Friday Updates - November 19, 2021

Friday, November 19, 2021

In early November, a group of UNH faculty, graduate students, and volunteers from the NH Surfrider Foundation helped shore up sections of the Living Shoreline restoration site at Wagon Hill. Volunteers braved the muck and inclement weather, helping to add additional erosion protection to the rock sill component of the restoration area, and provide more substrate for native low marsh plants like Spartina alterniflora to fully colonize the site. This will help the site become more resilient to climate change impacts. Thanks to all who helped out with the effort! Photo courtesy Tom Brightman

PLANNING BOARD SITE WALKS

The Planning Board is holding two site walks on Saturday, December 4. The public is always welcome to join the board at its site walks. An inspection of the proposed new residential building at 32 Madbury (at the intersection with Garrison) will start at 1:30 pm. The board will then meet at 74 Main Street (next to Aroma Joes) to discuss a proposal for a four-story mixed-use building.

ALCOHOL COMPLIANCE CHECKS

On Wednesday, November 17th, 2021 the Durham Police Department, in conjunction with the New Hampshire Liquor Commission Law Enforcement Division, conducted an alcohol compliance check at all vendors who are licensed to sell such products in Durham. An underage volunteer, trained by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission to perform compliance checks, did attempt to purchase alcohol products from seventeen locations in Durham that are licensed to sell such products. The following two establishments failed:

• Ciao Italia Ristorante, 56 Main Street, Durham, NH
• Libby’s Bar and Grill, 47 Main Street, Durham, NH

As a result of the operation, the following individuals were each charged with a Class B misdemeanor:

• Paul Jaskot, age 32, of Somersworth, NH
• Isabella Solari, age 21, of Gorham, ME

They are scheduled for arraignment on December 15th, 2021, at 8:30 AM, at the 7th Circuit Court, Dover District Division.

Over the past two weeks, Durham Police Officers participated in low light firearms training and qualifications. This training confirms officers are proficient using their firearms in low light/night time use. This is the last time officers will shoot from the temporary firearms range built between Riverwoods and Durham Public Works, on Town property. Several options are being evaluated for training locations for the officers to conduct firearm qualifications in 2022.  

Karen Meyer, Innkeeper at Three Chimneys Inn, submitted this photo of a beautiful majestic Eagle that has been frequenting one of the large Pine Trees at the Inn. Karen also mentioned that there are actually two hanging around but she has only been able to capture a good picture of the one. 

HARMONY HOMES NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

John Randolph and his wife Maggie Randolph, an architect, the owners of Harmony Homes by the Bay senior facility on Route 4, gave a tour of their new residential building on the site on Wednesday. Following the Planning Board approval, the Randolphs built the 7-unit apartment building which also includes a childcare center. The small but efficient units will be rented out to employees of Harmony Homes and the affordable rents will be capped at 30% of the income of the residents. The fortunate occupants will have a five-minute walk to work and access to day care and they can enjoy a wonderful view of the Oyster River from the trails on site and the large rear deck. The difficulty in finding workers for Harmony Homes was the impetus for the project. It was also difficult to find site contractors so John bought his own excavator and did much of the site work with his own staff!

The Randolphs are now building 44 tiny houses in Dover in a pocket neighborhood to be called The Cottages at Back River Road. Each will have only 384 square foot homes but they will include front porches, variations in design, and a central green. Bravo to John and Maggie who are doing more than their part to alleviate the housing crisis in the Seacoast.

REFUSE AND RECYCLING SCHEDULE FOR THANKSGIVING WEEK

There will be NO refuse and recycling collection on Thursday, November 25th. This pickup will be on Friday, November 26th. Please have all items out by 7AM as always. 

There will be NO commercial recycling collection on Friday, November 26th.

SCHOOL BOARD NEWS

The Oyster River School District recognized 8 school bus drivers who have served students for 5, 15, 30, and 40-year milestones with a combined 205 years of service. We celebrate Barb Evans, Janet Deon, and Lisa Huppe for 30 years of service each, and Marion Henry for a remarkable 40-year milestone! A sincere Thank You and Congratulations for your dedication!

A COVID-19 vaccination clinic for Oyster River and Barrington residents aged 5-11 will be offered Saturday, November 20 in the ORHS gym from 8:00am to 4:00pm. Details have been emailed to parents. The 2nd vaccination dose will be offered December 11. Weekly COVID-19 surveillance testing in Oyster River schools continues, with over 500 weekly participants. 

The new Oyster River Middle School building will open to students on February 28, 2022. In order to accommodate the move, the middle school staff will utilize February 16, 17, and 18, 2022 as professional development days. There will be no school for middle school students on February 16-18. This is the last three school days before February school vacation. ORHS, Mast Way, and Moharimet will have school as normal on these days.

Congratulations to Oyster River High School Unified Soccer team for winning the state championship! 

The School Board will hold a public hearing on December 1, 2021 regarding proposed changes to ORCSD policy BHE regarding school board use of email. The proposed revision will be posted with the backup materials for the December 1 meeting by November 26.

The New Hampshire Department of Education released projected 2022-2023 state education grant funding information. The School Board considered this input along with the budget work-in-progress at the November 17 school board meeting and a dedicated November 18 school board workshop meeting. No action will be taken before the December 1 regular meeting. After the School Board adopts a proposed budget, a budget hearing will be held in January, Deliberative Session in February, and final vote by Oyster River citizens in March.

On Friday of last week, during a very heavy rain storm that moved through the area, Durham Police and Durham Public Works responded to reports of flooding at the Pettee Brook and Madbury Road intersection. The area was closed to vehicle traffic for about an hour while Public Works crews evaluated storm drains. As the rain began to pass, the water quickly receded.  

LOCK YOUR CARS!

Durham Police Detectives routinely attend regional intelligence and information sharing meetings. At one recent meeting, a series of significant vehicle thefts was discussed. The vehicle thefts have been targeting newer model high end and luxury vehicles at dealerships and in local neighborhoods and residential areas throughout northern Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Several of these incidents have been reported on local media. One note of interest is that on many new vehicles, a sign the vehicle is locked, is that the side mirrors fold in toward the window. When the car is not locked, the mirrors will be out as they are when the vehicle is in normal operation. Those who are targeting these vehicles are apparently looking for this distinct feature while casing driveways of houses. 

Please remember to lock your vehicle, even in your own driveway! As always, if you see something odd or that just does not seem right, please contact the Durham Police Department immediately, 603-868-2324.

TAX MAP PROJECT UPDATE

During the last three years, the Town of Durham engaged the services of CAI Technologies to update the property tax maps for assessment purposes, and in preparation for the implementation of geographic information systems (GIS) technology.  The updated tax maps and GIS will not only transform the valuation processes but can be used within municipal offices to improve efficiency, accuracy, and transparency to better serve the public.

Creating the new tax maps began with an aerial “flyover” of Durham on April 29, 2019 which was used to support the development of a planimetric base map.  Orthoimagery was also processed from the aerial photography.  In addition, CAI Technologies researched, and reviewed deeds and survey plans from the Strafford County Registry of Deeds and from the Town’s archives.  Once the compilation phase was completed and preliminary maps were created, notices were mailed to each property owner indicating their new tax map and lot numbers, and any acreage changes (if applicable).

In addition to boundary line dimensions, the new tax maps will identify either the surveyed acreage (if applicable) or the calculated acreage, and in some cases both.  If your property has been surveyed or your deed refers to surveyed acreage, your assessment will be based on that acreage.  If not, then your assessment will be based on the calculated acreage as determined by the mappers.     

The last phase of the project was just completed where CAI Technologies held informal reviews and property owners were able to meet with a representative from CAI Technologies to review their new tax map parcel and to discuss any acreage discrepancies based on information not previously available to the mappers, such as a survey that was completed on the property but not recorded at the Strafford County Registry of Deeds.  The mappers will review and revise the maps based on any new information gathered during the reviews.  If you were unable to attend the informal reviews and have information indicating a different acreage than what was mailed to you, please contact the Durham Assessing Office and we will forward your information to CAI Technologies for review.

It is anticipated that the project will be completed by December 2021 but will not be implemented until 2022 for assessment purposes.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Durham Assessing Office at 603-868-8064.

PIKE PROPERTY

Duane Hyde, the Land Conservation Director for the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire (SELT), will give a presentation to the Conservation Commission this Monday evening about a proposal to place a 37-acre property owned by the Pike family into conservation. The site is located adjacent to the Town’s Thompson Forest property on Wednesday Hill Road near the intersection with Packers Falls Road. SELT proposes to convey the parcel to the Town if all works out with a relatively small contribution from the Town in an amount to be determined.  SELT has applied for several grants to cover most of the purchase price. Many will remember Duane fondly as the Durham Town Planner twenty years ago. He oversaw production of the excellent 2000 Durham Master Plan.

MCGREGOR VOLUNTEERS NAMED 2021 SPIRIT OF NH AWARD WINNER

This Wednesday, volunteers at McGregor EMS were surprised and honored to be presented with the Volunteer Service Award of 2021 at the annual Spirit of NH Awards Ceremony! They also participated in a live interview where they talked about what it was like to volunteer during a pandemic. The award recognized the accumulated 39,000 hours of volunteer time in 2020 as well as the effort towards providing vaccinations throughout the state, supporting the NH Legislature's meetings in Durham, moving to a new station on an emergency basis as well as other pandemic-related activities.

EMERSON ROAD GROUND SURVEY AND SUBSURFACE EXPLORATION UNDER WAY

The Town of Durham is in receipt of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding designated for use for eligible  water, wastewater and storm water system improvements. Due to the water main break history, condition and age, approximately 2,500 lineal feet of water main replacement on Emerson Road, from Madbury Road to the northerly entrance of Little Hale Road, is schedueld for replacement.

This is one of several projects which will be completed using ARPA funds over the next 3 years. 

Work will include water main construction as early as 2022, followed by proposed roadway and sidewalk improvements the following construction year. Beginning the week of November 8th, contractors will be on-site to complete a geotechincal subsurface exploration program within the project limits. This will be followed by an instrument survey, combined with the Madbury Road survey effort, scheduled to start over the next 2 weeks.

Using a truck mounted drill rig the contractor will perform test borings and probes spaced at approximately 250 lineal feet along the alignment, with additional probes spaced at approximately 125 lineal feet. Traffic control will be in place using police details and/or flaggers. 

SWAP SHOP GUIDELINES - A Reminder From DPW

The Swap Shop will be closing for the season no later than Saturday, December 11th, 2021. This timeline will advance should we receive a significant early season winter storm. Bulky items will NOT be accepted on December 11th, as Swap Shop volunteers will be working diligently to pack up for winter.  

The Durham Public Works Department, Integrated Waste Management Advisory Committee (IWMAC) and Swap Shop Volunteers would like to remind residents that the Transfer Station’s Swap Shop does not accept certain items. While we would like to keep reusable items out of the waste stream and the landfill, indoor storage space is limited, and other safety concerns must be considered. When entering the Transfer Station, it is mandatory to stop and check-in with one of the Attendants to review the items you wish to donate to the Swap Shop. The Attendant(s) will evaluate each item(s) based on the criteria below to determine if it will be accepted. A $15 bulky waste coupon may be required in situations where the item(s) is not accepted. We encourage residents to discuss other options for donating their goods with the attendants and Swap Shop Volunteers. A reminder that users of the Swap Shop are encouraged to remain at the facility for no longer than thirty minutes during any one visit to allow other residents an opportunity to view and take items.

The following is a list of items that are not accepted at the Swap Shop:

• Dirty, moldy or stained items. Stained fabrics may go into the Ecosmith Textile Recycling bin.
• Broken, non-functioning or items missing pieces (a chair without a leg, desk without a drawer or drawer knobs, etc.)
• Boxes full of unsorted items (unless approved by a Transfer Station Attendant or Swap Shop Volunteer.)
• Upholstered furniture (mattresses, box springs, chairs, couches, headboards, pillows, etc.).
• Electronic items (all of which require an electronic coupon for disposal):

- Refrigerators

- Dehumidifiers

- Air Conditioners

- Other items containing a refrigerant

- Televisions

- Computer Monitors

• Construction materials of any kind (wood, shingles, sheetrock, insulation, etc.)
• Concrete, bricks, stone, solid fill.
• Appliances larger than a microwave (appliances containing refrigerant that have an electronic coupon will be considered for donation).
• Hazardous Materials or Chemicals (oils, gas, diesel, kerosene, propane, oxygen, mercury containing items, etc.)
• Food, beverages, cosmetics
• Textbooks, dated manuals, reference books (can be recycled using the Discover Books bin)
• Skies, ski boots, snow boards
• Child safety equipment (car seats, helmets)
• Weapons
• Broken glass (including glass from picture frames)
• Clothing and shoes (Use the Salvation Army bin for clothing and shoes in good condition. The Ecosmith bins for these and any stained bedding, towels, fabric stuffed animals, etc.)

WINTER PARKING BAN NOW IN EFFECT

The Durham Winter Parking ban commenced on Sunday November 1st and will be in effect through April 1, 2021. As many know, parking on Main Street, Jenkins Court and any Town owned parking lot is prohibited between 1:00AM and 6:00AM throughout the year. But the Winter Parking ban prohibits parking ON ANY STREET from November 1st to April 1st between 1:00AM and 6:00AM. As the ordinance states,

“Any vehicle so parked during the prohibited hours and dates shall be subject to being towed away at the owner’s risk. The owner or owners shall be required to pay all towing costs and a fine before the vehicle is released.”  

For the first few weeks, the Durham Police will endeavor to issue warnings designed to remind everyone of the Winter ban but were a surprise snowstorm to occur during this period, there should be an awareness that vehicles may be towed to allow for Durham Public Works to effectively plow the streets and roadways of Durham.  

WISWALL DAM, CONCRETE ADHESION CORING INVESTIGATION

Durham Public Works (DPW) continues to discuss findings with dam structural engineers, Pare Corporation, about outstanding dam stability review at Wiswall Dam. DPW recently finalized and approved a scope of services and contract with Pare Corp to evaluate dam adhesion through coring of the dam and analysis of the bedrock/concrete dam interface. Pare Corp has hired a concrete coring contractor to take small cores in the dam to study the adhesion between the dam concrete and underlying bedrock. This work will require a small drawdown of the Wiswall dam impoundment such that no water is going over the spillway. This small drawdown will be coordinated with the UNH/Durham Water System and will not have an impact on water users. This analysis of the adhesion has the potential to result in favorable findings eliminating or greatly reducing the need for costly upgrades. In the event findings indicate less than desirable adhesion, it may be necessary to install shear pins into the dam bedrock interface to anchor the dam to the bedrock below in lieu of rock anchors that were originally anticipated. This work has been tentatively scheduled for late November/early December and is weather and operation dependent.