Community Development Week

April 1 marks the beginning of National Community Development Week (CD Week). CD Week provides the opportunity for communities like Dover to highlight the impact of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.

Administered by HUD, the CDBG program is celebrating 50 years of investing in the nation’s communities by supporting activities for low-to-moderate income populations. CDBG reaches every corner of the country from urban cities to rural towns and populations in between. It remains one of the most important resources for state and local governments and their program partners to use in devising flexible solutions to meet community development needs.

To help meet the needs of income-qualified Dover residents, the City of Dover has administered CDBG funds since the program's inception in 1974. The City has provided over $13 million in CDBG funds to support various programs and projects in the areas of housing rehab, public facilities, social services, economic development, homelessness, and other related efforts that have contributed to the improvement of the physical, economic, and social conditions in Dover.

To recognize CD Week, we're highlighting some of the City's recent CDBG projects below.

Community Development Block Grant Projects

My Friend's Place

For over 30 years, My Friend's Place has provided emergency shelter and transitional housing for community members in need. To improve their ability to serve the community, the organization applied for CDBG funds through the City of Dover to remodel the facility's kitchen.

With the assistance of CDBG funds, the facility improvements were completed in 2023. The improvements will help ensure that My Friend's Place can continue to serve the approximately 200 people who stay at the shelter during any given year, including 30 to 40 families with children. 

The kitchen at My Friend's Place before improvements.

The kitchen at My Friend's Place after CDBG-funded improvements.

Dover Teen Center

The Dover Teen Center provides a variety of activities and support to Dover youth in grades 6 through 12. Participants can get involved in a number of artistic, educational, adventure, and athletic activities that embrace the community's values and expectations.

Teen Center Director Steve Pappajohn recently worked with Community Development Planner Dave Carpenter on applying for and implementing CDBG funds, which went towards renovating a Teen Center area to allow the installation of a fridge, oven range, sink, counter space, and a variety of kitchen tools.

With the improved space, the Dover Teen Center is better prepared for daily programmatic use and can now host special events like cooking classes, where youth participants learn about kitchen and food safety, food prep, and enjoy the resulting meals they create.

The CDBG-funded improvements in use at the Dover Teen Center.

Survey on Dover's Natural Resources

The Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC), in association with the City of Dover, is conducting a Natural Resources Inventory (NRI). We want to hear your opinions on Dover’s natural resources. Do you recreate on City trails, or enjoy Dover’s conservation lands? Do you want to protect threatened species? Sharing your thoughts will ensure the city's natural resources are managed in a way that aligns with the needs and desires of the community for years to come. The survey will run through April.

To access the Natural Resources Survey, click here.

For questions about the project, please contact SRPC Project Manager Autumn Scott at ascott@strafford.org or Outreach Coordinator Erin Bassegio at E.Bassegio@dover.nh.gov.

State of the City Housing Discussion

The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual State of the City on Thursday, March 28. The event featured a panel discussion on the local rental market, and the City's efforts to promote the creation of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as a way to increase the housing supply.

Housing Navigator Ryan Pope and Toni Gooch, from Kennebunk Savings Bank, highlighted a new loan program that allows homeowners to finance ADU construction with favorable terms.

The State of the City can be seen on Channel 22 on Xfinity, and online here.

Planning Review Question

The Department of Planning and Community Development would like your input! We'll be featuring a question in each edition of the Planning Review, and we'll also share the results from the previous week.

This week, we encourage you to take the Natural Resource Inventory Survey!

Submit your responses here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DOVNRI

Dover Download podcast: Your guide to what's happening this week

In the latest episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Darren Winham, the Economic Development Director for the Town of Exeter. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of economic development in Exeter, which operates under the SB2 form of government.

The podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and by clicking here.

Results of Recent Meetings

Energy Commission, 3/20/2024

The Energy Commission met on Wednesday, March 20, where it:

• Held a discussion with ReVision Energy;

• Discussed reports on Community Power, Municipal Energy Generation, Transportation, and Net Zero;

• Heard staff updates on water and sewer energy data, Standby Group net metering, and Siemens PDA.

Click here to find the complete agenda, where minutes will be posted when available.

Open Lands Committee, 3/21/2024

The Open Lands Committee met on Thursday, March 21, where it:

• Discussed ongoing and completed Public Land Conservation Projects;

• Reported on Easement Monitoring and Outreach Efforts;

• Reviewed ongoing projects such as the Adopt-A-Tree Program, Natural Resources Inventory, and Conservation and Open Space Master Plan Chapter Update.

Click here to find the complete agenda, where minutes will be posted when available.

Committee to Address Community Housing Needs, 3/28/2024

The Committee to Address Community Housing Needs met on Thursday, March 28, where it:

• Heard from the Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) on the housing regulatory audit project and the development of land use policies.

Click here to find the complete agenda, where minutes will be posted when available.

Master Plan Steering Committee, 3/28/2024

The Master Plan Steering Committee for the Conservation and Open Space Chapter met on Thursday, March 28, where it:

• Reviewed the outreach and engagement plan from project consultants, Resilience Planning & Design;

• Participated in a mapping exercise involving the location and conservation priority of Dover's natural resources.

Click here to find the complete agenda, where minutes will be posted when available.