Friday Update January 21, 2011

“FRIDAY UPDATES”

Friday,
January 21, 2011

 

 

A
panoramic view of a winter sunset on Great
Bay. Photo courtesy Fred
Meissner

 

Snow,
snow, snow!  Currently we are experiencing the 3^rd storm of the
week. DPW crews are quite tired, but up to the challenge. Hopefully we have a
clear weekend and the road crew can get some rest before the next round of
snow. Thanks to all Durham
residents for complying with parking and for their patience with trash and
recycling routes. 

 

Vehicle Burglaries
ON FFROST DRIVE AND CUTTS ROAD

Yesterday
morning the Durham Police Department received a report of a motor vehicle
burglary from a resident of Ffrost
Drive.  As the police officers began to
canvas the neighborhood to determine if anyone heard unusual noises or noticed
anything amiss, the officers detected that eleven more vehicles had been
entered and several others showed signs of attempted entry.   More
vehicles were burglarized in a number of driveways on Cutts Road also. The officers have
determined that the thefts occurred between 12:00AM and 6:00AM on Thursday
morning.   All of the vehicles entered were unlocked!  The
Durham Police Department urges that all residents lock their vehicles, hide all
valuables inside their vehicles and contact the Durham Police Department if
they witness or hear any unusual or suspicious activity.  If anyone has
any information regarding the recent motor vehicle entries in the Frost Drive and Cutts Road area,
please contact Officer Michelle Montville at (603) 868-2324.

 

 

Update on The Grange RFP –
Redevelopment Ideas for Consideration

The
Grange is located within the heart of downtown Durham on the southerly side of Main Street at the Madbury Road
intersection directly across from the U.S. Post Office.  It was originally
constructed as a single-floor structure around 1880, with a second level added
in 1897.  It has a gross building area of approximately 2,945 +/=
s.f.  Of that total, 1,674 +/- s.f. is first floor space and 1,271 +/-
s.f. is on the second level.  The unfinished basement consists of 1,271
+/- s.f.  The construction is wood framing. 

 

Over
the last ten years, there have been discussions locally of selling the land and
improvements outright, moving the historic Grange structure to an alternate
location, or entering into a lease with a prospective new tenant to preserve
municipal ownership of the parcel while at the same time allowing long-term
productive reuse/redevelopment flexibility on the site and preserving the
historic character of the structure. 

 

The
location of the Grange site has been envisioned as part of the 2000 Master Plan
and 2008 Mill Plaza Study Committee Report as a possible vehicular/pedestrian
access point to the Mill Plaza area located directly behind the Grange and as
such the building and/or building site could play a future part in the
redevelopment of the Mill Plaza or potentially part of a redevelopment of the
older structures to either side of the Grange.  There currently exists a
paved walkway that connects the Mill
Plaza with Main Street
allowing foot traffic only. 

 

The
Grange most recently housed the Durham Art Association and the infant and
toddler site for Growing Places Daycare, a non-profit organization, for many
years until it was vacated in February 2007.  It is listed in the National
Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure in the Durham Historic
District. 

 

From the
perspective of the Administrator, the Grange presents an opportunity for the
Town and a potential private development partner to fully utilize a downtown
municipal property resource in an effort to enhance Durham’s
downtown, spur economic development and retail activity, and enhance Durham’s sense of community at no cost to Durham taxpayers.

 

One Durham property owner,
Peter Murphy, responded to the Grange RFP in a timely manner.  His initial
proposal suggested transforming the structure into two floors of student
housing, however, Mr. Selig did not believe this approach to be consistent with
the Town’s goals and with this feedback, Mr. Murphy worked to develop a revised
proposal to invest approximately $275,000 into the property to create two high
quality student apartments (which could later be turned into workforce housing)
and a 1,200sf commercial/retail space on the first floor under a 15-year lease
(three 5-year options) and where the Town could opt out of the arrangement at 5
year intervals in case redevelopment around the property occurs and it is
deemed necessary to include the Grange.  The Economic Development
Committee will discuss this project on January 31, 2011, and the Historic District
Commission/Heritage Commission on February 3, 2011.  To view Mr. Murphy’s most recent
proposal, click HERE.

 

2010 Town Report

The 2010
Durham Annual Report has been delivered to the printer. Once the published
reports are received back from the printer, copies will be placed in the Town
Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office and the Durham Public Library. The report will
also be placed on the Town web site at www.ci.durham.nh.us. Click on
“Departments” at the top of the page, then “Administration”, “Town
Administration”. The 2010 report, along with previous reports, will be located
on the far right-hand side of the page. Production of the Annual Report is a
major undertaking. A thank you is extended to all contributing writers and
Administrative Assistant Jennie Berry who coordinates the production of this
annual publication.

 

 

Downtown Tax Increment Finance District – An Idea to
be Discussed by the EDC

At its
meeting scheduled for January 31, 2011, the Economic Development Committee will
receive a general presentation from Director of Planning and Community
Development Jim Campbell regarding Tax Increment Finance Districts (TIFs), what
they are, and how they are used in New
Hampshire. 

 

Durham presently has one TIF district which was established in 2007 for Stone Quarry Drive. 
Unfortunately the Town was unable to secure an adequate surety from the
developer with whom the Town worked at the time in order to protect the
interests of the community as part of this project.  The Town Council
therefore did NOT approve a Development Agreement with the developer which is a
prerequisite for this project to move forward.  The Town has NOT issued
any debt as part of this project and all phases are presently ON HOLD until a
Development Agreement is in place.  No additional taxable value has been
developed within the Stone Quarry Drive TIF
to date. 

 

In late-2012,
Administrator Selig suggested the EDC might want to consider the merits of
talking about a TIF for Durham’s
downtown commercial core to fund public improvements and infrastructure
(parking structure, roadway, traffic, sidewalk improvements, etc.) necessary to
retain, attract and advance desirable mixed use development and private
investment in the downtown / central business core. This particular area of Durham has tremendous
potential to contribute much more significantly to the Town’s tax base,
employment base, and quality of life through expanded positive economic growth
& development. The area has remained largely unchanged over the past
several decades and has experienced some decline consistent with national
trends for the commercial retail and business office sectors to shift away from
downtown centers. Stimulating mixed use development and reinvestment in this
area could provide needed taxable assessed valuation, business revenue,
employment opportunities, and public amenities within the boundaries of a TIF district.  To learn more about TIFs, go to
http://durham.nh.us/DEPARTMENTS/planning/pdfs/eco.dev/Tax%20Increment%20Financing.pdf
.

 

Energy Efficiency Systems RFQ Issued

The
Town of Durham, New Hampshire is soliciting qualification-based proposals
(RFQs) for a firm or firms to assist the municipality in providing assessment
and consulting, system design and development, financing and procurement,
installation, and maintenance of potential energy efficiency systems, as well
energy procurement, for all aspects of its municipal infrastructure utilizing
best available technologies to meet desired outcomes. 

 

In
summary, Durham
desires to:

 

§  Reduce total energy use
and fossil fuel emissions within municipal infrastructure;

§  Improve energy efficiency
in buildings, infrastructure, and other areas as determined by the community;

§  Procure energy commodities
as cost effectively as possible.

 

RFQ
proposals must be received by Todd I. Selig, Town Administrator, at 15 Newmarket Road, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, no later than 4:00 pm on February 4, 2011.  Finalist(s)
will be invited to review their proposals in a meeting with the Town Administrator
and other representatives of the Town.  To view the RFQ, click HERE.

 

2011
MARCH TOWN ELECTION WARRANT AND OFFICE FILING
PERIOD

The 2011 Town Election will be held on
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at the Oyster
River High
School.  Polling hours are from 7:00 AM to
7:00 PM.  Individuals interested in running for positions within Town
government may do so during the filling period beginning Wednesday, January 19,
2011 and ending at 5:00 PM on Friday, January 28, 2011. For more information,
please contact the Durham Town Clerk's Office at 868-5577.

 

The following positions will be
available for citizens who might choose to become involved in Durham Town
government: 

 

Town
Council                                    
3 positions (3-year terms)

Library Board of
Trustees               
2 positions (3-year terms)

Town Clerk/Tax
Collector                
1 position (3-year term)

Town
Treasurer                                
1 position (3-year term)

Trustees of the Trust
Funds             1
position (3-year term)

 

As of today, the following individuals
have signed up for the vacancies:

 

Town
Council

Julian Smith

Katherine A.
Marple

 

Town
Clerk-Tax Collector

Lorrie Pitt

 

Town
Treasurer

Karl Van
Asselt

 

Trustees
of the Trust Funds

Bruce Bragdon

 

Durham
Master Plan Visioning Forum - January 28th

The Town of Durham in conjunction with the Planning &
Community Development Department and the UNH
Cooperative Extension is preparing to update the Master Plan. The visioning
process will be the first step toward updating several chapters of the Master
Plan including the Commercial Core chapter, Land Use Regulations chapter,
Environmental/Cultural Resources chapter, Tax Stabilization (Economic
Development) chapter, and a new Energy chapter.

 

The visioning forum will be a public
forum that will allow citizens to provide their vision for a variety of topics
that will be related to the chapters being updated after the visioning process has
been completed.  The planning process needs input from the entire
community.  

 

Please plan on joining us Friday,
January 28, 2011 at 5:30 P.M. at the Oyster
River Middle
School.  The evening will begin with a
free community spaghetti dinner hosted by Durham Marketplace followed by small
group workshops on each chapter being updated. Children’s activities and
childcare will be provided. 

 

To view more information, please click
HERE.
Please contact Jim Campbell, 868-8064 or jcampbell@ci.durham.nh.us
with any questions.

 

We hope to see many people at the Master Plan Vision
Forum. We would also like people to visit our Google Group, “Durham, NH
Master Plan Update”, before, during, and after the visioning forum as we begin
the process of updating the chapters of the Master Plan.  This is an
exciting time for Durham!
  Go to http://groups.google.com/group/durham-master-plan-update
and start a discussion or respond to a discussion already begun – it’s really
easy!

 

Mini-Charette on Combined Fire Department/Structured Parking Site Feasibility Study on UNH C-Lot

On Wednesday,
March 2, 2011
beginning at 7:00 PM, the
Town of Durham will hold a Mini-Charette in the
Council chambers at the Durham
Town Hall. The charette
will be on a Site Feasibility Study on the UNH-owned
parking lot currently known as ‘C Lot’, located at Mill Road across from Mill Road Plaza. This charette was originally
scheduled for December 16,
2010, but because the lead architect had a sudden death in her
family and was not be able to attend, the charette was cancelled.

 

Discussion
will center on developing the parcel with a new Fire Department building and
parking garage. This meeting is open to the public and the Town is looking for
input from all interested parties.  We are hopeful that members of Durham’s downtown business
community will attend to provide input.

 

           

 

    Courtesy Craig Seymour

 

Selective Cutting Scheduled at Doe Farm 

The Trustees of the Trust Funds and
the Durham Public Works Department, working with Forester Charles Moreno, have
updated the forestry management plan for the Doe Farm.  Selective cutting
and harvesting operations are set to begin later this month or in early
February, which will help improve the forest, remove many of the snags and
hanging trees caused by last year’s wind storm, and provide income for the
Olinthus Doe Trust, under the terms of which the Town was given the land. 
Since the harvesting operations involve the use of heavy machinery, the forest
will be temporarily closed to recreational uses during the 5-12 week time frame
that will be required to complete the process.  The Trustees appreciate
your cooperation and apologize for any inconvenience; however the work being
done this winter will result in a healthier and more productive forest for the
future.  For more information, please contact the Trustees at cemetery@ci.durham.nh.us.  To
view a map of the Doe Farm, click HERE.

 

2011 Road Program

DPW staff
opened bids yesterday afternoon for the 2011 road program.  It was a busy
bid opening with a record of 8 competitive bids this year.  These are the
most bids ever received for this project, which is good for the Town.  The
bids ranged from $423,667.50 to $468,162.5 which will allow us to stay on track
with our planned road program, but not do additional work.  DPW staff will be reviewing the proposals
for Council action on February 7^th.

 

CLEAR SNOW FROM SECOND
EXIT DOOR – A SAFETY REMINDER FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT

Following the recent snowfall and in
anticipation of more snow this weekend, the Durham Fire Department would like
to remind residents and business owners to clear snow from your SECOND exit
door.  Typically, homeowners pay attention to the entrance door that is
most often used.  In the event of a fire emergency where smoke or fire
prohibits access to the primary door, building occupants would need to utilize
the “other” less used door.  Since storm doors open out, even a light
accumulation of snow could hinder the occupant’s ability to open the
door.  Additionally, this entrance may be the best way for emergency
personnel to access your home or business if there is a medical
emergency. 

 

Exits should be cleared at least the
width of each exit door and the exit path should lead to the driveway, street,
or sidewalk.  Also, be sure to check the operation of your smoke and
carbon monoxide detectors.  Early warning is a critical component to
surviving a fire or carbon monoxide incident.

 

If you have any questions please call
the Durham Fire Department at 868-5531.  As always, thank you for helping
us help you. 

 

DURHAM FIRE
DEPARTMENT - 100 Year Anniversary Shirts for Sale!

The tee shirts are now in and they are
going fast. They are available in sizes from triple X to youth
medium.   The adult sizes are $20.00 each and the youth sizes are
$15.00 each. Please make checks payable to Durham Call Department. Please
call, stop by, or email Melissa at the Durham Fire Department to get yours
today: 862-1426, fire@ci.durham.nh.us.

 

A
Nice Opportunity for Oyster River Band Students through UNH

Band students in grades 5-12 are
invited to join the New Hampshire Youth Band at the University of New Hampshire.
This enrichment band is directed by UNH
Professor and Durham resident Mark DeTurk and Cooperative Middle School
(Stratham, NH) Band Director Eric Kobb with the
assistance of UNH music students.
The New Hampshire Youth Band meets Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in
the Paul Creative Arts
Center at UNH. The first meeting of the new semester will be
January 26, 2011. Tuition is $50 for the rest of the academic year. Interested
students or their parents should call Prof. DeTurk at 862-3244 or e-mail him at
mark.deturk@unh.edu.

 

Home energy
audits: Advice from NHDES

The bitter cold days of January and
February—and the monthly heating bill—might be turning some homeowner's
thoughts to energy audits. The January issue of “GREENWorks: Ideas for a
Cleaner Environment,” a newsletter from the NH Department of Environmental
Services, focuses on just this topic. “Energy Audits and Renewable Energy Choices”
covers the range of options, from DIY to hiring a professional auditor, with
links to additional resources. The newsletter may be downloaded from the NHDES
site at http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/newsletters/greenworks/documents/201101-greenworks.pdf

 

UNH
Police Department
Citizens Police
Academy

The command staff of The University of
New Hampshire Police Department, Chief Nicholas Halias, Deputy Chief Paul
Kopreski, and Deputy Chief Paul Dean, will be hosting the 5^th
Session of the Citizens
Police Academy,
beginning Wednesday, February 9, 2011 from 7:00-9:00 PM at the Dimond Library,
Media Room 231.  This class is open to all, students, faculty, staff, and
citizens in the community.  If you are interested in attending the
academy, please click HERE for more
information and click HERE
to access the Prescreening Questionnaire.

 

SUPERVISORS OF THE
CHECKLIST

Durham Supervisors of the Checklist
will meet at the Town Hall twice in January to accept new voters and to make
corrections to the checklist. Supervisors will me on Saturday, January 22
from 10:30-11:30 AM. Changes in party registration can also be made at t his
time.

 

Prospective voters are required by law
to show proof of identity, age (18 by the Election Day), domicile/residence in Durham, and US citizenship. A driver’s license
and a birth certificate or passport are useful. Affidavits of domicile and
citizenship may be signed under oath if proofs are lacking.

 

Meeting
RegardING Agriculture and Aquaculture in Durham

The Town of Durham is updating the community’s Master
Plan in 2011, with the first public “visioning” session scheduled for January
28^th.  The “visioning” session provides a great opportunity for
residents to express its support for policies and land use regulations that
enable and support the production and sale of local vegetables, flowers, garden
plants, compost, maple syrup, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, hay, fiber, and other
agricultural and aquaculture products.

 

A meeting will be held on Sunday,
January 23, 2011 from 3:00-5:00 PM (snow date Thursday, January 27^th,
7:00 PM) at in the Community Meeting Room at the Durham Police Department to
discuss making Durham a more sustainable community through supporting and
encouraging locally grown and raised products. Interested residents are
invited to attend this meeting and provide their perspective on ways in which Durham can better support
and sustain local production and learn what other towns are doing to promote
sustainability and economic development by supporting local agriculture. For
more information, contact Dave Langley, 868-5650,

Team_Hill_Studios@comcast.net
or Theresa Walker, 534-3913, theresawalker@comcast.net.

 

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. 

 

Master Plan
Forum Committee – Monday, January 24, 2011 (5-6:00 PM)

Town Council
– Monday, January 24, 2011.  To view the complete Council packet for this
meeting, please click HERE. 

Master Plan
Survey Subcommittee – Tuesday, January 25, 2011 (5-6:30 PM)

Zoning Board
of Adjustment – Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Planning
Board – Wednesday, January 26, 2011

 

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 PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS
AND EVENTS

 

§  Winter Carnival & Chili Tasting, Feb 12^th from 11:30 AM –
2:00 PM at the Mill Pond. Residents and businesses are welcome to provide a crock
of Chili to share. Please contact the Parks & Recreation Dept. at 817-4074
for more information.

 

The Parks & Recreation Nature Note – Sweet Trail

The Sweet
Trail twists and turns through lands protected, owned and managed by the town
of Durham, the Nature Conservancy, New Hampshire Fish & Game, Society for
the Protection of NH Forests and private landowners. From downtown Durham, take route 108
south and turn left onto Longmarsh
Road. The trailhead is located 2 miles down the
road with parking on the left side just before the gate. The Sweet Trail is
open to the public and offers excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing. The
many habitats spied through binoculars include: Wood Duck, Osprey, Great Blue
Heron, and Belted Kingfisher to name just a few. The winding nature trail is
for pedestrian use only and links a pathway from conservation land to the sea.

 

Durham
Public Library Programs and Events

§  Pets
are Purrrfect Friends, Cocheco Valley Humane Society visit,
Sat. Jan.22^nd 10:30 a.m. - Learn about pets and pet care! Cocheco
Valley Humane Society will visit with one of their favorite pets. Don't miss
this fun and informative visit about pets for children and families of all
ages.

§  Preschool Storytime  Tues.  Jan. 25th and Thurs.
Jan. 27th at 10:30 a.m. - This week: Space and Astronauts!  Join us for
stories, fingerplays, songs, feltboard and a craft.

§  Pajama Storytime, Tues. Jan. 25^th,
6:30-7:30 p.m. -  Join ORPP -  the Oyster River
Parents and Preschoolers group – for the library's monthly night-time
storytime. Come wearing your pajamas! This month we invite you to come and
learn about outer space! We will read stories about space and astronauts and
make a space craft. This is a fun time for kids and networking parents. All are
welcome!

§  Beyond the Eiffel
Tower:  An Interactive Look at
the Beauty of Paris, Weds.
Jan. 26^th, 6:00-7:30 p.m. - Dreaming of the romantic streets of Paris? Take a
photographic and musical trip through the City of Light
and Love with UNH Professor Henry Smith, who has found "art in the
streets" during his extensive adventures in France's beautiful, history-soaked
capital city.

§  Town
of Durham
Master Plan Update Forum at the ORMS,
Friday, Jan. 28^th, 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. - The Durham Downtown Master
Plan will be discussed. The library will be at the event with stories and a
craft for children during the meetings and there will be a free community
dinner. All residents are invited to participate in the forum to help structure
the updating of Durham’s
Master Plan. Questions?  Call the Durham
Planning Office.

§  Join the patch program, our reading incentive program for
children aged 2-12 years. Children earn patches for minutes read or being read
to as well as a Durham Library book bag. If new to the program, stop by and register.

§  Registration for Tales for tails. Have a young reader who could use
some non-judgmental encouragement for reading aloud? A Delta Therapy dog is
waiting for your child. Sign up now at the library for a 6 week session in
January and February.

§  Registration for Seacoast Reads Second
Semester has
begun.  Sign-up for a UNH reading buddy for your child in grades 1^st
through 3^rd.  Sessions will begin in February.

 

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND
EVENTS

§  Friday, January 28^th, 7:30
PM, Community Church of Durham
– Winter Organ Concert featuring Organist Jim Bullock. Mr. Bullock will
be playing Bach, Liszt, and Alain among others.

§  Saturday, January 29^th,
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Durham
Evangelical Church
– PC Clinic. Bring in your “sick” PC and the DEC tech team will run
basic diagnostics tests for FREE. For more information, visit www.decITSupport.com.  

 

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

“During 1956,
9 feet 8 inches of snow fell on Durham
requiring the removal of 44 million cubic feet of snow from the highways. The
size of the job: Every time it snowed there were 35 miles of road to be plowed;
35 miles of road to be sanded; 20 miles of road to be treated with salt; 30
private driveways to be plowed; 15 dead-end streets to be negotiated; 347
driveway entrances not to be filled; sidewalks to be plowed; areas on congested
streets where snow had to be trucked away. To get the job done: The town used 4
three-ton trucks; 1 road grader; 1 caterpillar tractor; 150 tons of salt; 400
tons of sand; 1 three quarter ton truck. The cost of the job: Manhours required
– 3,798; payroll - $4,523.86; equipment maintenance - $2,219.31 (Town Report
1956).” Published
in 1985 by the Durham
Historic Association.

 

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 Durham has developed a
list server. The server provides interested individuals with updates and
announcements concerning the community. Individuals interested in subscribing
should send an email to Town_of_Durham@ci.durham.nh.us
and type the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.