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 NEWS AND HAPPENINGS ...
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Durham's Building-Planning-Zoning-Assessing Office has been extraordinarily busy this week as projects under construction work toward the opening of UNH in about a week. As of this afternoon, three of the five large projects under construction downtown have received temporary certificate of occupancy permits for the residential portions of their buildings - Madbury Commons, Pauly's Pockets, and Mark Henderson's project. Courtesy Todd Selig
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Some nice stories from the community ...
Early this morning, a Durham family had an unexpected surprise. The family set a Have a Heart trap to catch a pesky woodchuck in the yard only to find ... a skunk ... in the trap! The Police Department's Animal Control Officer provided assistance ... without an odor!
In an other instance this week, an 8-year old was enjoying petting her Goldendoodle on the head and exclaimed to her father, "I enjoy petting our dog on the scallop!" "Scalp," the dad corrected.
Finally, another family from the Bagdad Road area was spotted swimming in and around the Wiswall Dam reservior by the John Hatch Park last Saturday. They found a 2 foot in diameter snapping turtle that had climed up into the fish ladder but had become stuck. The son and his dad crawled up into the fish ladder, wrapped the turtle in a towel, and carefully carried it to safety. Personally, I would not have crawled up into that fish ladder with a 2 foot snapper!
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Julian Smith wearing his FUNHOP Preserve the POOL shirt from two years ago at the time of the great pool debate between Durham and UNH. Courtesy Julian Smith
JULIAN SMITH TO STEP DOWN FROM TOWN COUNCIL ON OR BEFORE SEPTEBMER 21ST
When Julian Smith stood for re-election in early 2014, his plan was to continue making his home in Durham for another three years before retiring to join his wife at their other home in Georgia. But Mr. Smith's family situation has changed in a number of unexpected ways in the last six months, which is why he informed the Town Council on Monday evening that he must resign from the Council at or before the September 21st meeting, which he hopes to be able to attend.
Mr. Smith indicated that it has been a great honor to have been chosen to serve our town for the last ten and a half years as a member of the Durham Town Council.
The Town Charter provides that when a vacancy occurs on the Council, the Town Council shall appoint a resident to fill the vacancy until the next regularly scheduled election (March 2016), at which time someone can run for the remaining term of that office.
Residents interested in filling this upcoming vacancy should complete an application for board appointment form available for download here and submit it to Jennie Berry at jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.
Residents should feel free to speak with a member of the Town Council or Administrator Selig about what being a Town Councilor entails.
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DOWNTOWN APARTMENT MOVE IN PROCESS - AN UPDATE
The week of UNH student move-in is upon us. Freshmen move-in day is Friday, August, 28th and while the Durham Police have significant experience with this historically challenging day, 3,500 incoming freshmen arriving with parents, siblings and often grandparents, creates a traffic problem regardless of the best plans.
Durham residents should be aware of the traffic problem that will be acute from 8AM to around 2PM on Friday!
The apartments under construction are another issue that generally, and most likely in the future will not pose any issues, but this year will.
The Henderson complex on the corner of Main Street and Madbury Road are already occupied as is Pauly’s on the corner of Mill Road and Main Street.
Madbury Commons will begin move-in over the next several days. There is ample parking along Madbury Road and the Durham Police, in partnership with the Madbury Commons management team, have developed a realistic strategy that should not hamper or disrupt traffic in the area.
The Orion property located on Main Street/Church Hill is running behind on completion by at most 4 days according to the owners and while there may be “some” apartments ready and approved for move-in this coming week, as of this "Friday Update," it is unclear of the exact timeline.
The management team of Orion properties is working with the student renters to locate temporary housing as the project is completed.
Durham resident/owner Tom Christie's project on Jenkins Court still does not have a TCO. It is small enough, however, that it should not present any more move in issues than would normally be the case.
In the years to come, the move-in strategy will not be so complicated as students will be moving in at various times without a mass exodus as we face this year as construction winds down.
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DURHAM'S NEW COMMERCIAL SPACE IS ALMOST ALL RENTED
Mary Ellen Humphrey, Durham’s part-time Economic Development Director, compiles an inventory of available commercial (retail and office) space in Durham.
New construction projects have added leasing opportunities, but they are going fast. Currently there are only three retail spots remaining available with just under 5,000 SF total: Madbury Commons has 2,000 SF and the Henderson property has two areas with 1,300 SF and 1,400 SF respectively.
There are two very small spaces at the Mill plaza totaling only 245 SF. When finished, a couple more small spaces will open up on Jenkins Court.
Available office space totals a little more than 6,000 SF - comprised of two buildings in the Orion project with about 1,800 SF each, People’s United with 1,300 SF on their second floor, 65 Newmarket Road with another 850 SF, and Jenkin’s Court offering just over 1,000 SF on their 4th floor.
Who's coming to these new sites:
Kostis Building, 10 Pettee Brook Lane Papa Johns
Additional UNH space (for overflow classes, etc)
Madbury Commons Saxby’s Coffee
Kennebec Savings Bank
UNH Interoperability Lab (IOL) (Taxable space)
Alpha Loft
UNH Innovation Program
Paul Eja’s Building at 49 Main St Sol Sista is moving there from 9 Madbury Road
Current Residents remain – Pauly’s Pockets &
Hair Excitement
9-11 Madbury Road (changes) Joanne Stella, Attorney
Computer Repair shop
Henderson Building Walk In Medical Service (name TBA)
Bikram Hot Yoga
Other business notes:
The Durham House of Pizza has recently completed significant renovations to update and modernize the establishment.
The Durham Bike shop moved from Jenkins Court to its new location right behind Subway at 72 Main St.
Mt. Everest Goods opened a clothing store at 14 Jenkins Court over the summer.
Applied Geosolutions (owner Bill & Carrie Salas) purchased former Town Office to locate their business. They will invest over $600,000 into the building which was purchased for $650,000.
Harmony Homes has begun the application process for construction of a new elder care facility at the Durham Business Park. Estimated completion in 2016.
Contact Mary Ellen Humphrey, Economic Development Director, for more information or if you need assistance finding a suitable space. 603 590-1387; mehumphrey@ci.durham.nh.us
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10 CHAPTERS OF DURHAM MASTER PLAN ENDORSED BY PLANNING BOARD ON WEDNESDAY
After 4 years of work and approximately $180,000 in cost, 10 chapters of the Durham Master Plan were endorsed by the Planning Board on Wednesday evening.
The Planning Board endorsed the final two chapters this Wednesday night – Downtown & Commercial Core and Economic Development – with numerous changes that will be incorporated by Matt Sullivan, SRPC planner.
All of the endorsed chapters can be viewed on the Town’s website below (the document shown at the top under each chapter), except for Downtown, Economic Development, and Historic Resources, for which SRPC is incorporating changes first. The Planning Department staff will upload them as soon as the changes are finished.
After that, there are some final details to be added to the chapters (such as finishing pointers to other chapters and making any adjustments in formatting). When those are completed all of the chapters will be brought back to the Planning Board together for another public hearing, and then all will be adopted by the Planning Board (most likely) together.
The intent for the final public hearing and review is primarily to reconcile any inconsistencies among the chapters, as appropriate.
The Strafford Regional Planning Commission reports that for the recent chapters, for every $1 spent creating the chapter, $2 was spent on public engagement and responding to communtiy feedback.
Only $5,000 remains in the 2015 buget to support further Master Plan work so once the initial 10 chapters are adopted, the process will take a break until additional funding can be budgeted for 2016. We estimate it will take approximately another $30,000 to work through the Future Land Use Chapter in 2016.
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ADDITIONAL PLANTINGS COMPLETE AT PEAK'S LODGES ON MAST ROAD
We are pleased to report that Peak has installed the supplemental trees and landscaping approved recently by the Planning Board. Residents will likely appreciate the effect more with time as the plantings grow in.
Congratulations to the Planning Board, Peak, and the interested citizens who brought this to fruition.
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DURHAM TOWN HALL RECEIVES LEED SILVER CERTIFICATION
We received official word this week that the new Durham Town Hall has received LEED Silver Certification. Kudos to all involved.
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Durham Police undertake periodic firearms qualifications this week in Durham. Courtesy Todd Selig
DURHAM POLICE USE NEW SHOOTING RANGE ADJACENT TO DPW FACILITY THIS WEEK FOR 1ST TIME
The Durham Police Department used the Town's new shooting range located on Stone Quarry Drive adjacent to the DPW facility. Public Works Department staff built the range when Durham Police was notified it could no longer use the City of Rochester's facility. Durham's police officers must undertake firearms qualifications periodically over the course of the year.
The new facility worked well.
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UPDATE ON STATUS OF RFP PROCESS FOR 66 MAIN STREET SITE
This week, the Foster’s Daily Democrat did an overview on the status of the former ATO redevelopment efforts between Durham and UNH. To view the article, click HERE.
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VEHICLE SPEED MONITORING ON PACKERS FALLS ROAD
There is a concerted effort to place the Durham Police Department’s Kustom StealthStat™, which has a Traffic Statistics Computer built into the unit, at various locations throughout the community.
As noted in previous Friday Updates, this box type radar unit is discretely mounted on sign poles or other vertical objects and allows the Town to track and analyze traffic that passes in front of the machine without the use or need for road tubes.
Additionally, the statistical computer software plots and graphically displays the number of vehicles vs. time of day, vehicle speed vs. time of day and vehicle speed vs. number of vehicles.
The computer was set up on Packers Falls Road where the posted speed limit is 35 MPH. Data was collected on 6,819 vehicles with the 10 mph “pace speed”, which is defined as the 10 MPH range containing the greatest number of vehicles, was determined to be 32-41 MPH. During the week, the frequency of vehicles exceeding the posted 35MPH by 10MPH was 2.9% with approximately 125 vehicles per hour traveling through this area!
On the weekend 3.2% of the vehicles exceeded the posted speed limit by 10MPH with an average of 78 vehicles per hour traversing Packers Falls during this period.
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(2016) CROMMET CREEK BRIDGE PROJECT - Informational Meeting Scheduled for Interested Residents
The Town of Durham Department of Public Works will be holding an informational meeting for the 2016 Crommet Creek Bridge Project in the Durham Town Council Chambers, on Thursday, September 17, 2015, starting at 7 PM. We cordially invite you to this meeting to help you learn more about this important project and answer your questions.
Town staff and Design Engineers, Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, will be available at the meeting to answer questions.
If you have any questions, please call Town Engineer April Talon, P.E. at 603-868-5578 or email atalon@ci.durham.nh.us
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A stand of Japanese Knotweed on private property in Durham. Courtesy Todd Selig
JAPANESE KNOTWEED HAS ARRIVED IN DURHAM - Be on the Lookout in Your Yard
When the German botanist Philipp von Siebold sent a variety of plant specimens to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew in August 1850, he had no idea what he was unleashing on the world.
Among the various floral and tuberous growths he dispatched was a plant that, 164 years later, would be causing issues for much of N. America and now … Durham.
It goes by the name of Japanese knotweed, or Fallopia japonica. It presents a pleasing appearance to the eye: heart-shaped leaves, bamboo stems and pretty, little white-flower tassels.
What is less obvious is this plant’s relentless killer instinct. Look through the horticultural literature, and you will see it described as “thuggish,” “ferocious,” “invasive” and an “indestructible scourge.” And where once it resided mainly in the wild, today it terrorizes private gardens and homes.
If you see knotweed in your yard, address it promptly. Here are some tips:
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Cutting the knotweed only removes the aboveground portion and only serves to stimulate the below ground rhizome.
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The most effective way to control this species is to prevent it from becoming established by removing it as soon as you find it colonizing an area. Be sure to bag and dispose of all plant parts: even a small fragment can start a new stand. Repeated cutting (3 to 4 times a year) will keep it from spreading, but won’t eliminate it. A good strategy for eliminating established stands is to follow a 3-step process. In late June cut or mow down the stalks. Allow the knotweed to regrow. After the middle of August spray the knotweed with glypho- sate (sometimes called RoundUp). It may require 3 to 5 years of repeated treatments before your knotweed is effectively controlled. Be sure to read and follow all herbicide labels carefully before use.
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Covering with a Tarp for long periods may also eventually kill the plants.
UNH Cooperative Extension has more information.
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DURHAM RECEIVES 1.72% INTEREST RATE ON BOND ISSUE THIS WEEK
As reported last week, Moody's Investors Service assigned a Aa2 rating to the Town of Durham's (NH) $3 million General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2015 (Bank Qualified Notes).
This week, Durham received eight bids on its bond issue with the winning offer at an interest rate of 1.72%. Only one bid was over 2% demonstrating strong interest in the Town’s bonds among investors. Having a strong bond rating is critical to have access to the market to fund the Town’s capital needs.
Durham’s Aa2 bond rating is an outstanding rating for a modestly sized community such as Durham. For comparison purposes: Dover has a Moody’s bond rating of Aa3. Rochester has a Aa3. Manchester has a Aa2. Keene has a Aa2. The State of NH has a AA1.
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MENDUMS POND DRAWDOWN SCHEDULED IN SEPTEMBER
With the UNH Outdoor Pool closed, many residents have turned to the UNH swimming area at Mendums Pond for relief from the heat. Unfortunately, that will soon be impacted by an NHDES drawdown of the pond.
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services’ Dam Bureau is planning to repair Mendum's Pond Dam and will be drawing down the level of the pond for the repair beginning in September.
Mendum's Pond Dam, built in 1840, is located in Nottingham, but most of the pond is in Barrington. A large portion of the pond is owned by the University of New Hampshire. The state has classified the dam as a high hazard structure because its failure would flood houses in Nottingham and Lee and submerge roadways downstream, including U.S. Route 4.
During recent dam inspections, the NHDES discovered the dam is experiencing seepage of water that, if left unaddressed, could threaten its structural integrity. Some of the seepage was recently found to be carrying soil particles originating from the interior of the dam embankment. That is an indication of serious problems developing within the dam that need to be addressed as soon as possible, said the NHDES.
Earlier this year, the NHDES conducted an aggressive grouting program in the concrete outlet of the dam to reduce the seepage leaking from the dam. While seepage was reduced in some locations, it continued in other locations on the downstream side of the dam, leaving the NHDES with the drawdown as its only option.
On or around Sept. 9, the NHDES will begin drawing down the pond approximately 20 feet to fully evaluate the condition of the foundation and to determine the best method of repair. That will take place over 30 to 45 days. The pond’s service will be temporarily reduced in size from 265 acres to around 83 acres. The deepest portion of the remaining water will be around 30 feet.
Once the drawndown begins, the water level will not be raised again until the repair work is completed.
The NHDES said it will not have definitive repair plans until the pond is drawn down and the problem can be evaluated. The NHDES is estimating that repairs will take between 12 and 24 months.
More information can be found at the NHDES website.
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"TRAVERSING THE TOWN GOWN CHALLENGE" ARTICLE IN BUSINESS NH MAGAZINE
This month, Business NH Magazine did a detailed article on the relationships between college campuses in NH and their host communities. Durham is prominently featured in the article. To view it, click HERE.
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A freshly painted sharrow stencil on Main Street
MAIN STREET STRIPING, CROSSWALKS, AND BICYCLE SHARROWS SYMBOLS BEING INSTALLED THIS WEEK – SPEED TABLES COMING TO COE DRIVE
Frequent drivers of Main Street will note that the Department of Public Works has been busy this week repainting lines and markings along Main Street and elsewhere in Durham following the repaving of a section of the downtown loop. Coe Drive will be striped in the coming week along with the installation of two speed tables there within the school zone.
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WHAT IS A SHARROW?
A “sharrow” or shared-lane marking is a street marking installed at locations in the United States and other countries. This marking is placed in the center of a travel lane to indicate that a bicyclist may use the full lane.
Shared-lane markings are used to:
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Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side within the same traffic lane;
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Alert motorists of the lateral location bicyclists are likely to occupy within the traveled way;
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Encourage safe passing of bicyclists by motorists;
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Reduce the incidence of wrong-way bicycling; and
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Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in a shared lane with on-street parallel parking in order to reduce the chance of a bicyclist’s impacting the open door of a parked vehicle.
Durham has a sharrow on Garrison Avenue between Madbury Road and Main Street, as well as one on Main Street in front of Libby’s. UNH also has several sharrows on campus.
For more information on sharrows, click HERE.
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ALLEYFEST 2015 IS SUNDAY, SEPTERMBER 20TH
The Main Street Makery and The Candy Bar will host Durham's 2nd annual AlleyFest and party in the alley. It includes free crafts, face painting, games and lots of nice surprises.
Music as well. Acoustic Truffle will start the event, be playing from 11-1ish. Sam Southworth, a local musician, will spend some time again this year. In the afternoon, there will be more local talent. The Whiskey Barrel Ramblers will come by and play.
Come listen to some great music, get creative, craft and play. Like last year, attendees will be working on a community mural.
Come by and help make this a special day in Durham.
Sunday, September 20th, 11-4pm
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DCAT CABLE CHANNEL 22
Bus Tour of Eversource Energy’s Seacoast Reliability Project - Total Run time: 21 Minutes. Join Durham residents along with Administrator Selig and James Jiottis, Manager & Transmission Engineer at Eversource Energy, tour residents around Durham. This video will be available for viewing on Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 PM & 6:30 PM, Monday at 11:30 AM, Tuesday at 11:00 AM & 5:30 PM, Wednesday at 8:00 AM & 5:00 PM, Thursday at 9:30 AM & 5:00 PM and Friday at 8:00 AM & 10:00 PM, also on our On Demand site.
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If you missed the last “Music by the Bay” series on July 16th, no worries, DCAT 22 Studios was there to capture the show. Watch the Marcy Drive Band play many of your classic rock favorites, or just tune in and have it on as background music. This video is only available on our On Demand site. DCAT 22 replay times: 10:30 & 5:00 PM, Saturday & Sunday.
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Join DCAT 22 Studios on a time lapse video tour of our New Town Hall. Watch from a bird’s eye view as the Town Hall starts as the old bank and quickly transforms into our new space. This video is only available on our On Demand site.
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DCAT is Live Streaming
Please join DCAT for any of our regularly scheduled meetings live-streamed directly to the device of your choice . It’s easy, all you have to do is go to: live-stream.com and follow the prompts to set up your live stream account. You’ll receive email updates as to when the meeting will be held and the start time. All you have to do is click and watch. Live-stream works on any PC (just remember to update your Adobe Flash player), Apple or Android device. Please contact dcat@ci.durham.nh.us with any questions.
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PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Durham Parks and Recreation, its Director and Committee, strive to offer a wide range of quality programs, parks, and facilities that encourage all community members to participate in healthy, fun, and enriching activities. Together, they celebrate the essential role public recreation plays in fostering a cohesive and vibrant community.
CHURCHILL RINK UPDATE - Installation of new ice equipment progresses
Progress continues on the refrigeration equipment upgrade at Churchill Rink. The old compressors and chiller system have been disassembled and removed from their location. Refrigeration Services and Department of Public Works employees are preparing to now install the updated equipment via crane back into the designated location where a portion of the roof was removed to accommodate the slightly larger, newer equipment. The roof will be reconstructed once everything is in place.
PICK-UP PICKLEBALL IN DURHAM!
This is a low-impact doubles racket sport that blends tennis, badminton and ping pong. The Parks & Recreation Department will be offering fall clinics at Woodridge Park to introduce Pickleball to the community. The court will remain open (net set-up) throughout the week, 10am-5pm for pick-up style play. Equipment is available to rent at the Parks & Recreation Department office, please call ahead to arrange a rental. Fall clinic schedule: Tuesdays, September 8th & 22nd and October 6th & 20th from 1-2pm. A one-time player registration fee for those who wish to participate in the clinics, $5/Durham residents, $10/non residents.
DURHAM DAY EXHIBITORS/PARTICIPANTS WANTED
Exhibitors/Participants We are currently looking for businesses and organization to be part of the Durham Day celebration. This is a great way to get the word out about what you do and give back to the community. Registration forms are available at Durham Town Hall, the Parks and Recreation Department office or by visiting our website. Click HERE for registration details.
Boats and drivers- Boat rides around the bay is a Durham Day favorite. If you are available to donate your boat and time for group tours, please sign up, we’d love to have you! Boat rides will take place from 12:30-2:00pm (changed due to tides).
Save The Dates-Fall After School Programs!
Some last minute details are being ironed out before registration for these programs is officially open. Stay tuned!
-Coyote Club- Mondays, starting September 21st
-After School Adventures Paddling- Mondays & Wednesdays, starting September 21st
-After School Adventures Mountain Biking- Mondays & Wednesdays, starting October 19th
Parks and Recreation Committee Vacancies
The Parks and Recreation Committee has three vacancies to fill. If you are passionate about recreation here in Durham and would like to help support and guide the Parks and Recreation Department, please consider joining this committee. Those who are interested should contact Parks and Recreation Director, Rachel Gasowski at rgasowski@ci.durham.nh.us or committee chair, Mike Sievert at mikesievert@mjs-engineering.com. All three vacancies are three year terms.
We want to hear from you!
Have a new exciting program idea? Please be sure to share your vision with Parks and Recreation Director, Rachel Gasowski. Stop by the Recreation Department Office (2 Dover Road), or call/email the department at (603) 817-4074/ rgasowski@ci.durham.nh.us.
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DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
The Durham Public Library has a wealth of events available for all ages within the communtiy. Check out the Library web site to learn more.
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FROM "HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL - A BRIEF HISTORY OF DURHAM, NH, 1600 - 1976 written by Philip A. Wilcox and members of the Durham Historic Association
1974 - Enrollment at the University grew from 2,400 in 1923 to 10,000 in 1974. Other state institutions of higher education at Keene, Plymouth and Merrimack Valley enrolled an additional 4,500 students. These and other units were incorporated into a single University System of New Hampshire.
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