December 3, 2021
STRAFFORD REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION NEWSLETTER
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A first winter snow atop Blue Job Mountain. (Photo credit: Kristina Danaher/The Moose, NH)
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Greetings,
And just like that, it's December! We hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving break, and maybe even had a chance to patronize some of the local stores we mentioned in last week's Just the Pieces. We wish everyone a merry holiday season as we head into the new year.
Here at SRPC we just submitted an EPA grant application to continue our Brownfields program, are presenting today on Pathways to Play and Promoting Outdoor Play! at the NHPA Annual Meeting, and are beginning interviews for an intern to facilitate our municipal record digitization program.
In this issue you will find information on SRPC’s latest video from its December Commission meeting, a community spotlight on the UNH Carsey School of Public Policy, a reminder about the 'Sledding Hills and Skating Rinks' section of the POP! Online Map Viewer, planning events of interest, staff news, news on CommuteSmart NH’s new web and mobile app you may have missed, a public input opportunity, funding opportunities, and community happenings.
Until Next Month,
Shayna Sylvia
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IN THIS ISSUE
SRPC's Latest Video
Community Spotlight: Carsey School
POP! On Into Winter
Planning Events of Interest
In Case You Missed It: New CSNH Mobile App
Public Input Opportunity
Grant Corner
Community Happenings
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STAFF SNAPSHOTS - Nov./Dec. |
SRPC visits Waldron Towers in Dover, NH to solicit feedback on individual experiences resulting from the impacts of climate change, and hear about strategies to connect and engage the community for the Dover Equity Project. (SRPC Photo)
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GIS Planner Jackson Rand printed and hung a selection of SRPC's maps around the office in late Nov./early Dec. (SRPC Photo)
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SRPC held it's December Commission meeting on Thursday, Dec. 2. Guest presenters Rayann Dionne, Flood Mitigation and Resilience Specialist, NHDES, and Bill Boulanger, Deputy Director, Dover Community Services, discussed stormwater, flooding, and community preparedness, and how SRPC's communities can be more resilient. They also discussed flood mitigation funding and spoke about innovative solutions already underway in the region. |
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The Carsey School of Public Policy at UNH recently released its December newsletter which featured some insightful new reports and publications, among other information and events.
Recently published by Michael Ettlinger and Jordan Hensley, the "COVID-19 Economic Crisis: By State" report provides an update on the pandemic employment situation in each state through September 2021. The publication encouragingly reports, "The country as a whole has recovered nearly 80% of the jobs lost between February and April of last year."
Kenneth Johnson, Professor of Sociology, Senior Demographer and Andrew Carnegie Fellow released, "New Census Reflects Growing U.S. Population Diversity, with Children in the Forefront", a publication that examines trends such as the significant increase in children who belong to a minority group. The report shares information like, "...52.7 percent of U.S. population under age 18 belonged to a minority group in 2020 compared to 39.2 percent of the population over age 18." as well as discusses the increase in racial diversity overall in the U.S. in the last decade.
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While you're at it, check out the trails in the region - many of which allow snowshoeing and cross country skiing.
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PLANNING EVENTS OF INTEREST |
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Getting Started with Community Preservation Projects: Laying the Foundation for Success on Thursday, Dec. 9 from 5 - 6 p.m.
Join N.H. Preservation Alliance staff, and leaders of successful preservation projects, to gather practical tactics and inspiration for your own projects.
The free, virtual training will cover project development basics including:
- Assessment of historic structures
- Building your case for rescues, repair or rehabilitation
- Fundraising and communication basics, and
- Who’s who in historic preservation players and resources
This informal session will offer opportunities for participants to ask questions and share ideas. Attendees must register online prior to the training.
4th Annual Housing We Need Forum hosted by Center for Ethics in Society, Friday, Dec. 10 at 11:15 a.m.
Join the Center for Ethics for the virtual portion of the 4th Annual Housing We Need Forum. This webinar is free and open to the public, and will include a talk from Sara Bronin, founder of Desegregate Connecticut, titled "The Connecticut Example: An Approach to Zoning Reform."
Following Bronin's talk, Elissa Margolin from Housing Action NH will present the 2021 Home Matters in NH Awards.
How-to-do an ADU: A virtual Workshop on Creating an Accessory Dwelling Unit in Your Own Home, Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m.
The workshop will identify key information about the process, laws, risks, and benefits of owning an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU).
It will also:
-Provide examples of existing ADUs New England
-Review common zoning allowances and barriers to building an ADU
-Present design and construction challenges (Presented by Russ Collins of Home Innovations Corp)
-Overview becoming a landlord (Presented by Paul McLaughlin of HomeTeamNH)
-Review recent legislation introduced to address aging in place and housing shortages.
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Alaina Rogers Wins 'Community Resilience - Great Bay' Category in Rising Tides NH 2021 Photo Contest
Environmental Planner, Alaina Rogers, was one of four winners of the NH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup's (NHCAW) annual photo contest aimed at raising awareness about sea-level rise and the increasing frequency of high tide flooding in New Hampshire.
Alaina captured a picture of an abnormally high tide at the Living Shoreline at Wagon Hill Farm, which was submitted in the 'Community Resilience - Great Bay' category. The photo was captioned, "Sea level rise is detrimental to our salt marsh habitat–one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. But innovative stabilization techniques like this “living shoreline” at Wagon Hill Farm in Durham are helping this natural shoreline habitat survive as the waters rise.”
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CommuteSmart NH Launches New Web and Mobile App with multi-modal trip planner and Year-Round Prizes and Incentives
CommmuteSmart NH launched its new web and mobile app in mid-October for its annual Buses, Bikes & Brooms challenge. This new platform, not-only incentivizes smart commuting year-round, but also takes the place of NHDOT's previous platform in providing rideshare matching services. Run by a company called Agile Mile, this platform was secured by Central NH RPC with the support from the NHDOT and the NH Department of Energy.
Users can make an account online, or on their smart phone after downloading the android or apple app. They can then log their smart commutes and earn points daily to trade in for gift card raffles, or coupons to local and chain restaurants and attractions - it's that simple! Learn more on the web app landing page.
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NHDES Proposes Changes to Composting Rules
In November, the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) noticed two public hearings and a public comment period on proposed revisions to the state’s composting rules.
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Arbor Day Foundation: TD Green Space Grant due Friday, Dec. 18
TD Green Space Grants support green infrastructure development, tree planting, forestry stewardship, and community green space expansion as a way to advance environmental and economic benefits toward a low-carbon economy. Through the program, municipalities in the United States and Canada are eligible to receive $20,000 (USD) - $25,000 (CAD) grants in support of local forestry projects in areas of great need within a community.
New Hampshire VW Environmental Mitigation Trust Direct Current Fast Charging Infrastructure Request for Proposals, due Friday, Jan. 18
The New Hampshire Departmental of Environmental Services (NHDES) extended its Request for Proposals for its New Hampshire Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust DCFC Infrastructure program. This program is intended to implement, "cost-effective projects across New Hampshire to alleviate excess nitrogen oxide emissions caused by Volkswagen violations."¹
As explained on the NHDES website, the RFP is in response to the state's "need of publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to enable EV travel to and within New Hampshire by our residents and visitors, and to encourage EV adoption in order to reduce harmful emissions."²
Projects proposed should support the installation of Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) and co-located Level 2 electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) on key travel corridors in New Hampshire, and should be flushed out to include strategies for installation, operation, and maintenance of EVSE along the specified corridors.³
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Annual Christmas Tree Lighting & Flashlight Candy Cane Hunt
Friday, Dec. 6,
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Kick off the holiday season with Wakfield Parks & Rec at Turntable Park as they light the community tree. There will be cookies, hot chocolate, a flashlight candy cane hunt, and a special visitor from the North Pole!
Don’t forget your flashlights!
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Wrong Brain Holidaze Bizaare at the Millspace
Dec. 11, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The Wrong Brain Bizaare is a semi-annual, multimedia arts open market, pop up gallery, and creative celebration aimed to bring the strange, unconventional, underground, alternative and emerging of the Seacoast.
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Winter Farmers Market at Wentworth Greenhouses
Dec. 18, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Seacoast Eat Local's Winter Farmers Market program is back up and running, with the next regional market held on Dec. 18.
Visit your favorite farmers, vendors and crafters between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and even pick up some last minute Christmas gifts!
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