On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, approximately
30 participants attended an unveiling ceremony of the official
US Government bronze plaque given to the Town by The National
Parks Service (NPS) recognizing the Spruce Hole bog as a
unique geological occurrence. Deb DiQuinzio, National Natural
Landmarks Program Coordinator NPS Northeast Region, presented
the plaque to the Town. Courtesy
Todd Selig
There will be no
publication of “Friday Updates” next week due to the Thanksgiving
holiday. The next edition of “Friday Updates” will be sent
on Friday, December 4, 2009. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and
safe travels.
To receive future Friday Updates by email,
please sign up here.
Durham Public Design
Workshop for Downtown November 5 through 9
Beginning
November 5th, residents of the Town of Durham will have
a unique opportunity to plan for our future. The Town
invites all residents to join in a collaborative multi-day
“charrette” next week from November 5 through
the 9 to create a collective vision for the future.
It will be held in Holloway Commons on the campus of
UNH in the Squamscott Room, Cocheco Room, and Piscataqua
Room. A charrette is an intensive planning process where
all interested members of a community come together,
along with local and state officials, to develop a plan
for future growth that reflects the values of the community.
A design team lead by B. Dennis Town Design will facilitate
the process and translate the community’s goals
and interests into an action plan, including an illustrative
master plan for the Central Business District and Durham's
commercial core.
The Town of Durham is looking to this process as a
way to gather important public input on how to promote
sustainability, mixed-used buildings, energy efficiency,
public transportation opportunities, a healthy and vibrant
downtown, and other goals identified by the community.
There is also an interest in generating additional tax
base, while balancing any new development with the goal
of protecting the natural environment. This process
will integrate previous planning work, including the
Mill Plaza Study, Community Development Plan, and the
2000 Master Plan.
The charrette will provide an opportunity for the Town
to work directly with the University of New Hampshire
to better integrate the University into the Town in
a way that improves the relationship with local neighborhoods.
During the process, the consultant team will consider
the possibility of land use regulations that more effectively
produce the kind of places desired by the public. Form-based
codes, which focus less on use and more on how buildings
relate to their context, will be considered. This type
of code has recently been drafted for the Town of Dover
and is something Durham officials would like to consider
as well.
One of the key benefits of the charrette process is
the ability to design in public. On the opening night
of the charrette, Thursday, November 5, the public will
be asked to raise issues and express their desires for
future development. The next day, the design team will
work to illustrate those ideas, which will be presented
at the public pin-up on Friday, November 6. The public
will comment again, telling the designers whether they
have accurately captured the desired vision. This pattern
will repeat itself through various scheduled sessions
around specific topics. On the final night, Monday,
November 9, a public presentation of the proposed designs
will be made.
The Design Team will develop specific design components
on the spot (street and parking recommendations, park
designs, development potential) to address public issues
and desires. Town Staff and volunteers will be on hand
to help facilitate the process and ensure that citizens’
feedback is incorporated into the design scenarios.
If you would like to participate in this event, come
to the opening meeting at the UNH’s Holloway Commons
(Squamscott Room, Cocheco Room, and Piscataqua Room)
at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 5th. Over the following
days, the design team will be hard at work. Drop in
any time the lights are on. Check the charrette schedule
for the times of specific topic meetings and meeting
locations at www.ci.durham.nh.us or email James Campbell
at jcampbell@ci.durham.nh.us to submit specific comments.
[Posted: 10/29/09]
NOTICE OF VACANCIES
TOWN BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES
The Durham Town Council is seeking interested residents
of the Town of Durham who have the ability, desire,
and time needed to serve on the Town boards listed below
that currently have vacancies. Citizens interested in
board appointments should contact the Town Administrator’s
office at 868-5571, or email Jennie Berry at jberry@ci.durham.nh.us
and request an application form. Interested residents
may also stop in at the Town Clerk’s office located
on the first floor of the Town Hall, 15 Newmarket Road,
and complete an application. Applications are also available
on the Town’s web site at: www.ci.durham.nh.us
under the heading “Features” at the bottom
of the page. Completed applications may be mailed to
the Town Administrator’s office, or submitted
via email to jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.
___________________________
Economic Development Committee (1 regular vacancy;
1 alternate vacancy)
Planning Board (1 alternate vacancy)
Durham Cable Access Television (DCAT) Governance Committee
(1 alternate vacancy)
Lamprey River Management Advisory Committee (3 vacancies)
DHHS Offers
Guidance on Public Gatherings and H1N1 Flu
Concord, NH – The H1N1 (swine
flu) virus is transmitted mainly through coughing and
sneezing through the spread of respiratory droplets.
Therefore, while the New Hampshire Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS) is not advising people against
going about their regular business, it is advising people
to take some common sense precautions when going out
in public during this outbreak.
Durham is a community
that deeply values the environment, open spaces, flowing rivers,
and the Little and Great Bays. It has beautiful woodlands
and parks that are available to the public. It is a scenic
community, yet one that is strategically located with respect
to the ocean, the mountains, the lakes, and the cosmopolitan
areas of Portsmouth, Portland, and Boston. It is a community
that houses the University of New Hampshire, the state's premier
public university. Durham is a bustling downtown, complete
with historic reminders of ages gone by, but one that still
serves to cater to the needs of residents today.
Black Bear Research Continues in Durham 
