examples of how we can design more resilient buildings across various building typologies, such as healthcare institutions and laboratories.
Main Street Academy - Oct. 1, 15, and 29
Registration is now open for the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension (UNHCE) Main Street Academy program in October. Designed for community leaders, volunteers and professionals, the three session Main Street Academy takes place in communities working to strengthen their downtowns. Sessions will take place in South Berwick, ME, and Rochester and Wolfeboro, NH and will include opportunities to learn from experts, community leaders and volunteers. Participants will discuss, analyze, and consider strategies for downtown revitalization and enjoy an afternoon tour of each downtown.
Each session will take place from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Early bird registration (before Aug. 30) cost $350, with prices rising $100 after Aug. 30. Learn more
online
.
Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association Annual Conference - Nov. 13-15
Sessions have been announced and registration is now open for the 2019 Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA) annual conference. This year’s event will be held at the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods from Nov. 13-15, with a live, work, play theme.
Shayna Sylvia, communications and outreach planner will be joining Wentworth Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Denise Roy Palmer and Explore Moose Mountains consultant Barbara Wilson to present at the annual Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA) Conference in November.
Senior Planner James Burdin will also be presenting at the conference with Sarah Marchant, City of Nashua, and Donna Benton, City of Dover. They will lead a session on work/life balance for planners.
To view the sessions, or to register visit the
event page
.
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Metropolitan Transportation Plan Survey Boast Insightful Preliminary Results
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Since being launched in May, Strafford Metropolitan Planning Organization's (Strafford MPO) public input survey for the update to our transportation plan has been taken by over 320 individuals.
A preliminary review of the data tells us that:
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- For work trips, over half of respondents travel 30 minutes or less to get to work, and 70% of respondents drive alone.
- For non-work trips, about 75% of respondents drive, with the C & J bus being the next most used method, but only at a rating of "a few days per year" (compared with "every day","1-2 days per week", and "a few days per month"). About 30% said they walk for non-work trips either every day, or 1-2 days a week.
- More frequent bus service, and expanded routes have the most impact for respondents when considering what factors would encourage them to use public transportation more.
- Over 60% of respondents rated bicycle access safety as "bad" or "very bad" when asked about features of our transportation system, which also included options like traffic safety, road conditions, and service for seniors.
- Respondents placed the highest priority on funding for bicycle access and safety and road conditions, when paired with options such as traffic signals, trails and greenways, and transit services.
- 42% is the average level of comfort respondents reported concerning the introduction of autonomous vehicles, while 60% responded that it was important or extremely important to invest in electric vehicle infrastructure.
- About 40% are extremely concerned and think lack of senior transportation is a very urgent challenge we face.
To learn more about the Strafford MPO Transportation Plan visit
our
website
. To take the survey visit
surveymonkey
.
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Opportunities for Public Input
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Pathways to Play
In December 2019 Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) was
awarded a grant from the NH Children's Health Foundation
to map and analyze access to recreation in the Strafford region. Knowing where there is and is not access will help municipal planners and decision makers prioritize funding for projects that increase families' ability to be active.
Phase II of the project includes a customized recreation plan for the City of Somersworth for which SRPC is currently conducting outreach. After meeting with City staff three recreation areas were chosen as a focus: Malley Farm, Jules Bisson Park, and the Somersworth Riverwalk. An
online survey
is currently being used to collect input from Somersworth residents and visitors.
To share your thoughts take the survey
online
, or visit SRPC staffers at Somersworth's National Night Out event on Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Jules Bisson Park.
For more information or to share your input contact
Nancy O' Connor
via
email
or at 603-994-3500, or follow the #PathwaystoPlay on our Facebook page.
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Sidewalk Talk
Rochester Main Street's Economic Vitality Committee will be hosting a "Sidewalk Talk" at Revolution Taproom & Grill on Thursday, Aug. 8. This event will include a tour of the host business, light refreshments, and an informal meeting.
These casual gatherings are a great way to:
- Exchange information about various downtown events and programs;
- Get updates on Main Street news;
- Provide input on Main Street programs and events;
- Learn more about some of our fantastic downtown businesses; and
- Enjoy light refreshments provided by the host business!
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SRPC Hiring for GIS Planner
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Strafford Regional Planning Commission seeks a qualified professional for the position of GIS Planner. Working closely with dedicated planning staff, this position focuses on integrating GIS and technical skills into a planning environment. The successful candidate will deliver professional planning and technical expertise through services such as data management (development, collection and interpretation), creation of maps, and spatial analysis. Learn more online.
Learn more
online
.
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Local History Author Terry Nelson at the Dover Public Library
Tuesday, Aug. 6
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Dover Public Library
Local author Terry Nelson will be presenting on his new book, "The Hidden History of the New England Seacoast"
As explained on the event listing:
"The New Hampshire Seacoast has a wealth of overlooked history. Some remnants are hidden in plain sight, and others are just plain hidden. Meet the minister and early religious founder who was involved in an armed confrontation in Dover with another preacher in 1640. Find out how a onetime high school assistant principal in Rochester became a world-famous business leader and ended up meeting President Grover Cleveland. Discover the story of “ghost” racetracks in Somersworth before they disappear, as well as the “pile of rocks” that stopped a multimillion-dollar building project in Windham. Author Terry Nelson reveals some of New England’s most fascinating history, from Durham and Madbury to North Hampton and Portsmouth."
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7th Annual Durham Farm Day
Saturday, Aug. 17
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Various Locations
Durham, NH
The Durham Agricultural Commission will host the seventh annual Durham Farm Day on Saturday, Aug. 17, taking place at multiple locations across town. Emery Farm will have hay rides and livestock in its petting barn, UNH Fairchild Dairy will have a milking demonstration at 3:30 p.m., the Community Garden and Wagon Hill Farm will have a session on making pickles, and Tecce Farm will have locally grown fruit, vegetable and flower among many other events at different location
View the complete itinerary
online.
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Pig Roast at the NH Farm Museum
Saturday, Aug. 31
noon – 2 p.m.
The NH Farm Museum will hold a pig roast on Saturday, Aug. 31. The food will include pig on the spit with baked beans, slaw, cornbread, watermelon, and fresh squeezed lemonade.
Live music and farm attractions will be included in the admission, which is collected by reservations which cost $25 per adult, and $10 per child. You may purchase reservations on Facebook with their charge or at the NH Farm Museum store with no charge.
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