September 3, 2021
Strafford Regional Planning Commission Newsletter
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Sunset at Blue Job Mountain in Somersworth. (SRPC Photo)
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Greetings,
Although fall is not officially in the air, it's starting to feel that way with the slightly cooler weather we've had. Before we know it, our state will be filled with leaf peepers for one of the most beautiful times of year in New Hampshire. As I've probably shared in past newsletters, this time of year always makes me think of one of my favorite quotes by F. Scott Fitzgerald, "Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."
Here at SRPC we are about to launch our new website, are coordinating the final preparation for our record digitization program, and just finished gathering data for our Sunrise Lake project survey.
In this issue you will find information on the upcoming SRPC quarterly meeting, changes to Developments of Regional Impact (DRI) reviews, the 2021 Buses, Bikes & Brooms challenge, staff news, planning events of interest, potential hazard related funding sources, the upcoming GACIT hearings, and community happenings.
Until Next Month,
Shayna Sylvia
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IN THIS ISSUE
Save the Date: SRPC's Sept. 23 Commission Meeting
HB 332 Effects Timelines for DRIs
Dust Off Your Costumers for Buses, Bikes & Brooms
Staff News
Planning Events of Interest
Grant Corner
Public Input Opportunity
Community Happenings
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STAFF SNAPSHOTS - Aug./Sept. |
SRPC staff, family and friends gather together for a summer picnic at Odiorne State Park. (SRPC Photo)
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Postcard sent from economic development intern Zuzy Duffy during her visit to see family in Slovakia. (SRPC Photo)
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Planning technician Stephen Geis sets a traffic count in Somersworth. (SRPC Photo)
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Save the Date: SRPC September Commission Meeting on 9/23 |
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Teaser image of the new SRPC website (SRPC photo).
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SRPC will hold its next Commission meeting on Sept. 23, at 3:45 pm. It will take place at SRPC in Conference room 1A as a hybrid meeting, with an in-person quorum required.
Presentations will focus on current staff projects, in addition to a spotlight and overview of the new SRPC website, which launches soon!
Stay tuned to our website for more information. View the complete fiscal year 2022 SRPC meeting schedule here.
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HB 332 Effects Timelines for Development of Regional Impact Reviews |
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On Aug. 9, House Bill 332 went into effect, which impacts timelines for planning boards when dealing with Developments of Regional Impact (DRI). Planning boards now have an additional 30 days (beyond the standard 65 days) to act on an application that is found to be a development of regional impact.
This is relevant to the work SRPC does, as one of its mandated functions as a reginal planning commission is to provide feedback from a regional perspective if actions in one community may influence lives, environment, and businesses in another. In conducting these reviews, initiated by a town's planning board, SRPC staffers look at potential noise and light disturbances, proximity to municipal boundaries, shared utility or school districts, and other relevant factors.
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Dust off your costumes for the 2021 Buses Bikes & Brooms Challenge |
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The Buses, Bikes & Brooms challenge is back for 2021! During the month of October, join others from across the state in commuting to work using any mode other than driving alone. Try teleworking, bicycling, walking, carpooling or public transit, or any combination of these options. Compressed work weeks also count.
This year the challenge is a little different, switching from a teams-based challenge to an individual one. While it doesn't require you to sign-up your workplace team, we still encourage you to share the news with co-workers and friends so they can participate!
CommuteSmart NH is also planning to use a new platform for logging trips and competing, which is scheduled to launch with the start of the challenge, on Oct. 1.
Participants can win prizes throughout the month, including $25 gift cards raffled off throughout the month, and a grand prize of a $50 gift card for our social media boo-itiful contest which encourages dressing up!
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Autumn Scott Promoted to Regional Planner Autumn Scott
Autumn Scott started as a planning intern at SRPC in May 2021 following her involvement with the Communities for Healthy Aging Transitions (CHAT) project through her UNH planning class's capstone project.
Autumn spent the summer working on a variety of projects. In addition to continuing to assist with CHAT, Autumn collaborated with principal regional planner Kyle Pimental on the Dover Building Coastal Resilience by Building Equity project, the Middleton Sunrise Lake project, the Durham Climate Adaptation project, and the Coastal Innovative Land Use Guide, among others.
This fall Autumn begins working towards a Master’s Degree in Natural Resources and the Environment, and will continue to work part time at SRPC in her new role as regional planner!
Join us in congratulating Autumn on her promotion.
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SRPC Thanks Mark Davie, Data Collection Intern
Friday, Aug. 20, marked data collection intern Mark Davie's last day at SRPC. Mark was hired in May 2021 to help with summer data collection.
During the 2021 field work season, Mark worked with planning technician Stephen Geis to complete traffic counts. He also assisted with data analysis for the SRPC COVID snapshot, additional data collection for Promoting Outdoor Play (POP!), QA/QC for the SRPC building permit report, and Road Surface Management Assessment (RSMS) processes in Northwood.
Mark returns to West Chester University, where he is working towards a Master's Degree in Urban & Regional Planning.
All of us at SRPC thank Mark for his hard work this summer, and willingness to assist on projects, where needed.
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Economic Development Intern Zuzana Duffy Studies Abroad |
Zuzana Duffy started in her role as the SRPC economic development intern in May, and will be continuing in that role, part time, as she studies abroad in Norway.
While there Zuzy will be exploring her beautiful surroundings, while taking classes towards her Bachelor's degree in Geography/Anthropology with Specialization in Sustainable Cultures and Communities and a minor in GIS and Planning.
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Planning Events of Interest |
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Building Your Virtual Facilitation Skills, Wednesday, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27 and Nov. 3* from 1-3:00 p.m.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Maine Sea Grant, University of New Hampshire Extension, University of Vermont Extension, and Virginia Cooperative Extension have partnered to host a 5-part training series that addresses essential virtual facilitation concepts and skills.
The five sessions cover, Virtual Facilitation Essentials (Oct. 6), Setting the Stage for Success (Oct. 13), Facilitation Practice: Putting your skills to work (Oct. 20), Facilitation Challenges and Opportunities (Oct. 27), and Celebrating Facilitation Success (Nov. 3, *from 1-2 p.m.).
Learn more and register online.
REMINDER: 2021 Municipal Land Use Law Virtual Conference, Saturday, Sept.18, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The NH Municipal Association (NHMA) will host its virtual conference for municipal land use officials in mid-September. This event is geared towards planning and zoning board members, planners, land use administrators, select boards, town and city councilors, building inspectors, code enforcement officers and public works personnel. As explained on the NHMA website, "Presentations will focus on the legal authority and procedures these land use boards must understand with content structured to be beneficial to both novice and experienced municipal officials."
The cost of this training is $70. Find more information online. Registration opens in August.
2021 NH Salt Symposium/Liquids Workshop and Municipal Green SnowPro Planning Session on Sept. 14 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Pat's Peak in Henniker
The NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) and the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) invite stakeholders to participate in the 2021 NH Salt Symposium/Liquids Workshop and Municipal Green SnowPro Planning Session on Sept. 14 at Pat’s Peak in Henniker.
For those representing municipalities, there will be a specific municipal track aimed at getting feedback to shape the Green SnowPro Municipal Certification process which is now backed by enabling legislation. Stakeholders are encouraged to attend and lend their experience, expertise, and voices to create the Municipal Green SnowPro Certification Program for New Hampshire!
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FFY 2021 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), deadline: Oct. 1
On Aug. 10, funding was appropriated by FEMA for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The BRIC program is the new pre-disaster mitigation grant program that replaced the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program.
BRIC makes federal funds available to state, local, and tribal governments for pre-disaster mitigation activities and for reducing disaster costs at all levels. BRIC also supports the National Mitigation Investment Strategy by helping people prepare for disasters, better learn from past disasters, improve continuously, and innovate.
In NH the BRIC program is managed by New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). They are requesting that Letters of Intent (LOI) from local governments, state agencies, and private non-profits be submitted by Oct. 1. Interested parties should note that in comparison to past years, funding amounts have been increased.
The application packet is now available online, and NHDES is happy to confer with potential applicants in advance of the development of an application. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your HSEM Field Representative at (603) 223-3663 or the Hazard Mitigation Team at HazardMitigationPlanning@dos.nh.gov.
FFY 2021 Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Program, deadline: Oct. 1
On Aug. 10, funding was appropriated by FEMA for the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program, which makes federal funds available to state, local, and tribal governments to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
In NH the FMA program is managed by New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). HSEM is requesting Letters of Intent (LOI) from local governments, state agencies, and private non-profits be submitted by Oct. 1.
If your organization plans on participating in this program, please complete the Letter of Intent on the HSEM Resource Center.
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Governor's Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT) Plans Public Hearings for NHDOT's 2023-2032 Ten Year Plan
It’s that time in the two-year transportation planning cycle when the five members of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT) meet to review the draft statewide Ten Year Plan Transportation Improvement Plan, which NHDOT has been developing with input from the nine regional planning commissions (RPCs).
Following the incorporation of regional priority projects from each RPC, GACIT will now make recommendations on changes, and hold public hearings throughout New Hampshire.
At its second meeting on Sept. 1, the GACIT saw a presentation from NHDOT on general information about funding and key projects in the draft plan. This cycle is uniquely complex as there are multiple infrastructure bills working their way through both houses of congress, each of which has the potential to significantly increase funding in the Ten Year Plan.
A full draft will be released by NHDOT shortly, along with a complete schedule of public hearings that will occur throughout the fall months. The GACIT hearings are a great opportunity for stakeholders and citizens to communicate the transportation issues that are important for them and their community.
NHDOT is also experimenting with different technologies to ensure people can attend hearings virtually.
Stay tuned for more info on the draft plan, and to find out when and where you can voice your concerns and wishes.
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Arts and Music in the Park
Saturday, Sept. 11 from 12-4 p.m.
Join the Friends of Farmington on Saturday Sept. 11 for Arts, Crafts and Music at Fernald Park-featuring the Thursday Afternoon Band.
Crafters interested in participating should contact:
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Sunset Yoga Hike
Friday, Sept. 24 from 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Join SŌL Yoga and Pilates for a sunset yoga hike at Blue Job mountain on the Strafford/ Farmington line.
Those interested should join up at the base of Little Blue Job in Strafford, NH at 5:30 p.m.
Participants will combine the beauty of the earth with the beauty of yoga practice by enjoying a short hike while practicing moving meditation and mindful breathing.
A short class will take place at the top of the mountain, ending with a lovely savasana while watching the sunset and taking in the beauty of Mother Nature.
Those attending should bring a yoga mat or blanket and a water bottle. The class will be about 2.5 hours round trip.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online.
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