This week wraps up the last of the pre-holiday comfort zone known as fall. Starting next week, we go into that black hole known as the holidays. I say that from both a work perspective and a life perspective. Scheduling meetings at work becomes iffy, at least for the next two weeks, and I've already had to modify a few expectations for meeting with people. On the personal side, my son sent a text that he was coming home Saturday or Sunday. I asked my wife what was up, and she said, “he means for Thanksgiving." My next thought was, "Thanksgiving is the 24th, so why is he coming home Sunday?" Silly me. 

Driving into work today, I saw a brigade of bucket trucks along Central Avenue. They were in the process of replacing the American flags that are normally on street light poles and utility poles with holiday lights. It's pretty cool to see the process of the swap out. Couple that with the 400th-anniversary crosswalks, and downtown Dover really pops. The coordinated effort is overseen by the Chamber of Commerce, and it is really engaging to see volunteers, private residents, and commercial vendors all coming together for this activity. It's the definition of a small-town feel with urban vibrancy.  

This week, Reid’s focus is on the holiday magic that occurs in Dover over the next month. This builds off last week’s Dover Download podcast, where I chatted with members of Dover Main Street’s Board of Directors about the coming activities they have planned. You can find that here. Are you familiar with Dover Main Street? You should be, as they are a great community development non-profit designed to enhance Dover’s well-being by creating a place you want to come out and be engaged in. They promote restaurant week, pub crawls, Dover Pride Clean Up Day, a Santa Parade, ice sculptures, and more. I was on the board 20 years ago, and am proud to see how much the group has evolved and how invested its members are in Dover and its future. 

Speaking of investing in Dover, did you check out the Planning Board’s workshop this past Tuesday? It was focused on the value of land development. Not the cost of land or the cost of development but the way development patterns can influence the investments that are made in infrastructure and the link between tax policy and development. Bottom line was reviewing the cost of sprawl (less dense development versus mixed-use and multi-family). The city was selected as one of five communities in the state by New Hampshire Housing for this study after we participated in a previous case study. Community development and placemaking tend to be seen strictly from a perspective of how many units are built or what the physical form looks like, and adding an economic reference point is refreshing. While not everything is about cost/benefit, we do need to understand the opportunity cost for decision-making and understand the return on the investments made. 

Have a great week next week, and enjoy the time with family and friends for Thanksgiving and all the other opportunities ahead; you never know when the opportunity won’t be there to do so, so live in the moment and be thankful for the day you’re in. 

Enjoy,

Deputy City Manager: Development and Strategic Initiatives