Friday Updates - December 9, 2022

Friday, December 9, 2022

Downtown Durham during Frost Fest Courtesy Todd Selig

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.

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.

NH lawmakers officially gathered for the first time at the State House on Wednesday of this week following the November election. The closely divided NH House of Representatives selected a Speaker for the next legislative session, and lawmakers voted on the next Secretary of State. Durham’s five State Representatives and our State Senator were all sworn into office by Governor Sununu and the Executive Council.

For the first time in five decades, the New Hampshire legislature elected a new Secretary of State. David Scanlan, who was appointed to fill the role since the sudden retirement of Bill Gardner in January, will serve a full two-year term, winning the contest 237-175 against challenger Melanie Levesque, a former State Senator.

The 400-member House headed into "Organization Day" split 201-198 with one seat still undecided after a Rochester recount ended in a tie. The unsettled seat will be decided by a new election in the coming weeks. The opening day of the 2023 legislative session will be January 4.

To see a list of Durham’s state and federal representatives, click HERE 

MAKE ROOM IN YOUR HOME FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY - UNH COMMUNITY E-WASTE COLLECTION DAY 12/16/22.

Drop off your broken or unused electronics (laptops, computers, phones, tablets, chargers and cables, etc) at the UNH Community E-Waste Collection Day, on Friday December 16, between 11-2 in S Lot (right behind NH Fish and Game, 225 Main St, Durham.) They will be refurbished or recycled responsibly and securely by Northeast Electronics & Recycling. Proper electronic waste disposal protects human health as well as the environment.

Contact Jennifer Andrews of the UNH Sustainability Institute at jennifer.andrews@unh.edu with questions.

Assistant Director for Parks & Rec, Kellie DeSimone, and her mom (who pitched in to help out!) enjoy Frost Fest. Courtesy Todd Selig

DURHAM COMMUNITY CHURCH WILL HOST CEREMONY RE-MOUNTING ITS RAINBOW FLAG ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

Join the Community Church of Durham on Sunday, December 11 at 11:15 a.m. at the Main St. entrance of the Durham Community Church—the white steepled church on Main St.-- as they re-mount a rainbow flag in celebration of its commitment to LGBTQ inclusion in church and society. The Community Church of Durham is an open and affirming church.

This fall, vandals destroyed the flag (and flagpole) on three different occasions. The Church is not intimidated and has purchased an iron pole—and invites friends and neighbors to join them for the ceremony.

Town Council Chairperson Kitty Marple, who also chairs Durham's Human Rights Commission, plans to attend the ceremony.

POTENTIAL MILL POND DAM REMOVAL FUNDING APPLICATIONS ACTIVELY BEING SOUGHT 

On June 16th, staff from Durham Public Works were notified that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funding was announced. This is a nationally competitive grant in which up to $65 million is available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). Durham Public Works and the Town’s Mill Pond Dam consultant, VHB, have applied for this funding in hopes of securing a significant portion of funding towards the removal of the Mill Pond Dam and the restoration of the Oyster River.

The Town’s application included not only removal of the Mill Pond Dam, but also a feasibility study and installation of a fish ladder at the upper dam located at the UNH Water Treatment Plant. Applications were due August 15, 2022 and NOAA is expected to make determinations around January 1^st. We are informed there is interest in the Durham project by NOAA due to its environmental benefits along the Oyster River.

If funded, this grant application could help to significantly offset dam removal costs for the community and expand upon the effort to open fish passage into the upper Oyster River, which is something many in the community have encouraged during last year's discussions leading up to the March 2022 Town-wide referendum vote in which 74% of voters favored dam removal and river restoration.

Durham has already received two significant grants to support dam removal as part of the project.

Ice sculpture creation at Frost Fest Courtesy Todd Selig

The City of Portsmouth owns and maintains a 7 mile long, 24” diameter water main which brings treated drinking water from its Madbury Water Treatment Plant to Portsmouth. This transmission main supplies close to 60% of the potable water and fire protection demands for this regional system. A portion of this line crosses Wagon Hill Farm through a 40’ wide utility easement granted to Portsmouth, before crossing Little Bay and eventually connecting to the Portsmouth Water distribution system at Fox Point in Newington. Due the poor condition of the submerged sections of this water line, Portsmouth is in the process of designing improvements to the water main which crosses Little Bay and expects to commence construction in late 2023. Additional project details can be found HERE.

Due to the major impacts and disruption to the Wagon Hill Farm property, including impacts to the community gardens, trail system, main roadway, fields and wetlands, that would occur if the deeded easement alignment was utilized for construction access, the Town of Durham has been working with Portsmouth to develop an alternate construction access with a temporary gravel roadway, construction fencing, laydown area and temporary trail relocations. The proposed agreement will also contain a provision for the Town to utilize Portsmouth’s watermain for a municipal water connection to serve the farmhouse and surrounding property for domestic water use and fire protection. 

The figure above provides an overview of the alternate construction access.   Any questions can be directed to Durham Public Works at (603) 868-5578.

Enjoying a little warmth at Frost Fest Courtesy Todd Selig

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD OPEN ON DRAFT 2022 DURHAM MULTI-HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN UPDATE

The 2022 Durham Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan is an update to the Town’s 2017 Plan with the goal of reducing the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards before, during, and after an incident or disaster. The draft Plan was developed by Durham’s Hazard Mitigation Steering Committee with assistance from the Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC), as well as input from the New Hampshire Department of Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Planning Section, the Town’s Sustainability Fellow – Rafidah Rahman, UNH Police and Fire, UNH Facilities staff, and other federal and state agencies.

At this time, the Town is inviting all stakeholders, including local and regional agencies, citizens, business, municipal officials, representatives from academia, and interested parties from Durham and other neighboring communities to review and comment on the draft Plan. Please forward any ideas or concerns to Kyle Pimental, Principal Planner, Strafford Regional Planning Commission at 603-994-3500 or kpimental@strafford.org. 

This update of the 2017 Plan is funded from a fiscal year 2020 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), which was awarded to the Department of Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management from the Federal Emergency management Agency and is a collaborative process between the Town and SRPC.

To view the draft plan, please click HERE.

NH HOUSING APPEALS BOARD (HAB) DENIES COLONIAL DURHAM ASSOCIATE’S (CDA) MOTION FOR REHEARING

This week the Housing Appeals Board denied CDA’s motion for rehearing. 

The HAB decision is brief and states: “After review of the Motion for Rehearing filed by Colonial Durham Associates, LP (“Applicant”) on November 29, 2022 and the Town of Durham’s objection to same, the Housing Appeals Board (“Board”) RULES as follows: The Board will only grant a rehearing motion “upon a showing that the board overlooked or misapprehended the facts or the law and such error affected the board’s decision.” See Hab 201.32(e). Nothing in the Applicant’s rehearing motion identifies any facts (as contained within the certified record) or law the Board overlooked or misapprehended that affected the decision in the instant matter. In light of the foregoing, the Housing Appeals Board hereby DENIES the Applicant’s November 29, 2022 Motion for Rehearing.”

CDA has 30-days to appeal the HAB decision to the NH Supreme Court.  

PLANNING BOARD APPLICATION FOR CONDOMINIUM CONVERSION OF DUPLEXES ON YOUNG DRIVE

The Planning Board will review an application on Wednesday, December 14, to convert five duplexes on Young Drive to two-unit condominiums. Young Drive is a Town road and each duplex is a separate two-unit association.

Condominium conversions are considered “subdivisions” under state law and are thus subject to review and approval by the Planning Board. A condominium conversion often involves only a change in the ownership arrangement so there are not significant building or site changes to examine, but the board makes sure that there are no potential issues with utilities serving separate units, access into the units, treatment of parking, structure of common areas and other matters.

There are 15 lots on Young Drive. Duplexes were built on nine of them and a tenth duplex is now nearly complete. The owners converted three of the duplexes to condominiums in 2018 and all six of those units have been sold to separate parties. The owners expect to build single family or duplex houses on the remaining vacant lots. You can see the layout of lots 91-105 on the map above.

PUBLIC HEARING ON HOUSING AMENDMENTS PROPOSED BY HOUSING TASK FORCE - DECEMBER 14th

The Planning Board continues the public hearing this Wednesday, December 14, for an extensive set of proposed zoning amendments. The amendments were developed by the Durham Housing Task Force whose mission it is to expand housing opportunities, including affordable housing. You can see the amendments and related documents and public comments so far HERE.

The public hearing was opened on November 30. The Planning Board will need to decide whether to continue the public hearing beyond December 14 and what its next steps should be in evaluating the proposal. The board has leeway in considering changes proposed by other Town boards and committees. It can reject them, initiate them as written, or make changes. Ultimately, the Town Council decides whether to adopt proposed zoning changes. For any changes that go forward both the Planning Board and Town Council hold at least one public hearing.

The draft has elicited a significant debate. Are there changes that should be made to the zoning ordinance to accommodate more housing development? Or is the existing zoning ordinance right the way that it is for Durham? Does Durham have a responsibility to do more in light of the wider state-wide housing crisis? Or has Durham already contributed by accommodating over 2,000 multi-unit student housing beds over the last decade or so, and in doing so freeing up housing within Durham and the surrounding region for non-students? And are there aspects of Durham different from other towns and cities that make it difficult to do more regarding housing? Is it desirable for the population to grow? Would growth help support our downtown? What kinds of housing are most desirable? Where should additional housing be accommodated, if at all?

Building workforce housing (similar to “affordable housing”) is complex. Here is the state’s definition of “Workforce Housing:”

674:58 IV. " Workforce housing " means housing which is intended for sale and which is affordable to a household with an income of no more than 100 percent of the median income for a 4-person household for the metropolitan area or county in which the housing is located as published annually by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. " Workforce housing " also means rental housing which is affordable to a household with an income of no more than 60 percent of the median income for a 3-person household for the metropolitan area or county in which the housing is located as published annually by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing developments that exclude minor children from more than 20 percent of the units, or in which more than 50 percent of the dwelling units have fewer than two bedrooms, shall not constitute workforce housing for the purposes of this subdivision.

The public is encouraged to speak at the hearing or to send comments to the Town Planner at mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us.

Even Santa enjoyed Durham's Frost Fest! Courtesy Todd Selig

UPDATE ON THE 2023 REVALUATION - Call back notices being sent.

The data collection phase for the 2023 Revaluation began during the summer of 2022 with MRI staff members measuring the exterior and inspecting the interior of all structures in Durham to make sure the data regarding each property is accurate. To date, approximately three quarters of the properties in Durham have been visited at least once. Call-back notices are currently being mailed to those properties where MRI was unable to verify the accuracy of the data on the assessment record card. The letters ask that the property owner contact MRI to schedule an interior inspection or verify the information by phone.  Appointments may be scheduled online using this website http://mrischedule.as.me or by calling MRI’s office at 603-279-0352 ext. 404 or 300, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. through December 16, 2022, to schedule an appointment with an MRI representative. Appointments will take place the week of December 19, 2022.

Municipal Resources, Inc. (MRI) has been hired by the Town of Durham to conduct a town wide revaluation, in accordance with the NH Constitution Part II, Article 6 and RSA 75:8a, for the 2023 tax year. The purpose of the project is to bring property assessments uniformly in line with market conditions as of April 1, 2023.

Any questions regarding the project should be directed to the Durham Assessor’s Office at 603-868-8064. Updates regarding the project will be posted in the Friday Updates newsletter and through mailings. We greatly appreciate your cooperation throughout this project.

"SHOP WITH A COP" GIVES LOCAL CHILDREN A FUN HOLIDAY SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Officer Noah Young helps a local Daisy Scout troop earn their “Respect for Authority” Badges while providing a tour of the Police Department. 

DURHAM POLICE OFFERING CAR SEAT CHECKS

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71%. Unfortunately, more than half of car seats are not used or installed correctly. In an effort to keep children safe in vehicles, Officer Emily Festa attended training and became a Certified Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The training provided knowledge about car seats, booster seats, and seat-belt systems, as well as how to educate caregivers on best practices when installing car seats and transporting children.

Car seat inspection/instillation services are offered to community members at no charge. To schedule a car seat instillation or car seat safety check, please call the Durham Police Department at (603) 868-2324.

The Durham Fire Department's Annual Toy Drive has begun! 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 deadline for drop off is December 21.  

STRATEGIC PLANNING UPDATE FOR DURHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT

December 1, 2022, the Durham Fire Department conducted a department-wide meeting with consultant Perry Plummer (fmr. Dover Fire Chief and NH Emergency Management Director) to facilitate a strategic planning session to review the 2020 internal input data, key plan components, and validate feedback to complete the department’s strategic plan.

Twenty-eight (28) department members attended the workshop where they revisited the department’s mission and goals, reviewed the 2020 SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats, and Opportunities) analysis, and drafted strategic goals. 

Each area was updated respectively for 2022, to prepare a working document to roadmap the future of the fire department. Information and feedback are currently being compiled for internal review. 

Durham State Representative Allan Howland and his wife Janet Perkins-Howland enjoying Frost Fest. Courtesy Todd Selig

OYSTER RIVER HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL WELCOMES ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS!

Oyster River High School Basketball will officially kick of their season next week! The Girls and Boys teams invite all community members to cheer them on. Season passes are $10 or $3 per game. Free admission for seniors, students, and children.

•  The Girls will kick off their season on Tuesday, December 13^th against Souhegan High School – JV 5:00PM, Varsity at 6:30PM. Please welcome home our new Coach Randy Kinzly! Randy Kinzly is a graduate of Oyster River High School in Durham and the University of New Hampshire.
• The Boys first home game will be Friday, December 16^th against Kingswood – JV 5:00PM, Varsity at 6:30PM. The Boys Teams are coached by Lewis Atkins and Zach Lewis.

A RATEPAYER AND TAXPAYER SUCCESS STORY IN DURHAM 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. 

THIS WEEK IN OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL BOARD NEWS

• Graduation for the ORHS class of 2023 is set of June 9, 2023 at 6:00 pm with a rain date of the next day.
• Friday, December 23, 2022 will be an early dismissal day for all students. Schools will be closed December 24, 2022 through January 2, 2023 with classes resuming on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.
• A food drive to support the local End 68 Hours of Hunger program is ongoing with donation opportunities at upcoming ORCSD music concerts and in high school Advisory teams.
• ORHS Junior Landon Wolph presented to the School Board about his experience at the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar this summer. Landon was nominated by teachers for this opportunity to develop individual, team, and community leadership skills and bring those back to the local community.
• Students across all schools in Oyster River participated in Coding and Cocoa, part of the worldwide Hour of Code on December 7. Spearheaded by teachers and technology integrators and supported by volunteers from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Liberty Mutual, ORHS National Honor Society, and others this annual event gives all students a snapshot into software technology and potential careers. Thanks for the volunteer support that makes this possible.
• The School Board reviewed the proposed 2023-2024 school year calendar. The proposed calendar is included in the HERE and will be considered again at the school board’s December 21 meeting.
• The School Board approved a proposed 2023-2024 budget, which represents a 1.5% increase in the operating budget (Fund 10) compared with the 2022-2023 school year. This budget will be presented in detail at a public hearing on January 11, 2023 in the Middle School Recital Hall, and subsequently considered by voters at the February Deliberative Session, with final decision by voters at local elections in March 2023.
• School Board meetings are usually held the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesdays of each month (summer varies) in the Oyster River Middle School Recital Hall at 7:00 pm. Details on the agenda for each meeting are typically posted about 5 days before the meeting 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!