As we wrap up the year, I wanted to write and thank all the members who volunteer their time and efforts serving on the many committees of Dover. These volunteers are the ones who truly shape Dover to be the amazing community it is and they are so appreciated throughout the year. This year has seen some exciting projects come through the Department and our Planning and Community Development team grew and developed in such a refreshing way.

We have much to reflect on and I appreciate all the accomplishments we have seen. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and look forward to what 2023 holds including the release of the city-wide Resilience Plan, adoption of the Vision Chapter of the Master Plan, ground breaking on the waterfront development, an extensive housing analysis, the celebration of Dover's 400th anniversary, and so much more. 

Sincerely,

Donna Benton, AICP

Director of Planning and Community Development

The City of Dover has begun the process of updating the Vision Chapter of the Master Plan based on the feedback of Dover residents and stakeholders.

Every 5-10 years, the City reviews and updates the chapters of its Master Plan, which is used to shape city and community policy decisions and is particularly useful in defining land use regulations and long-term capital budgeting priorities.

The Vision Chapter is a unique chapter that captures the long term view of the City, as told by Dover residents, and serves as a foundation on which all of the remaining chapters of the Master Plan are built.

The previous Vision Chapter, completed in 2012, was titled Dover 2023, Building Our Tomorrow and can be viewed here. The chapter is a culmination of more than five months of extensive public outreach efforts and presents an expansive statement of what Dover residents wanted the City to become in the year 2023.

Over the next few months, the community will be asked for feedback and direction on the update project. Selected by the Vision Chapter Steering Committee, the project is called Distinctly Dover: A Community Vision for 2035.

Updates on the project, and opportunities to provide feedback, will be posted on the dedicated project webpage.

For a simple way to have your thoughts included in the visioning process, please respond to this survey which asks, "what is your one wish for Dover's future?" Your response could be a specific feature, event, or overall quality; anything that you feel would contribute to a future that is Distinctly Dover.

Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m.

To apply, please email e.bassegio@dover.nh.gov.

Thursday, Feb. 9, 6 - 7:30 p.m.

If you have questions about the Vision Chapter or how to get involved with the update, please email e.bassegio@dover.nh.gov.

The Dover Energy Commission held the second of two public hearings on its draft Electric Aggregation Plan (EAP) on Wednesday, Dec. 14, as part of efforts to initiate a Dover Community Power program.

To view the public hearing, click here.

The Energy Commission and the city’s Resilience Manager, Jackson Kaspari, have also prepared a video that provides an overview of the objectives and plan deliverables which can be viewed here. This video, along with general information on community power and the full 75-page draft plan, can be found here.

Questions can be directed to Resilience Manager Kaspari at j.kaspari@dover.nh.gov or 603-516-6008.

The Planning Department is reviewing applications for two open positions. Please review the information below on the positions and learn how to apply for these exciting opportunities to join the Planning team in Dover!

The City Planner will perform routine and complex technical and professional work in the current and/or long-range planning and transportation projects and programs related to the development and implementation of land use, environmental and transportation plans and policies. Assists the Director of Planning and Community Development in providing technical and staff assistance to the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, City Council and the public.

Application and more information on the position can be found here.

With a strong emphasis on public engagement, the Housing Navigator will serve as a local coordinator of housing regulatory change and housing development activities. The Housing Navigator will work closely with the Director of Planning and Community Development and Outreach Coordinator in providing technical and staff assistance to the general public and public boards, committees, and commissions when appropriate.

Application and more information on the position can be found here.

In addition to each week's email edition of Dover Download, the City of Dover offers a weekly podcast. The podcast is hosted by Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker, who chats each week about the city's programs, services, public bodies, and projects. Each episode also takes a brief detour to the past with a look back at the week in Dover's history.

In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker discusses how Dover Police and the City of Dover are responding to mental health calls for service and needs with Dover Police Chief William Breault and Police Social Worker Kaitlin Jones. Among the topics discussed in this episode are how police are responding to those in need of mental health services, the role of the Police Department's social worker, and the recently released strategic plan for how the City of Dover plans to address the significant rise in demand for mental health services.

In This Week in Dover History, we look back to one of the first fire companies in Dover and New England.

The podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and at https://anchor.fm/cityofdovernh.

Planning Word/Phrase of the Week: Subdivision

A subdivision is the division of the lot, tract, or parcel of land into two or more lots, plats, sites, or other divisions of land for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of sale, rent, lease or building development.

A Major Subdivision is a division of a lot, tract or parcel of land into four or more separate parcels, or a subdivision that requires new streets, the extension of municipal facilities, or the creation of any public improvements.

A Minor Subdivision is a division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land into three or fewer parcels within a four-year time period, provided that there shall be no extension of streets or other significant improvements required; or any subdivision that, in the judgment of the Planning Board, will present no significant engineering and/or planning difficulties.

An Open Space Subdivision is an alternative form of residential development where, instead of subdividing an entire tract into lots of conventional sizes, a similar number of single-family housing units may be arranged on lots of reduced dimensions.

More information can be found here in the Dover Code as part of the Land Subdivision Regulations.

If you have a word of the week or topics that you want to hear about, please email E.Bassegio@dover.nh.gov.