From:	Michael Behrendt
Sent:	Monday, January 09, 2017 1:57 PM
Subject:	Mixed use amendment - Mill Plaza - Young Drive - email from Nancy 
Sandberg

To the Planning Board (and Mill Plaza and Young Drive),
Please see the comments below from Nancy Sandberg about these three items.

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


From: Nancy Sandberg []  
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2017 3:34 PM 
To: Michael Behrendt 
Subject: Re: Planning Board - January 11 meeting *

To Members of the Durham Planning Board:

As I am unable to attend the Planning Board meeting Wednesday, January 11th,  I 
am sending you my comments in regards to several items you are considering.

1. I fully support the zoning changes recommended by the Town Council to 
eliminate Mixed Use/Residential and allow Mixed Use/Elderly Housing in the 
Downtown Commercial Core. Having worked hard over forty years to shape 
Durham’s zoning code to benefit residents, we need to reign in impact of students 
and UNH on our small downtown, by controlling heights, dimensional controls. 
and green spaces.
     
2. I would like to go on record as being opposed to the Mill Plaza Development as 
most recently put forth.. The current proposal is totally unacceptable because of 
it’s four stories and the density of buildings on that property. I can imagine an 
attractive grouping of townhouses could be sited along College Brook with plenty 
of new trees screening Faculty Rd. properties and with two stories of commercial 
buildings on the north side of the property.

3. I attended the Young Drive Development Preliminary Design presentation and 
was alarmed by the height, size, and density of the buildings on that historic 
waterfront property. The property is a naturally beautiful site along Beard’s Creek 
with lots of trees and greenery along the Creek and Dover Rd. Large green buffers 
should be protected so as to keep an attractive gateway into Durham and an 
attractive shoreland buffer. 
As a bit of historical background this land was for many generations part of the 
George Chesley Farm that came into the possession of Deacon Albert Young 
through his mother Hannah Chesley. Educated at Durham and Strafford 
Academies, Albert Young was a successful farmer, an incorporator of the Christian 
Society, a deacon of the Congregational Church, managed a shoe shop and served 
as a Selectman and charter member of the Durham Grange.
This parcel of land could be developed into high-end elderly town houses with 
sufficient green space and beautiful views to Beard’s Creek. A big difference when 
compared to the developer's multi-storied, over-scaled elderly housing 
development in Exeter!

Thanks for your consideration.

Nancy Sandberg