BITS AND PIECES

A Weekly Update from the Strafford Region

Planning

On Tuesday, Dec. 6, senior communications and outreach planner Shayna Sylvia and planning intern Winders, alongside Ashley Wright from Greater Seacoast Community Health, facilitated a kick-off meeting for its Communities for Healthy Aging Transitions (CHAT) action planning initiative with the City of Rochester.  

In addition to Rochester, this phase of SRPC's CHAT project will allow staff to partner with Farmington, Strafford and Newmarket on writing age-friendly action plans for each community. 

SRPC is in the process of forming a steering committee for each plan, and had a great discussion with staff and volunteers from Rochester to begin conceptualizing goals for further integrating age-friendliness in various city initiatives and planning. 

These plans will then allow for implementation of two pilot projects identified in the four action plans, and enable SRPC staff to work with two of the four communities to enact an idea from this process. 

To learn more about the CHAT project visit the SRPC website.

Transportation

Economic Development

On December 7, senior regional planner James Burdin and principal regional planner Kyle Pimental submitted a Targeted Brownfields Assessment through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The application is to fund a Phase II Environmental Assessment at the old Farmington Fire Station. This site served as the location of the Farmington Fire Department prior to the newly constructed one on Main Street, closer to Route 11.  

SRPC’s environmental contractor Nobis Group conducted a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) of the property in 2022. Research for the Phase I found that AFFF firefighting foams had been stored on site, and that this site and an adjacent site contained filling stations prior to construction of the fire station. The Phase I report recommended a follow-up Phase II ESA to test for common contaminants associated with these recognized environmental conditions.  

The Targeted Brownfields Assessment proposal would cover the cost of a Phase II ESA. If awarded, EPA would assign a contractor to take field samples and submit them for testing to determine whether any contaminants are present. The Phase II report could then either dismiss the areas of concern by showing that no contamination had occurred or be used to prepare a remedial action plan and scope of possible cleanup activities. Completion of the Phase II assessment would help Farmington find a potential buyer for the site once the extent and nature of any necessary cleanup is known. Farmington collaborated with the UNH cooperative extension in 2018 to conduct a Revitalization Forum focused on this site. That visioning process identified this site as a key contributor to the vibrancy of downtown, and conceptual designs focused on reusing the site for a mixed-use development with residential housing, commercial space, and varying types of public space.  

December 9, 2022