From:	Michael Behrendt
Sent:	Monday, January 25, 2016 12:17 PM
Subject:	Mill Plaza | site plan: fire, emergency access; stormwater management

To the Planning Board,
Please see Robin Mower's email below.  As I stated to Robin:  "Certainly those are essential and central 
issues.  My point was only that they are not as determinative with site layout at the DESIGN REVIEW 
PHASE as some other considerations.  I did note that all of these items need to be reviewed in sufficient 
detail that we know they will be workable within the footprint proposed under Design Review."  

Michael Behrendt
Durham Town Planner
Town of Durham
8 Newmarket Road
Durham, NH  03824
(603) 868-8064
www.ci.durham.nh.us

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-----Original Message-----
From: RMower [] On Behalf Of RMower
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2016 8:34 AM
To: Michael Behrendt
Subject: Mill Plaza | site plan: fire, emergency access; stormwater management

Greetings, Michael --

Please forward this email to the Planning Board.

*

I read with interest, as others will, your Planner's Recommendation for the upcoming January 27th  
meeting of the Planning Board, specifically regarding the Colonial Durham Associates proposal to 
redevelop the Mill Plaza.

In the section titled VARIOUS ISSUES, the introductory paragraph suggests a pragmatic, reasonable 
approach:

		....At the design review stage, we should examine in some detail those elements which 
are fairly determinative for the plan, including the site layout, building configuration, massing of 
buildings, proposed uses, parking and circulation, traffic impacts, pedestrian circulation, green/open 
space amount and locations. We need look in less detail at elements that can more flexibly be grafted 
onto the formal application including architectural renderings, specific landscaping plans, hardscape and 
open space details, stormwater management, utilities, fire access.


However, I really do question whether FIRE ACCESS could be considered a *flexible element.* Shouldn't 
that be considered an element that is *fairly determinative for the plan*? 

For that matter, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT should also be considered in the first category. For years 
the College Brook has been degraded by runoff from the parking lot and snow storage. It is going 
nowhere. Protecting the brook should be considered when siting structures, not just after the fact.


If I am missing something, I hope that you and the Board will specifically address this categorization at 
the meeting.


Regards,
 — Robin


Robin Mower
11 Faculty Road
Durham, NH 03824

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