Courtesy Craig Stevens

Summer has most certainly arrived here in Durham!  Fortunately, the cool nights this week have made sleeping quite pleasant.

PHASE 2 OF DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC ENHANCEMENTS SCHEDULED TO MOVE FORWARD

Last summer, the town moved forward with a traffic enhancement pilot program along Pettee Brook Lane reducing two lanes of traffic to one and adding a designated bicycle lane, twenty-one additional parking spaces to service the downtown core, and various traffic calming measures.  The pilot program proved quite successful and was made permanent. 

This summer the Town is poised to move forward with Phase II of our downtown traffic enhancements focusing on changes through the Madbury Road corridor from Main Street to Garrison Avenue.  

The primary goal of this summer’s pilot program is focused upon bicycle lanes, traffic calming measures, pedestrian friendliness, safety enhancement, and additional convenient downtown parking to support our commercial core. Planned changes included:

• Installation of new bicycle lane, nine (9) new parking spaces, and the narrowing of two lanes of traffic to one between Main Street and Pettee Brook Lane;
• Install new stop sign on Main Street at Madbury Road causing vehicles traveling west and entering Madbury Road to come to a stop at the traffic island;
• Installation of new bicycle lanes on both sides of Madbury Road extending from Pettee Brook Lane to Garrison Avenue, narrowing of vehicular traveled lanes, and the elimination of largely unused parking spaces on the east side of Madbury Road. 

The Public Works Department is planning on implementing these adjustments and testing the concept beginning next week, weather permitting, by painting parking spaces, stop bars, and erecting the stop sign. 

It should be noted that there was significant discussion about replacing the yield sign at Madbury Road/Pettee Brook Lane with a stop sign for vehicles entering Pettee Brook but the Traffic Safety Committee members concurred that there should be a tempered approach to such a change in a widely utilized roadway. 

The Traffic Safety Committee will monitor the pilot changes through the remainder of the summer months while traffic downtown is lighter and modify as appropriate.  If successful as was the case last year, we will extend the pilot program into the fall to evaluate it when the UNH student body has returned. 

Courtesy Brad and Judy Aiken

A PHOTO OF THE DURHAM TOWN HALL--OR IS IT?

Durham Residents Brad and Judy Aiken spent most of June in Europe.  One of the many places they visited was Durham, England.  While walking around town they took many pictures and came upon the town hall and had a passer-by snap a picture.  There is a major university in Durham, England as well as a magnificent cathedral where parts of Harry Potter films were shot.  (We can all now tell people that Harry Potter was filmed partly in Durham!)

About five or six years ago, the Lord Mayor of Durham, England had reached out to us and was planning a grand visit to America to tour all of the Durhams in the United States.  Durham, NH was on his list.  Unfortunately, his tour was cancelled and he never made it to the United States.

The Aikens report that Durham, England was a very nice place to visit and was in many ways similar to our Durham just across the pond.

REAL ESTATE HAPPENINGS IN DURHAM AND IN NH
2nd Quarter numbers are in!  There were 21 closed transactions in Durham from April 1 through June 30 with a median selling price of $260,000.  The same period last year had 29 closed transactions with a median selling price of $264,400.  Average days on market for Q2 2011 is 172, up from 119 during Q2 2010.  There were 38 new listings to come on the market in the 2nd quarter while the same period last year only saw 5 new listings.  A thank you is extended to resident Alyson Mueller for providing this information.
 
For a more detailed and quite interesting take on the market the link below has an article written by Peter Francese, an Exeter based demographer and columnist for the New Hampshire Association of Realtors.  http://www.nhar.org/real-estate-news/real-estate-market-trends/april-2011/

UPDATE FROM TOWN ENGINEER ON MILL POND DAM CONCRETE TESTING

At Monday evening’s Town Council meeting, July 11, 2011, Town Engineer David Cedarholm will provide the Council with an update on the Oyster River Dam (AKA Mill Pond Dam).  The Town has received a report from UNH Professor David Gress regarding the structural integrity of the concrete which comprises the dam. 

Dr. Gress Concludes in his analysis that the spillway of the dam is likely to maintain sufficient structural integrity for possibly the next 10 to 20 years.  It would however be prudent, he believes, to develop a plan in the near future to address the effects of ongoing gradual degradation of the dam’s spillway.  The non-structure surface degradation will require attention sooner than 5 to 10 years.  Future structural repairs would have better chances of success if they were designed to not depend on a structural bond between old and new concrete. 

UPDATE FROM TOWN ENGINEER ON WISWALL FISH LADDER/DAM REPAIR PROJECT

Also at Monday’s Council meeting, Town Engineer David Cedarholm will provide an update relative to ongoing construction at the Wiswall Dam to repair it and install a fish ladder. 

CALEA ACCREDITATION PROCESS UPDATE FOR DURHAM POLICE

The Durham Police Department is a nationally accredited police department through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).  Every three years, the agency is required to demonstrate to external CALEA examiners that it adheres to nationally accepted best practice standards in the field of policing. 

In April, a team of external examiners visited Durham to evaluate the agency over the course of several days.  In summary, with the exception of one (1) file, the 55 off-site files that were examined were found to be well documented and meticulously prepared. There were no issues requiring special attention as part of the assessment. The examiners report that overall, the Durham Police Department has done a remarkable job of integrating the CALEA standards into the agency’s everyday operations. 

The next phase in the accreditation process will include a panel review by the full board of CALEA Commissioners in Cincinnati, Ohio from July 29 – 31st where representatives from the department including Police Chief Kurz, three DPD staff members, and Mr. Selig will be asked to answer questions regarding the agency and discuss findings as needed from the on-site assessment. 

Maria Isaac, Goldendoodle Simon Isaac, and Christina

Wilson at Durham Farmer's Market - Courtesy Maria Isaac

DURHAM FARMER’S MARKET AVAILABLE WEEKLY THROUGH OCTOBER 6TH
Durham resident Maria Isaac and friends enjoy the Durham Farmer’s Market, and so can you!  It takes place each Monday from 2:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. through October 6th in the Pettee Brook Parking Lot located on Pettee Brook Lane in Durham.  For more information about the Seacoast Growers Association, go to http://www.seacoastgrowers.org/durham-farmers-market/

AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION

On Monday evening, the Town Council will act on a resolution establishing an Agricultural Commission here in Durham. The Commission will generally focus on activities that promote and preserve agriculture. In the near future, we will advertise for residents interested in serving on this new town commission.

STANDARDIZED SPEED LIMITS WITHIN DURHAM DOWNTOWN CORE DISCUSSED

The Town’s administrative Traffic Safety Committee (TSC) has received an expression of interest regarding the reduction of speed limits within the core of the downtown area.  Currently all non-posted roadways within Durham are 30MPH by default. Any other roadways with designated speed limits have been established by ordinance and are listed in the Town Code. 

As speed limits are governed by the Town Council through the ordinance process and require public hearings, the TSC has long taken the stance that if a roadway’s speed is inappropriate and warrants adjustment, Chief Kurz would make the presentation and petition the Council to make the necessary amendments.  Absent that public safety issue, the TSC has historically considered speed limit adjustments when a neighborhood petitions the TSC. 

Some residents have expressed that lower speed limits might have a positive impact upon traffic within the downtown core creating an opportunity to encourage bicycle use throughout the downtown area. 

The TSC members see the merit in reviewing a number of roadways but are also cognizant that there will be a number of residents resistant to such reductions.

TOWN OF NEW BOSTON REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE FROM DURHAM

The Town of New Boston has asked Administrator Selig to assist the Board of Selectmen there as part of the selection process for filling that community’s  Town Administrator vacancy.  This will be a minimal time commitment and will be performed primarily during off hours.  It will not involve any compensation. 

Mr. Selig recently assisted as part of the City of Laconia’s recruitment for a new City Manager, and has also helped the Towns of Exeter, Newmarket, and Derry with their Town Manager selection processes in the past.

PLANNING BOARD

The Planning Board will be meeting on Wednesday, July 13, 2011. The agenda includes the following items: 

• Public hearing on an extension request on the approval of a Conditional Use Permit for Ionian Properties LLC to construct a new four-story, mixed-use building, located at 10 Pettee Brook Lane.
• Public Hearing on a proposed amendment to the Durham Zoning Ordinance to introduce a new section to the Ordinance on Workforce Housing, including the creation of a separate Developer’s Guidance Document for Workforce Housing.
• Acceptance Consideration on an amendment to a previously approved Site Plan Review Application and Conditional Use Application submitted by MJS Engineering on behalf of 9 Madbury Road LLC to change the construction plans for a new four-story, mixed-use building, to place the electric utilities underground at 9-11 Madbury Road.
• Acceptance Consideration of an application for Site Plan Review submitted by Graham Camire on behalf of Kyreages, Inc. to construct a deck on the back of a commercial establishment (restaurant) located at 45 Main Street, Acceptance Consideration of an application for Site Plan Review submitted by MJS Engineering on behalf of GHL LLC and the Town of Durham to move the Grange building closer to Main Street, conduct a historic renovation of the Grange building, and to construct a new three-story addition to the rear of the building located at 37 Main Street.
• Acceptance Consideration of an Application for Subdivision submitted by Jones & Beach Engineering on behalf of The Nature Conservancy and Jennylyn Beaudette and the Estate of Roland Beaudette to subdivide the property located on Bennett Road into two lots. 

Information pertaining to these applications can be reviewed at the Planning & Community Development Department located at 15 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH.

Courtesy Andrea Bodo

HISTORIC HOUSE MARKERS

The HDC/Heritage Commission is exploring historic house markers. Andrea Bodo and Steve Burns have a hand painted sign at #22 Newmarket Road purchased from a silent auction of the NH Preservation Alliance  ($70), hand painted by Ould Colony Artisans. Bob Leonard, http://www.ouldcolonyartisan.com/request.html, will be at the October 6th HDC meeting (7:00 PM at Town Hall) to show some samples and talk about their signs. The public is invited.

DURHAM'S FRIDAY DEALS

Wildcat Fitness - located in the Mill Plaza next to the Public Library
Use the gym for FREE on Fridays
 

Red Carpet Flower Shop - 56 Main Street
$5 Bouquets of Flowers every Friday  

Village Pizza - 45 Main Street
$5 Wraps or Large Salad w/Steak or Chicken add $2    

What a Crock! Homemade Soups - 4 Jenkins Court

Purchase a quart and receive a complimentary 12 ounce soup.

Minos - Located in the Mill Plaza
Come try the best Boston-style roast beef sub for only $5 on Fridays.

Money spent locally stays local. Support Durham businesses. If your business has a Friday special to offer please send it to Ken Entz at sentz@comcast.net. The phone number is 603-661-2907.

UNH OUTDOOR POOL EVENTS AND INFORMATION

Pool hours: 

Noon - 7:0 PM until August 14

Night Under the Lights, July 13th, 7:00-9:00 PM

PUBLIC MEETINGS: SCHEDULE AND VIDEO ON DEMAND

The following public meetings are scheduled for the coming week  All meetings begin at 7:00 PM and are held in the Council chambers at the Durham 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.

VIDEO ON DEMAND: Meetings can also be viewed via Video on Demand. Interested viewers can access the streaming site from the Town’s website at http://ci.durham.nh.us/ or directly by clicking the DCAT on demand logo, http://dcat.pegcentral.com/.

Durham Town Council - Monday, July 11, 2011 

Zoning Board of Adjustment - Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Planning Board - Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Durham Conservation Commission - The regular monthly meeting of the DCC (usually held on the second Thursday of each month) has been cancelled for July 14th. The DCC met and conducted its regular meeting on July 5th.

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.

DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

“One World, Many Stories†Week 2 of Summer Reading.  Events for this week are:

• Tuesday, July 12, 10:30 a.m. – All ages storytime (preschool) – Animals of the World!  Stories, fingerplays, songs, feltboard and a craft.
• Tuesday, July 12, 6:30 p.m. (9-12 yr old group) – Yoga with Ruth Abelman. Come and learn about yoga with Durham Parks and Rec Yoga instructor Ruth Abelman.  Wear comfortable clothes and bring a yoga mat if you have one (we will provide one if you don't have one).
• Wednesday, July 13, 6:30 p.m. All ages Family night – Earreverence Acapella Singing Group will perform Songs from Around the World.  Earreverence, a 7 person acapella singing group will perform. 
• Thursday, July 14, 10:30 am at the ORHS Multi-purpose room – Granite State Zoo/Wildlife Encounters Joint Library Visit!   All ages Granite State Zoo program with the Durham, Lee, and Madbury Libraries. Come and meet animals and learn about them. 
• Thursday, July 14, 3:00-4:00 p.m. (6-8 yr. old group) – World Folk Tales/Acting Workshop. Come and act out some folk tales and do some acting/theater exercises. Hear stories, play games, do puzzles, crafts, and share what we are reading.
• Thursday, July 14, 4:00-5:00 p.m. (young adult writing group) – Like to write?  Join this writing group and add your writing to the Durham Library blog “Write Awayâ€!  Local Young Adult Author, Megan Frazer started our writing blog and is an on-line mentor.  Write book reviews, movies, play reviews, travel logs, poetry, song lyrics, short stories, and more. 
• There’s still time to register for summer reading.  Bring in your reading logs once a week to collect your prize.  Answer our trivia question of the week and receive another prize.  Help fill up our world map with all the minutes we read and don’t forget to send us a postcard from your travels for our display.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS 

Annual Summer Series at the MUB - Begins July 13th and ends on August 3rd. Movies every week including the outdoor movie on T-Hall lawn on Wed., Jul 20th and MUB Mini-Carnival on the same date. For more information, click HERE.

Great Bay Rowing Youth Summer Camp - Two sessions available: Jul 18-22 and Aug 8-12, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM. Meet and row out from Jackson's Landing. All are welcome grades 7-9 (must be age 12 by June 1, 2011). To print registration forms, click HERE.

Fund-raiser for On Belay! Thu., Jul 28, 6:00 PM (Yoga with appetizers to follow), The Gables Apartments-B Community Center at UNH. Come enjoy an evening of Yoga to raise funds for On Belay (providing unique adventure programs to build community among young people who have or have had a family member with cancer). Sponsored by Shakti Activewear. Yoga taught by Ruth Abelmann. Please contact Ruth Abelmann with additional questions at Ruth.Abelmann@unh.edu.

Summer Art Camp Classes for Children, Teens, and Adults. The Museum of Art, UNH, is offering week-long summer art classes during the weeks of Aug 1-5 and Aug 8-12, 2011. For a complete description of the classes or to register on line, visit the Museum of Art's website at http://www.unh.edu/moa/ or contact Catherine A. Mazur at catherine.mazur@unh.edu, 603-862-3713.

UNH Community Sailing Centre is open for business. Some openings still exist. Sailing and kayaking lessons are offered for youth ages 6-18. Adult sailing lessons are offered at the convenience of the adult. On Saturday July 16 is the first annual Hot Mamas weekend.  For more information and to sign up, click HERE.

FROM “DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE A HISTORY – 1900-1985â€

Business (1900-1930): "Sam Runlett's General Store was the first business going east along the southern side of Main Street past Mill Road. It had a walk-in ice room which was filled with ice from Fred Davis's icehouse off Mast Road. It appears that Davis harvested his ice from the college reservoir and may have had Mel Crouse shoe his horses for the job as Crouse advertised his horseshoeing and blacksmithing business on a 1911 calendar with the slogan, "You can't cut the ice without a sharp horse." Published in 1985 by the Durham Historic Association.

Have a nice weekend.

Todd

Todd I. Selig, Administrator

Town of Durham, New Hampshire

T:  603-868-5571    F:  603-868-5572

tselig@ci.durham.nh.us    http://www.ci.durham.nh.us

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