BITS AND PIECES

A Weekly Update from the Strafford Region

Planning

On Wednesday, September 13th regional planner Autumn Scott and Senior GIS Planner Jackson Rand met with Newmarket's town planner, Bart McDonough, to coordinate a kickoff meeting for the Town's update to its Open Space plan. SRPC is partnering with the Town on a comprehensive update to its entire Master Plan, beginning with the Open Space chapter, with the aim of developing resilient, equitable, dynamic, and innovative solutions for the Town’s future. The project team aims to convene members of the local land use boards over the next month to build a shared understanding of existing conditions, in preparation for the launch of an extensive public outreach campaign.

SRPC is also excited to involve practitioners from New Hampshire Fish and Game, GBNERR, and UNH Extension who've recently finished mapping Trails for People and Wildlife in Newmarket through the Connect to Protect project to leverage their great work. Please email Autumn Scott if you have questions or interest in the project and keep an eye out for upcoming public engagement opportunities in Newmarket!

Visit New Hampshire Fish and Game’s website to view the Trails for People and Wildlife Guidebook!

Visit the Connect to Protect website to learn about your home in the Coastal Watershed!

Transportation

Last Friday, September 8, staff presented a first look at the Active Transportation Plan to TAC and the steering committee for the plan. Staff began with highlighting critical gaps in the bicycle-pedestrian-transit network and high-level findings for how to address them at the regional level. The main event was a workshop of the strategies proposed by a mix of staff and steering committee members this past February. Attendees prioritized these strategies and drafted some new ones for staff to integrate into the final plan. TAC will reconvene to review the first draft of the plan at their October meeting.

Want to see results of the workshop? Here is a link to a Google Jamboard approximation of the matrices that were used at the meeting.

Announcements

GACIT, the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation, has public hearings scheduled through September to receive comments on the draft Ten Year Plan. Three hearings are being held in the Strafford region this month:

• Durham Town Hall

Tues. Sept. 26, 3pm

• Rochester City Hall

Thurs. Sept. 28, 4pm

• Dover City Hall

Thurs. Sept. 28, 7pm

DOT wants to hear from YOU!

Link to TYP Survey via Metroquest

A reminder that the Route 108 Complete Streets project will have three public meetings coming soon: 

• Dover (Location TBD)

Tues. Sept. 19, 3pm

• Somersworth City Hall

Thurs. Sept. 21, 3pm

• Rochester Public Works Building

Tues. Sept 26, 3pm



Information about the project can be found on DOT's website.

SRPC is requesting statements of qualifications to provide on-call engineering services in support of transportation planning efforts throughout the region. Efforts include scoping and developing preliminary cost estimates for transportation improvement projects that may be funded with local, state, or federal dollars (including FHWA and FTA). This RFQ is due Fri. Sept. 29.  

Contact Senior Planner Colin Lentz for more information. 

SRPC will be accepting proposals for Qualified Environmental Professionals with proven expertise performing environmental site assessments, management plans, quality assurance project plans, groundwater and soil sampling, remediation planning, cost estimates and cost control, and community outreach awe nd public presentations. All proposals must be received by Fri. Oct. 6 at 5pm.

Contact Senior Planner Lisa Murphy for more information.

Strafford Regional Planning Commission | 603-994-3500 srpc@strafford.org| www.strafford.org

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September 15, 2023