Friday Updates - December 16, 2022

Friday, December 16, 2022

Durham Community Church Rainbow Flag Re-mounting Celebration, December 11. Courtesy Todd Selig

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT HOUSING CONVERSATIONS IN DURHAM FROM ADMINISTRATOR SELIG

This week, Carden Welsh (writing as a citizen rather than in his role as Town Councilor) offered comments to the Housing Task Force and Planning Board concerning the Proposed Housing Amendments presently under discussion. Administrator Selig believes Mr. Welsh's perspective to be very sensible, worthy of active consideration by the community. 

First, Carden appropriately thanks the members of the Housing Task Force and members of the public for addressing an extraordinarily difficult topic:

“I would like to thank the members of the housing task force for taking on this truly daunting task, as well as the members of the public who have spoken before me. Dennis [Meadows], Judith [Spang], Al Howland, Beth [Olshansky] and others have made excellent points, and I will endeavor not to repeat things that they have said, except where I try to further move the discussion along.”

Carden continues:

“The key starting point, as has been mentioned by many, is that it would be very helpful to determine succinctly and in writing, what is the objective of the proposed changes.  I did attend the meeting of the housing commission this past Monday, and I did listen to your previous meeting, and there still seems to be confusion as to what we are attempting to accomplish. Is it simply that we want to build more dwelling units so that more people can move to Durham – I have heard that expressed. Is it that the state has decided that housing is needed so we should provide whatever we can? Is it to provide Workforce housing specifically, or low-cost housing or attainable housing or life cycle housing or more diversity of housing? Is it to provide a more vibrant downtown?  I did not get a consistent answer, so I think it is important to get a specific, written objective that people agree upon, and I think it was Dennis [Meadows] who mentioned that we then need to build a general consensus behind this objective, if we are to effectively move forward.”

Mr. Welsh then goes on to offer what Administrator Selig believes to be three good suggestions:

That said, let me make a modest proposal. I think that there are three key items that should be in that objective. One is that we should only encourage housing that is consistent with our existing commitment to the General Council of Mayors, which is to take actions to reduce our carbon footprint. At a minimum we need to encourage more environmentally-sensitive housing than is currently available. In fact very specifically, our carbon action plan asks for efforts to “evaluate zoning changes that allow for a broader variety of modestly-sized, affordably-priced energy-efficient housing." 

Second, housing that facilitates life cycle availability should be encouraged, better allowing both starter families to move into town, and downsizing seniors to remain in town. 

And third, perhaps most importantly, our objective should be to adopt changes that will serve to retain and enhance the character, the ethos, the vibe of Durham as a New England small town academic community –

1)           that places a high value on education,

2)           that values the environment,

3)           that values a very special, unusual closeness to nature, and

4)           that values its agricultural roots,

And importantly, all of this needs to be done without encouraging the building of evermore student housing in town.”

Administrator Selig would offer a 5^th and 6^th point to enhance the list above: 5) that values its history; and 6) that values the principles of smart growth, which Durham has embraced. Next, Mr. Welsh notes how challenging this effort will be in a college town like Durham:

“This is difficult, no question. However, for instance, denser dwelling units like condos or apartments or duplexes with smaller footprints, in the right location, that will not be taken over by students, would be desired. Effective conservation subdivisions, with smaller houses on smaller footprints but surrounded by woodlands, could be acceptable. They could check all of the boxes. Alternatively, putting more large single family houses in the rural zone would be problematic, as it could add to our carbon footprint and would not increase the diversity of housing that we already have, and may harm the character of the town, making it more typically suburban, in comparison to what we are trying to preserve.”

Administrator Selig believes it’s important to periodically point out that we have a lot on our collective plate as a modestly sized community with limited resources and limited staff/citizen volunteer time. Carden covers this reality in a sensible way:

“To move forward, I think we all agree that looking at all of the proposed changes is too large and time-consuming a task. In fact, the housing task force described it as a “Christmas list” of things to consider. I would suggest, as a kind of modification of what [Planning Board member] Richard Kelly was suggesting, and following up on [Planning Board Chair] Paul [Rasmussen’s] comment about a more focused effort, that you ask the housing task force, or you decide amongst yourselves, what to prioritize amongst the many proposals that have been made. Perhaps you start with conservation subdivisions, then ADUs, then workforce housing perhaps in conjunction with over-55 housing, then duplexes. Whatever; you or the task force decide.

Once you prioritize, these specific proposals can be more thoroughly addressed, either by the housing commission or by a group specified by the planning board. This group can review the more limited proposal in detail, and answer many of the considerations that have been raised. What area of the town does this cover, does a map show the amount and location of open land, what part of the community will be impacted and how would it likely be impacted, how many new units are likely to be built and what is their attractiveness as student housing, what is the likely impact on the school district, and what are the potential “unintended consequences” of these changes to our ordinances.

Once you have this information, you, the planning board, can go forward with your typically very thoughtful and positive recommendations and changes.”

 Finally, Mr. Welsh reminds us that Durham does not need to feel pressured:

“One last point; I don’t think we need to feel pushed on this in regard to timing. As has been brought up by several people, Durham has been way ahead of the game in terms of accommodating population growth. I took a look at population figures provided by ELMI, a federally funded NH state agency. They show that the state’s population, from the year 2000 to the year 2019 (the latest available comprehensive town data) has increased by 10%. I checked the 2000-2019 population growth of comparable communities in our area, and found that over the same time as the state population grew by 10%, the population of Portsmouth increased by 5%, Exeter by 9%, Newmarket by 13%, Dover by 19%, and Durham by 28%, or almost 3X the growth rate of the state. So, I think that we have earned the right to take the time to do a thorough job with our zoning, that reflects the needs and desires of Durham, as opposed to the needs of the late-to-the party state.

And in conclusion, I would like to thank you, the members of the planning board for everything you do. This is one of the most complicated, time-consuming committees that we have, but also one of the most important in terms of ensuring that Durham is and remains a fantastic place to live.”

And so what happens next? Town Planner, Michael Behrendt, has reported that the Planning Board closed the public hearing on the Housing Amendments on December 14 and tabled the amendments for now so that the Housing Task Force can continue to work on the document. The Task Force will seek additional information and consider the comments from the public going forward.

In addition, the Housing Task Force with assistance from Mr. Behrendt intends to apply for two grants (no match is required): a $5,000 grant to hire a facilitator to hold a community forum about housing and a $25,000 grant to conduct an analysis of the housing situation in Durham.

There are two vacancies on the Housing Task Force. Interested Durham residents are encouraged to join the task force in order to assist with the review of the amendments and other housing-related projects.  Send an email to mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us for more information.

Durham is recommended to receive more than $3.5 million in federal funding to remove the Mill Pond Dam on the Oyster River, thanks to a major grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Durham Public Works and the Town’s consulting engineering firm, VHB, have been actively pursuing numerous external grant funding opportunities since the Town-wide referendum vote in March 2022 when 74% of voters supported removing the dam.

In response to the Town’s grant application, NOAA is recommending Durham receive $3,537,201 over three years for a project that will remove the dam and also fund a feasibility study and installation of a fish ladder at the upper water supply dam, approximately 1.8 mi. upstream at the Oyster River reservoir near the UNH Water Treatment Plant. The fish ladder addresses a concern of some residents, especially among those who had opposed the removal of the dam.

The grant is expected to become official in January but has already been announced by NOAA as one of 23 projects it is recommending to receive a total of $87 million nationally through the Restoring Fish Passage, Barrier Removal program. The money is part of the funding in the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law signed this year by President Joe Biden after receiving bipartisan support.

To learn more about the recommended funding for NOAA Fish Passage Projects, click HERE and HERE.

FREE HOLIDAY PARKING IN DOWNTOWN DURHAM - 12/21/22 to 1/3/23

The parking kiosks in the immediate downtown business area will allow free parking to encourage residents and others to shop the downtown during the holidays. The screen on the applicable kiosks will inform customers of the free parking and will not accept any payment.

No receipts on your dashboard will be required during the Holiday Parking period.

The grace period that allows for free parking for shoppers will commence Wednesday, December 21st and run through Tuesday, January 3rd.

Durham began purchasing the hybrid Ford Explorer for police use, which has resulted in increased fuel mileage and a lessoned carbon footprint for our fleet. We have adopted a long-term policy of purchasing two cruisers for two consecutive years and one cruiser in the third year, and so on. The plan is to purchase one Ford Explorer hybrid in 2023. Two were ordered for 2022 but have been back ordered by Ford due to supply chain issues. This approach allows for cruisers taken off-line to be downshifted to other departments in Town (DPD administrative use, DPW, Code Enforcement, Assessing, etc.) with fewer miles driven resulting in fewer maintenance issues. Over time, we’ve found this to be the most economical approach for Durham. Our intent is to transition 70% of the police fleet to hybrid vehicles by 2024, and 100% of municipal vehicles to hybrid or electric vehicles by 2030, as technology and the market allow. At this time, Ford does not offer a fully EV police package front line vehicle. 

We continue to have concerns relative to endurance needed for fire vehicles that may be at a scene for a long period of time at a major structure fire. It’s our understanding that three fire departments in the country are field testing EVs. At this point we do not have a solid, well tested, reliable fire apparatus on the market to be able to say we can transition our fire fleet to EVs. Plus we have cold weather here in NH, which can impact battery performance.

This same issue is relevant to plow trucks. Typical snow removal vehicles can be operational for about 30+ hours for a big storm. Other storms can last longer. All vehicles (think large yellow plow trucks and pickups for plowing and sanding) are in operation from beginning to end. It would be necessary to develop a strategy on how to charge these vehicles with rapid chargers or have more vehicles to rotate through.

It’s definitely a work in progress, yet we are making strides.

Rye Wicklein, Sam Steinberg and Catherine Steinberg waving their flags with pride at the Durham Community Church Flag Re-mounting Celebration. Courtesy Holland Steinberg

FUNDING OPPORTUNUITY FOR LOCAL DURHAM RESTAURANTS -

Local Restaurant Infrastructure Investment Program has been reopened until January 11, 2023

The application period for the Local Restaurant Infrastructure Investment Program has been reopened until Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 4:00 PM. All local restaurateurs who continue to bear a heavy burden due to the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to apply. Under the Local Restaurant Infrastructure Investment Program, eligible New Hampshire restaurants can be reimbursed for eligible equipment, infrastructure, and technology purchases made because of, or in response to, the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial application period for the program closed on July 13, 2022. With unused funds still available to support the state’s local restaurants, the Executive Council encouraged and the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery responded by extending this program.

Examples of potentially eligible expenses for reimbursement include equipment or software to expand or adopt digital services such as online reservations, host-less check in, at-table payment systems, menus that help provide more flexibility and increase capacity, HVAC system updates to improve COVID-19 mitigation, and more. Applications are available through the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery and are due by 4:00 PM on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

For more information on eligibility requirements and to obtain an application, click HERE.

We are delighted to welcome New Moon consignment store to Durham! This resale and sustainable fashion consignment store opened about a month ago at 9 Madbury Road. Proprietor Krystal Pirini and Store Manager Lindsey Watson seek to represent “brands that give a damn,” companies that actively work to reduce their environmental impact. New Moon currently carries YAM Collective, QuinoHome (locally-made candles) and Howarth Hill (local pottery). Gift options include umbrellas from Original Duckhead, jewelry and hair accessories from Nat + Noor, and a women’s activewear line by Girlfriend Collective.

Krystal has dreamed of opening her own store for a long time. She and Lindsey are grateful to be here in Durham and love how members of the community care about one another and about sustainability. If you are interested in consigning with New Moon, all of the details are on the website or go to Instagram @newmoonnh. Take a look at the website at www.NewmoonNH.com and stop in to check out their wonderful inventory! New Moon is open on Mondays and Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and by appointment at (603) 241-8240 or Hello@newmoonnh.com.

The Durham Fire Department's Annual Toy Drive will be ending this coming week on Wednesday, December 21. Drop new, unwrapped toys and books in the boxes located at the Durham Town Hall, Durham Public Library, Hannafords in the Mill Plaza, and M&T Bank on Main Street.

As always, donations are also welcome at the Durham Fire Department building. However, due to construction and road closure, it may be best to call (603-862-1426) to set up a time for donation drop off or to arrange donation pick-up.  Thank you for supporting this great cause!

The Durham Police Department, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and Alpha Phi collected unwrapped presents to be donated to Toy’s for Tots in a “Fill a Cruiser” event held last Friday evening. Dozens of toys were donated! Thank you to everyone that participated and donated!

As the colder season begins, it’s important to make sure that winter salt being applied to our driveways is being used in an environmentally safe way. Companies that are certified Green SnowPro professionals with the logo above are trained to remove snow and ice using practices that keep both the public and the environment safe. To find a list of Green SnowPro certified contractors, click HERE.

If you know that your snow removal contractor is Green SnowPro certified please share that information with us by emailing Town Engineer April Talon at atalon@ci.durham.nh.us! Thank you!

Residents are also reminded that a supply of a sand/salt mix is available at Durham Public Works located at 100 Stone Quarry Drive before the main entrance gate. This supply is made available for pickup by Durham residents only for use on their residential property for snow and ice control. 

WINTER HAS ARRIVED IN DURHAM -- and with it DPW storm operations!

Durham Public Works contended with its first winter storm response of the season on December 12th. An area of low pressure tracked southeastward from the Great Lakes to southern New England and was close enough to produce a shield of light snow that accumulated to one-half inch.

Additionally, the DPW Snow and Ice Control Team began its emergency response for the on-going “Miller-B” type Nor’Easter event at 3:00am this morning. A stubborn coastal boundary held the rain/snow line closer to the coast than originally forecast, resulting in a challenging morning commute for motorists. This made the decision on whether to close schools or keep them open particularly difficult for ORCSD! An extremely tight thermal gradient was observed, with areas in northwestern sections of Town receiving close to 1” of snow while all rain was observed further east near Great Bay. Things got quite slippery around Durham Point Road this AM as a result. Durham Public Works is keeping a close eye on updated forecasts and is prepared to respond overnight in the event a change in precipitation type occurs.

The DPW team has created an interactive public viewing dashboard HERE outlining its policies for snow and ice control operations. Residents and other interested parties are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the content as it describes the roadway and sidewalk conditions that one might expect to encounter before, during, and after a winter storm event.

The Town's project design engineering consulting firm, Environmental Partners recently cleaned and inspected the entire stormwater collection system, including pipes and structures throughout the facility.

These lines were inspected using a robotic camera placed inside the pipes to determine size, type, and evaluate the conditions for any defects or corrosion. This work is part of the Divison’s Capitol Improvement Plan, and Facility Master Plan, to ensure stormwater is appropriately managed. 

Following inspection, necessary repairs or replacement will be inlcuded within the Major Componet Rehabilition/Replacement project scheudled to begin in 2023. Efforts will be made to include stormwater retrofits to collect and treat stormwater on sites at this site due to its high amount of impervious surfaces which will futher improve water quality of stormwater discharged to the Oyster River and Great Bay Estuary. 

Working with Wright-Pierce Engineering and Apex Construction, preliminary work continues with completion of the new concrete pads and the delivery of the new carbon absorption units.

The installation of new ductwork piping for the new activated carbon odor control units and associated electrical work continues on schedule. 

The project's final completion date is planned for early spring 2023.

OYSTER RIVER HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL WELCOMES ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS!

The ORHS Girls and Boys Basketball Teams welcomes you to come and support your teams! $10 Season Pass, $3 per game, Seniors and Students Free.

All games are held in the Oyster River High School gymnasium at 55 Coe Drive, Durham, NH 03824. For more information, please visit Oyster River High School (oysterriverathletics.org).

• Monday, December 19^th GIRLS HOME against ConVal – JV @5:30PM, Varsity at 7PM.   
• Thursday, December 22^nd BOYS HOME against Pelham – JV@5:00 PM, Varsity at 6:30PM

A RATEPAYER AND TAXPAYER SUCCESS STORY AT NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL According to NH’s Consumer Advocate Donald Kreis, even in a university town like Durham, your garden variety seventh grader probably knows nothing about the ratepayer-funded NHSaves program. Therefore, she probably does not have an elevator speech to rebut the claim that if energy efficiency is so great, consumers can just buy it – no ratepayer-funded subsidies necessary. But any of the local fifth through eighth graders can tell you all about the fabulous new Oyster River Middle School, which opened earlier this year as the first new building to win funding under the “Net Zero” program for new non-residential buildings sponsored by NHSaves.

Serving Durham, Lee, and Madbury, the new public school happens to be the very first building across Eversource’s entire footprint in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut to get all the way through what the company refers to as the “net zero pathway.” At four stories, the Oyster River Middle School is something of a skyscraper by public school standards. Yes, there is an elevator, so it’s not out of the question to imagine students practicing their elevator speeches on public policy topics for English class.

Indeed, the school is notable for its unconventional learning spaces. Appended nearly every classroom there is a spacious and brightly colored breakout area, the better to meet the multifarious learning styles of bouncy pre-teens. According to Kreis, long before the Governor appointed him Consumer Advocate, he was a self-appointed architecture critic, well qualified to opine on such matters by virtue of decades spent in or near buildings. “And it is in my capacity as an architecture critic that I hereby pronounce Oyster River Middle School a raving success,” writes Kreis. Read the full and interesting article from InDepthNH HERE.

Approximately 370 reservations have been made in Durham traveling approximately 27,000 miles.  UNH and Durham are encouraging ZipCar to restore prior fleet levels to campus/downtown. 

As of December 2022, only one ZipCar is currently available in Durham. Pre-pandemic, we had a two-to-four car fleet based on seasonal demand. At its height, we had four vehicles in Durham.

DOWNEASTER RIDERSHIP INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY POST-PANDEMIC -Approaching 1 millionth Durham passenger!

In its 21st year of operation, ridership to and from Durham and the UNH campus tripled to a total of just over 42,000 passenger trips. Spring 2022 ridership from Durham doubled that of year prior.  Full corridor ridership has rebounded to just under 90% of pre-pandemic ridership. We anticipate our 1 millionth Durham rider early in 2023!

With student leadership support and support from the Town of Durham, UNH signed agreements with Oyster River Cycles to implement a community-based bikeshare system which rolled out in pilot mode early this fall. A fleet of 30 gps-enabled bikes using the Movatic app was put in place. Full introduction of the service will take place in spring 2023.

UNH CatTrax is managed by UNH Transportation Services in coordination with the Sustainability Institute. UNH first piloted a no-tech bike share program in 2001 – which was called the Yellow Bikes – with this new app-based system we’ve collectively come a long way!

UNH PRESIDENT WISHES EVERYONE A HAPPY HOLIDAY!

President James Dean and Jan Dean have sent out UNH’s annual e-holiday card, which includes a brief video showing some of the many accomplishments at UNH over the course of this past year.  You can see that video by clicking HERE.

The Deans wish everyone the very best of health, joy, and success.