“FRIDAY
UPDATES”
Friday,
May 14, 2010
Bench donated by Bill and Joan
Drapeau located at Memorial Park in downtown
“sit and relax”, “be thankful”, “enjoy life”
The Department of Public Works staff
completed Spring Cleanup this week. In addition, as of 7:00 AM this
morning, the UNH/Durham Water Department completed its spring hydrant
flushing.
TOWN
OFFICES CLOSED MEMORIAL DAY
The
Main
Street
Construction on
the joint Durham/UNH
Main
Street-West project
spanning from the RR Trestle to Mast Road
- roadway
reconstruction and resurfacing
- development of
sidewalks/multi-use path
- bicycle lanes
along
The project will create safe bike
and walking routes from downtown
The project was started in December
2009. Work recommenced in April of this year. Reconstruction of Main Street/Old
Concord Road itself will not begin until after
The full corridor investment is
projected to be $1.3 million including design and construction. Over $900,000 of
that total is provided by the Federal Highway Administration through the
Transportation Enhancements program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA). Of the US DOT investment, $758,000 is 100% Federal funding provided
thru the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The University and Town
of
First
Reading on Ordinance # 2010-07 to Allow Single Family Homes
On Monday, May 17, 2010, the
Council will hold a first reading on proposed amendments to amend the zoning in
the ORLI (Office Research Light Industry) District to enable the development of
properties in the district with a mix of housing choices. In reviewing the
Table of Uses it was discovered that the ORLI District did not allow single
family or duplex dwelling units and the MUDOR (Multi-Unit Dwelling/Office
Research) District allowed duplexes but not single family dwellings. In
addition to allowing a mix of housing types within a development, the proposed
amendments would make current nonconforming single family and duplex dwellings
in these districts conforming, but would allow new single family and duplex
units only by Conditional
Use.
Section 175-21 of the Zoning
Ordinance describes the Conditional
Use process designed to allow certain uses that are not normally
permitted within a certain zone. A Conditional Use may be approved by Planning
Board if the application is found to be in compliance with the strict approval
criteria outlined in section 175-23 of the Zoning Ordinance. Conditions may be
placed on a Conditional Use permit by the Planning Board to ensure that the
Conditional Use will have a positive economic, fiscal, public safety,
environmental, aesthetic, and social impact on the Town. At least five members
of the Planning Board (as opposed to a simple majority) must vote in favor of
the issuance of a Conditional Use permit for an application to be
approved.
Before the Town rewrote the Zoning
Ordinance in 2004 and 2006, single family and duplex dwellings were an allowed
use in the OR District which is now the ORLI and MUDOR areas. With a vote of 6-1 the Planning Board
recommended that the Town Council approve the amendments.
Update
to Town Noise Ordinance Proposed
The Council will address a proposal
Monday evening, May 17, 2010, which addresses several shortcomings of the
existing Durham Noise Ordinance that had been adopted by the Town Council in
1992. Working closely with Rental Housing Commission to address a host of
issues surrounding the challenges of previously single-family homes reverting to
student rentals, the police department reviewed all ordinances for their
relevance, effectiveness and/or deficiencies.
One unwelcome result of student
rentals in previously residential neighborhoods is the hordes of late night
walkers traversing through areas where residents are attempting to sleep,
seeking the next party location. While many of these walkers are
respectful and appropriate, many others are loud, boisterous, and obnoxious in
their tenor, language, and behavior creating undo disturbances to
residents.
The overall goal of this ordinance
is to eliminate the references to specific measured noise levels, meters, or any
other device that previously made prosecution in court difficult if not
impossible. The language employed in this amendment simplifies the
standard of proof and eliminates any required devices depending instead upon any
person being annoyed or disturbed by the noise. The amendment also will make the noise ordinance go
into effect at 10:00 PM rather than 11:00
PM.
1st
Half Tax Bills In Process
On Monday evening, the Council will
be asked to approve the tax warrant authorizing the Town Clerk-Tax Collector to
collect partial
payment of property taxes assessed on April 1, 2010. We anticipate that
1st half tax bills will be mailed out toward the end of next
week.
Discussion
Regarding
At the February 15, 2010 Town
Council meeting, the Council passed Resolution #2010-02 requesting that the
Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD) direct the ORCSD administration
to provide adequate documentation regarding the expenditure of surplus funds
from the 2009 Fiscal Year. To view Resolution #2010-02, please click HERE.
ORCSD Superintendent Howard Colter
was provided with a copy of the resolution and subsequently invited the Town
Administrator, Town Council Chair, and Vice Chair to attend a meeting with the
ORCSD Business Manager, School Board members, and himself. The
meeting was held on Monday, March 8, 2010 at the SAU office. In attendance
were Town Administrator
At the School Board meeting on
Wednesday, March 17, 2010, board members discussed with Administrator Selig the
Town Council resolution and asked that the school administration respond to the
resolution. The Council’s subsequently received correspondence from the district
dated April 7, 2010 in response to the resolution. To view the School Board’s
response to the Durham Town Council regarding the resolution click HERE.
To view the specific DCAT/Channel 22 broadcast of the school board discussion
regarding this item, visit http://vimeo.com/10281695.
The Administrator has been in touch
with representatives from the District since receipt of the letter. The
Council will discuss this matter at its May 17th
meeting.
Discussion
on an application for the Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive Program
(79-E) submitted by the Sigma
The Town has received an application
for the Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive Program (RSA 79-E) which
the Council has adopted from the Sigma Beta Alumni Association located at
The Town Council may grant the tax
relief, provided: 1) The governing body finds a public benefit under RSA 79-E:7;
and 2) The specific public benefit is preserved through a covenant under RSA
79-E:8; and 3) The governing body finds that the proposed use is consistent with
the municipality's master plan or development regulations. If the Council
grants the tax relief, they shall identify the specific public benefit achieved
under RSA 79-E:7, and shall determine the precise terms and duration of the
covenant to preserve the public benefit under RSA 79-E:8.
The owners of qualifying structures
in
On Monday evening, May 17, 2010,
Steve Pesci,
Stop
Sign Proposal at the Intersection of
This ordinance proposal brought
forward at the request of
Update
on Mitigation Efforts at
On March 17, 2009, the Town entered
into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with several Federal and state agencies in
regard to a historic mitigation in connection with the replacement of the bridge
on
On September 21, 2009, the Town
Council established a Wiswall Historic Interpretation Committee with the
following members: Andrea Bodo, Howard Burrows, Frank Carter, Joan Carter,
On Monday evening, May
17th, committee member Richard Lord will provide Councilors with a
progress report relative to the further development of the existing
Council Chair Diana
Carroll
The
One of only two
communities in NH with its form of governance (the other being Derry, NH), the
Town of Durham operates under a Town Council form of government in which the
Council has both legislative and budgetary authority and in which there is no
longer any form of Annual Town Meeting. Registered voters vote a total of nine
Councilors in for a term of three years, and each year, three seats are open for
reelection. The Town Council adopts all ordinances, resolutions, policies, and
the yearly budget. The Town Council also appoints people to the various Boards
and Committees, as well as the Town Administrator who is responsible for the
day-to-day operations of the town and reports directly to the Council.
The Town Council
meets the first and third Monday night of each month unless otherwise specified
in advance. All meetings are open to the public and are held at the
A technician takes a core sample of
the
Oyster
River Dam and Mill Pond Investigations Reports
Released
In advance of Town Engineer Dave
Cedarholm’s June 7th presentation to the Town Council on the Oyster
River Dam and Mill Pond Investigations, the final reports of the two
Investigations are being released for review. The investigation of Oyster
River Dam was performed by Stephens Associates and UNH Professor David Gress and
focused on the structural deterioration of the historic dam’s 97 year old
concrete. To view the Oyster Dam Investigation Report, please click HERE.
The investigation of the Oyster River Mill Pond was performed by Vannasse Hangen
Brustlin, Inc. and Hydroterra Environmental Services and included a
bathymetric/topographic survey and an assessment of the bottom sediment in the
Mill Pond. To view the Oyster River Mill Pond Investigation Report, please click
HERE.
Please contact Dave Cedarholm at 868-5578 with any questions regarding the
investigations.
Courtesy
The Wiswall Bridge Reconstruction
Project is progressing right on schedule. The beams were installed 3 weeks
ago and the contractor R.S. Audley is full steam ahead constructing the
retaining walls for the east and west approaches. Their next step is to
pour the cast in place concrete curbing and install the backfill for the roadway
approaches. Durham resident and abutter of the bridge Stu Curtis has set
up the following website with a great collection of photos he has take of
various steps along the way: http://sites.google.com/site/arounddurham/Home/wiswall_bridge
The Strategic Planning Oversight
Committee will be conducting a community survey to gather input from community
members regarding our school district. The
Oyster
River Nomination for the
The Town of
The Oyster River Watershed
Association (ORWA) is drafting a nomination for the river, which begins at the
headwaters in
The Town Administrator, after
consultation with the Durham/UNH Water, Wastewater, and Solid Waste Committee
(an administrative committee) is favorably inclined toward the nomination
provided it does not negatively impact the Durham/UNH water system’s water
supply capacity to meet the needs of both the Town of
Strafford Regional Planning
Commission has received Federal water quality planning grant funds to assist the
ORWA nomination committee. We hope you will attend this public meeting to learn
more about the nomination. For more information, please call Kyle Pimental of
the Strafford Regional Planning Commission at 742-2523 or kpimental@strafford.org.
Pool Vouchers
for UNH Outdoor Pool
We are presently in the process of
working with UNH Campus Recreation to pull together this year's pool voucher
program for use by
Water/Sewer
Pipe Installation on
We have received several inquiries
this week regarding the water/sewer line extension project which is ongoing
along
This week, the Durham-Great Bay
Rotary Club hosted a group of physicians from the City of
Pavement
delamination on
2010
Road Program -
The 2010 approved
Capital Fund Budget includes an appropriation of $129,472 for this year’s
road-resurfacing program, which is part of the Department of Public Works’
14-year road-resurfacing plan. This year’s program originally consisted of
11 roads (Back River
Road, Bucks Hill Road, Cormorant Circle, Daisy Drive, Emerson Road, Jenkins
Court, Mill Pond Road, Partridgeberry Lane, Razorbill Circle, Shearwater Street,
Strafford Avenue, Sumac Lane, and Wednesday Hill Road) at
an estimated cost of $539,025, HOWEVER, due to the state of the economy and
in an effort to mitigate tax increases the Town Administrator scaled back
the program to include only 3 roads -- Wednesday Hill Road, Jenkins Court,
and Strafford Avenue. (Note as well that we added the Morgan Way/Route 4
improvement project to the work schedule at a cost of
$390,000.) DPW completed extensive repairs to
To properly
maintain
"Jake
Brakes"
Over the last
several weeks, Police Chief Kurz and his staff have been working with a number
of residents along the Route 4 corridor regarding misuse of "Jake Brakes."
There is a strong desire of these residents to dissuade the disturbing nature of
these compression release engine brakes within the more residential portions of
the roadway. When improperly used, the engine brake often causes a vehicle
to make a loud chattering or "machine gun" exhaust noise. This is an acute
problem especially on vehicles having high-flow mufflers, or no mufflers at
all. To combat this issue, the
Tonight
is the Oyster River Prom
As parents we already know that
proms can be very expensive events when you consider the cost of prom dresses,
tuxedos, prom tickets and photos, stretch limos, dining in extravagant
restaurants, flowers or corsages, special occasion hairstyles and those
manicures! But for many of us, the biggest concern isn’t the cost of
attending prom but the anxiety about the risky behaviors associated with proms,
teens driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and unsafe sex, and how to
ensure their son or daughter arrives home safely after attending prom.
Sadly, there is always a news report of accidents with serious injuries and even
deaths where poor judgment and dangerous choices dominate this exciting time.
The following tips can help you keep
your teens safe:
·
Who will be doing the driving? Will they drive
themselves or rent a limo?
·
If they are driving, keep a list of
names and phone numbers of each teen rider, along with names and addresses of
all the parents.
·
Know where your child is going by
having an itinerary.
·
If your teen will be renting a limo, be
sure to check the limo company’s driving record, and don’t be afraid to ask the
company questions.
·
Does your teen know how to contact you
throughout the evening?
·
Discuss with your teen about how to
handle difficult situations such as being offered a ride by an intoxicated
driver, being offered alcohol or drugs.
·
Insist that there are to be no changes
to the itinerary without your approval.
·
Find out who will be supervising the
prom and any after-parties.
·
Be wary of the rumors about renting
hotel rooms as they will undoubtedly lead to additional challenges for your
graduate.
·
Don’t be afraid to volunteer to assist
in supervising the prom or any after-parties your teen may attend.
·
Be a parent and have specific and
detailed conversations with your teen about alcohol consumption, driving under
the influence, drug use and peer pressure that often leads to the use of poor
judgment before, during and after prom.
·
Make sure your teen has phone numbers to an area cab
companies programmed into their cell phone and plenty of money to cover the cost
of a cab ride, if deemed necessary for any reason.
From
the Supervisors of the Checklist
On September
14, 2010, there will be a State Primary Election. All registered voters
may vote at this election whether Republican, Democrat, or Undeclared, unlike in
some states. However, if you are registered as a Republican or a Democrat,
you must vote within that party at the Primary. If you are registered
Undeclared, you may choose which ballot you want at the Election. June 1 is the LAST day you can change your party
affiliation before the Primary. There are currently two checklists
available to check your status – one in the Durham Post Office on a table near
the mailboxes and one at the Town Hall (kept behind the desk). An updated
checklist will be available in those same places on or about May 21. You may
change your party affiliation up through June 1 at the
CLOSURE
OF
The Packers Falls Gravel Pit, which
has been open for the last few months solely for woody debris from the February
wind storm, will close tomorrow, Saturday, May 15th at 4:30 PM. The
Town is closing out its FEMA storm project and no additional debris can be added
after tomorrow. Residents that still have debris may bring it to the
Transfer Station on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7:30 AM to 3:15 PM. Please
remember that any brush going to the Transfer Station can be no longer than 5
feet in length and no wider than 5 inches in diameter. Anything larger than
that may not be brought up to the Transfer Station and will have to be
contracted out and removed elsewhere.
BIKE/WALK
TO WORK DAY – MAY 21, 2010
Leave your car at home and commute
another way on Friday, May 21, national Bike/Walk to Work Day. Join other
bikers, walkers, and public transportation-takers for a free commuter breakfast
at the wil
PUBLIC
MEETING SCHEDULE
The following public meetings are
scheduled for the coming week in the Town Council chambers at the Durham Town
Office. All meetings begin at 7:00 PM and are held in the Council chambers at
the Town Hall unless otherwise indicated below. To view the agenda for the
meetings listed below, please click HERE.
All meetings recorded on DCAT are available on DVD at the Durham Public Library
for checkout and viewing.
Town Council – Monday, May 17,
2010. To view the complete Council packet for this meeting, please click
HERE.
Rental Housing Commission –
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 (4:00
PM)
Oyster
River School Board meeting schedule, please click HERE.
Durham
Public Library Board of Trustees meeting schedule, please click HERE.
DCAT
Programming Schedule, please click HERE
Calling
all Garden Enthusiasts (or wanna-be’s) and Educators
The Parks & Recreation Committee
is excited to announce the creation of a sensory garden at the Jackson Landing
Playground. We need your help! Please consider volunteering to help for an
hour or more. There are 3 committees forming that need volunteers.
If you are interested in helping out, please send an e-mail to Jenna
Roberts, jennajroberts@yahoo.com or
Jean Olson, jbolson1@comcast.net. To view sensory
garden bed examples, click HERE.
Rubber ducks being
rescued after the QuackFest
event
held on Saturday, May 8th. Courtesy
Loren Selig
Stay
current with all Durham P&R programs by viewing the April Recreation
Reminder, please click HERE.
Also, visit our website at http://www.ci.durham.nh.us/COMMUNITY/recreation.html or on Facebook - search ‘Town of Durham
Parks.’
To register for any of the classes
below, please contact Durham P&R Director
§
Friday, May 14 (and every Friday!),
6:00 PM, Oyster River Middle School Field – Pickup
Ultimate Frisbee
§
Monday, May 17, 7:00 PM,
§
Wednesday, May 19, 6:00 PM, Durham
P&R: Women’s
Self-Defense Course. FREE, but space is
limited.
§
Saturday, May 22, 10:00 AM, Wagon Hill
Farm: Green Thumb
Gang – Youth Gardening Introduction
Meeting
§
Monday, May 31, 10:00 AM, starting at
Town Landing – Memorial
Day Parade
§
Saturday, June 12, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM –
The Durham
Bazaar. Reserve your spot today!
§
Join the Durham Tennis Ladder online at
http://www.globaltennisnetwork.com/tennis-ladders/ladders/tennis-ladder-page/ladder/1443-durham-parks-a-rec
TREASURE
HUNT – SPONOSRED BY THE
Come to the Library and pick up your
clue sheets after the Memorial Day Parade. Match clues to the pictures, get
stamped at each site, and you'll receive a surprise at the Town Landing when
finished. Walk around with your neighbors and learn something new! Wear
comfortable shoes, bring a pencil, and be ready to have some
fun.
JP's
Eatery will have food for sale.
THE
The
Parks & Recreation Committee is organizing
COMMUNITY
EVENTS
§
Saturday, May 15, 8:00 AM,
§
Saturday, May 15, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM,
§
Wednesday, May 19, 7:00 PM, Hugh Gregg Coastal
§
Wednesday, May 26, 4:30 – 6:00 PM,
§
August 2-6 and September 9-13,
§
Raffle to
Benefit UNH Sailing Centre. For more information, visit www.unh.edu/sailing-club/ or contact
Coach Diana Weidenbacker at 868-5189, dianaw46@comcast.net.
§
ORYA Travel Soccer Tryout
pre-registration forms are due by 5/30 for all
players interested in playing travel soccer next fall and spring. Please return
these to the ORYA office no later than 5/30. Tryouts will be held starting
June 9th for the girls and June 10th for the boys. To
access a registration form, please click HERE.
§
9th Annual ORYA Golf
tournament
is being held at Wentworth by the Sea Country Club on Monday June
21st. Registrations forms are available at www.oryarec.org.
Visit our website at www.durhampubliclibrary.org for
more information.
§
Tue., May 18, 7:00 – 8:00 PM: Power of One
Public Awareness Night
§
Wed., May 19, 2:45 – 4:00 PM: The Bookeaters,
Middle School Book Club
§
Wed., May 19, 7:00 – 8:00 PM: Librarian’s Book
Discussion Club
§
Tues. & Thurs. May 18 and 20, 10:30 AM:
Storytime. This week:
Bugs/Nature!
Water
Quality Monitors Needed for the lamprey river
watershed
Volunteers are needed for the summer
of 2010 to sample the quality of the water of the
For more information, please contact
the Lamprey River Watershed Association’s office at (603) 659-9363 or e-mail volunteer@lrwa-nh.org.
Additional information is available at www.lrwa-nh.org.
OPEN
HOUSE –
Peter Murphy, owner of the new
student housing building at
There will be an Open House this
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 from 12:00 – 6:00 PM for anyone who would like to tour the
building.
Weekly
Police Arrest Report
|
Week –
38 |
19 UNH
(50%) |
19 Other
(50%) |
|
*2009/10 Academic Year –
860 |
532 UNH (62%)
|
326 Other
(38%) |
|
Calendar Year –
317 |
196 UNH
(62%) |
121 Other
(38%) |
*Commenced September 1, 2009
Historical data
for the same week
This data represents the 2009/10
Academic year report which begins anew each
August when UNH students begin
arriving in
Year |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
|
Week |
42 |
116 |
29 |
35 |
38 |
|
Academic
Year |
1047 |
970 |
870 |
890 |
860 |
|
Calendar
Year |
385 |
467 |
429 |
413 |
317 |
“The Adams family
obelisk, situated above the family’s historic farm on Great Bay in Durham, lists
members of the clan that descended from fire-and-brimstone preacher John Adams.
The family farmed the land from 1835 to 1960. Today, a nature preserve surrounds
the obelisk.” AmericanProfile
Magazine – First appeared:
9/9/2007
Have a good
weekend.
Todd
Todd I. Selig, Administrator
Town of Durham
15 Newmarket Road
Durham, New Hampshire 03824
Tel
(603) 868-5571
Fax (603) 868-5572
tselig@ci.durham.nh.us
www.ci.durham.nh.us
The
Town of