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This week's Friday Updates will include many initiatives that the Town has developed to address climate change. The photographs used throughout the updates were part of a PowerPoint presentation Administrator Selig gave during the EBC New England Climate Change Resilience & Adaptation Summit held in Smithfield, Rhode Island last Friday.
Be sure to mark your calendar and plan to attend the Summer Splash and Potluck Picnic event, sponsored by Durham Parks & Recreation, this Sunday, August 4th, from 6 - 8:30 PM at the UNH Outdoor Pool!
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PLANNING & ZONING OFFICE CLOSED 1-3:30 PM ON AUGUST 6TH
The Planning, Zoning, & Assessing Office will be CLOSED between the hours of 1:00 and 3:30 PM on Tuesday, August 6, 2019.
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DURHAM DAY 2019 - Cancelled due to WHF shoreline stabilization efforts/construction activities.
Due to the current efforts underway to restore and stabilize the shoreline at Wagon Hill Farm, this year's Durham Day event has been cancelled. Durham Parks and Recreation plans to have a big Trick-or-Treat event in October that should be of great interest. More details will follow in upcoming "Friday Updates".
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UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES VOTE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH UNH HOTEL AND MIXED USE HOUSING PROPOSALS IN DOWNTOWN DURHAM
The University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees voted yesterday to authorize UNH officials to move forward with negotiations on two major development projects at UNH in downtown Durham.
The projects include replacing two undergraduate residence halls (Hetzel & Alexander Halls) with a boutique hotel and parking garage, and building a new, privately-owned mixed use development with graduate housing at 66 Main Street (the former ATO fraternity site) in Durham
UNH will be working with Elliott Sidewalk Communities on both of the projects. That company is set to purchase the Main St. property, and will fund the cost of the hotel and parking garage.
The developer indicates it will charge graduate students less than the market rate at the proposed housing complex.
Read a full story on line from NH Public Radio HERE.
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UNH CLUB TENNIS TEAM USING DURHAM'S WOODRIDGE PARK THIS SUMMER FOR TENNIS PRACTICES
While the University of New Hampshire tennis courts are under construction this summer, the UNH Club Tennis Team will be conducting its practices at Durham's Woodridge Park two to three times per week between the hours of 4 and 6PM.
There will be approximately 30 participants with an anticipated 8-10 vehicles at the park.
Go Wildcats!
NOTE: The Club Tennis team has been asked to leave 2 courts open for the public during the practices.
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Work is underway along Bagdad Road to effectuate dam removal and culvert replacement for the former Littlehale Pond. Courtesy Todd Selig
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LITTLEHALE POND PROJECT UPDATE
The existing Littlehale Pond culvert is a 24” diameter corroded corrugated metal pipe with a concrete dam structure that carries the flow from Littlehale Creek and Littlehale Brook under Bagdad Road and to Beards Creek which flows under Coe Drive. DPW has researched the history of Littlehale Pond beginning in 2013. Fitts Farm encompassed most of the land bordering Bagdad Road, Emerson Road and Edgewood Road. For years was a working farm with both livestock and crops. Sometime in the late 1940’s a shallow, small pond was created in the current location of Littlehale Pond/Dam by the Fitts Family Farm folks for use by the livestock and for irrigation.
During our research and in meetings with NHDES including the Dam Bureau it was determined that the current weir structure was not registered as a dam and had various deficiencies. NHDES expressed that removing the pond and restoring it back to a flowing stream would be the best alternative to restore a healthy environment.
This project includes removing a dam structure and replacing the existing undersized culvert with a 10’ wide x 6’ high precast concrete box culvert with appropriate headwalls and associated minor roadway reconstruction work. Additional work includes the upgrade of water, sewer, and addition of innovate stormwater treatment practices. In order to move the water existing waterline a shut down will be required but will take place in the overnight hours to minimize disruption to residents.
Bagdad Road will be closed to thru traffic for the duration of the project.
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CICADA KILLER WASPS LIVING ON STROUT LANE! – Research indicates they do not pose threat to humans unless accosted!
Resident Will Wollheim contacted the Public Works Department last week concerning abnormally large and strange looking wasps nesting in the ground along the edge of Strout Lane by the cul-de-sac.
Public Works investigated and followed up with a UNH entomology expert. The identified bugs are the cicada killer wasp and very much unharmful to humans, although they look very menacing. DPW staff observed two females carrying a cicada to the ground this week. A person would really have to rough up the Cicada Killer Wasps or roll around in their nests for them to attack anyone or anything. The wasps use the cicadas to provision their nest, which is a whole dug in the ground. They lay an egg on each prey item and their babies eat the cicada after they hatch.
So best advice is to urge people to keep their dogs and small children away from the nests in the ground. Otherwise they are safe, believe it or not.
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Great Bay, Little Bay, Oyster River, and the Lamprey River are the Town’s significant bodies of water so when it rains a lot or when the tide abnormally rises during King Tide events, we’re impacted.
With 16,009 residents, Durham is home to the University of New Hampshire (UNH), which has a student enrollment of around 15,000. The Town/Gown relationship in Durham is exceptionally strong with myriad areas of active collaboration, including many climate-related resiliency and adaptation initiatives.
Durham has significant wetlands, forested land, and conservation land that helps filter and control stormwater runoff during periods of high rainfall. As a result of painstaking efforts over many years to conserve identified high value conservation land, the percentage of land area in town either permanently protected or owned by the Town/UNH is 44.7%.
We’re currently pursuing a 40-acre parcel along the Oyster River, which if acquired and connected via a small pedestrian bridge spanning the river, will directly link downtown Durham, our Faculty Neighborhood, and the UNH core campus to 2,000 acres of conservation land – creating an easily accessible future natural oasis for residents on hot 100 + degree days.
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DAM DILEMMA AT DURHAM'S MILL POND DAM - Majority in NH favor removing dams unless they’re providing power
With with future of the Mill Pond Dam on the minds of many Durham residents, a study this week published by the Carsey School of Public Policy may be of interest.
New England’s rivers and streams host more than 14,000 dams, many of them centuries old and built for purposes that no longer apply, such as powering long-closed mills as was the case in Durham. These aging dams — which may require upgrades and maintenance (as the Mill Pond Dam does) to avoid becoming public safety risks — present a policy dilemma as communities weigh the costs of maintaining or removing their dams. New research from UNH’s Carsey School of Public Policy and New Hampshire EPSCoR can help communities navigate the complexity of these dam decisions.
New research has found that a majority of respondents in three NH polls favor removing dams except when they’re being used for hydropower generation. When the alternative is to keep dams to maintain waterfront property values, preserve industrial history, or maintain lake- and pond-based recreation, most NH residents polled favor removing the dams to create free-flowing rivers that benefit fish and wildlife.
Read more HERE.
Read more information about Durham’s Mill Pond Dam HERE.
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This way to the Durham Farmers' Market. Courtesy Todd Selig
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DURHAM FARMERS' MARKET - Each Monday afternoon in the Sammy's downtown lot off Pettee Brook Lane
Be sure to stop by the Durham Farmers' Market being held on Monday afternoons at the Sammy's/Store 24 Parking Lot. A variety of locally produced farm products, prepared foods, and fine crafts will be available Mondays 2:15 - 6:00 PM.
There will be regular as well as guest vendors with an increasing variety of vegetables available as the season progresses.Beginning Monday August 5 there will be live acoustic music at the market so be sure to stop by!
One positive aspect is that folks can walk downtown to access the market and while they are there, shop/eat in other downtown establishments.
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UPDATE ON PFAS TOPIC NEAR DURHAM LANDFILL ON DURHAM POINT ROAD – Durham is endeavoring to be proactive with recent positive PFOA test results
This is part of an ongoing update relative to the PFAS topic and the detection that the Town had at one address on Durham Point Road.
The NH legislative committee approved the stricter limits a week ago Thursday and these limits are likely to take effect in October 2019. As readers may remember, previously the detection for PFAS we found/highlighted did not trigger NH state limits/action. The new limit of PFOA as proposed by NHDES is 12 ppt.
Town Engineer April Talon spoke with the affected homeowner. Only one homeowner well had a higher detection in the well testing for PFOA — at a level of 13 ppt.
Ms. Talon contacted NHDES to inform them that she had notified the homeowner and that NHDES would likely receive a phone call from this resident.
Ms. Talon also spoke with the Town's testing/environmental consultant and asked them to follow up with the homeowner to schedule additional sampling. The initial sample was taken as “raw” water prior to a whole house arsenic filtering system that is in place there. If the arsenic filtering system is activated carbon, we are told that this would also be effective on filtering PFOA.
Updated FAQ for PFAS, published by NHDES, can be found HERE.
Staff have taken the position on this topic that Durham should be proactive and completely transparent with potentially affected residences around the Town’s capped landfill. There is always the possibility that the PFAS detected is from a source other than the landfill, however, the landfill is the most plausible source with information to date and we want to be an appropriately responsible municipality. If you remember, it was Durham that took the proactive step to test for PFAS at the landfill a year before NHDES suggested doing so. We followed up with a second round of sampling and then reached out proactively to sample wells in the immediate vicinity of the facility. We are taking responsible steps without the legal requirement to do so in real time. That is what a responsible municipality should do.
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAUNCHES BACKPACK DRIVE
The New Hampshire Department of Education has launched its 4th Annual Backpack Drive to make it easier for Granite State students to go back to school in the Fall. The Department is asking people to donate new backpacks for students of all ages from now through August 16.
Drop off the new backpacks at the Durham Town Hall (Administrator's Office). The backpacks will be given to school nurses across the state, who will distribute them to students in need. Durham will arrange to transport backpacks to the Department of Education to facilitate donations.
In its first year, the Backpack Drive collected 170 backpacks. Last year, that grew to more than 500. For more information, contact Diana Fenton at (603) 271-3189 or mailto:Diana.fenton@doe.nh.gov.
So far, two backpacks have been dropped off at the Town Hall.
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Projected sea level rise will contribute in the years ahead to the gradual inundation of coastal areas. We’re already seeing it – and are responding locally in Durham. For example, residents could have joined volunteers this past Wednesday for a day of planting a brand new living shoreline at the Town’s Wagon Hill Farm. There will be 296 feet of shoreline restored, re-graded, armored with natural hard and soft-scape materials, and planted to restore the salt marsh and tidal buffer that has eroded over time. It’s a project that has taken 4+ yeas of design and close collaboration between the Town, state/Federal regulators, the Harbor Master, the regional planning commission, and UNH environmental researchers utilizing around $500.000 in local and state grant funds. We believe it will become a regional demonstration project for living shorelines.
Durham is working with the Strafford Regional Planning Commission utilizing NHDES funding to study the potential impact of sea level rise on fresh water private wells within the community. It’s and interesting initiative focusing on an issue that until now has literally been out of site and out of mind.
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CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION SUBMITS MOTION TO NH SUPREME COURT TO STAY EVERSOURCE SRP
This week the Town received notice that the NH Supreme Court had denied Eversource’s request for summary judgment (in essence a request by Eversource for the Court to dismiss the case without arguments) and that the appeal of the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and the Durham private abutters concerning the crossing of Little Bay and potentially other matters had been accepted and will be scheduled for oral argument before the full Court. On Tuesday afternoon, CLF filed a petition for the Court to stay the project.
View the CLF request to stay the project HERE.
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Durham emergency responders execute a technical rescue on a male patient with a hip injury on the 4th floor at Stoke Hall. Courtesy DFD
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DURHAM'S EMERGENCY RESPONDERS EXECUTE TECHNICAL RESCUE AT UNH'S STOKE HALL
On Friday July 26, 2019 the Durham Fire Department and McGregor Memorial EMS responded to Stoke Hall for a medical aid consisting of a male patient with a hip injury on the 4th floor. Arriving firefighters quickly determined that a traditional patient extrication from the building to the ambulance via elevator would not be a viable option because the elevators in Stoke Hall are not large enough for a full stretcher (the stretcher must be raised to a seated position to fit in the elevator car which is problematic for a patient with a hip injury who requires the stretcher to be completely flat). Older residence halls on campus present a variety of challenges such as this.
Due to the complex nature of this rescue, additional personnel were requested to the scene as well as for station coverage. This complex rescue was effected by 10 Durham Fire members on scene who worked with UNH Facilities to remove the end window from the west wing hallway to facilitate removing the patient from the building via a Stokes basket and the platform of Tower 3.
This rescue plan via the tower platform eliminated the risk of further patient and responder injury by attempting to hand-carry the basket down four flights of stairs to the first building ground exit. The evolution was executed in a manner consistent with the department’s advanced technical rescue and apparatus training.
Kudos to all personnel for a job well done.
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THE MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD PROCESS – Would this be a process/program from which Durham could benefit?
Over the years, we’ve worked locally to embrace the concept of Kaizen or continuous improvement. In essence, continuous improvement means that even the most talented people, when working hard within a process, can realize ongoing improvement by improving upon the process and the skills they bring to the task.
For some time, Administrator Selig has read about The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which was established by the U.S. Congress in 1987 to raise awareness of quality management and recognize US companies (and now government and non-profit entities as well) that have implemented successful quality management systems. The award is the nation's highest presidential honor for performance excellence. The award is named after the late Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige, a proponent of quality management.
Mr. Selig will explore this further, as a potential long-range aspiration for the Town of Durham to discuss with the Town Council. If nothing else, learning more about it may give us ideas about ways to continue to hone our local operation.
If you think this might be a good or a bad idea, please email your thoughts to tselig@ci.durham.nh.us.
Learn more about the Malcolm Baldrige program HERE.
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In Durham, the Mother’s Day Flood of 2006 closed down local roadways for days, stranding entire neighborhoods and cutting off residents from food, medical supplies, and emergency services.
Between 2006 – 2018 Durham Public Works tracked twelve significant, unusually large and destructive storm events impacting our community – including the impacts of two hurricanes. To respond, we’ve worked closely with Eversource to improve local electrical grid infrastructure utilizing protected Hendrix cable, ramped up roadside trimming programs, and we have worked locally to improve emergency planning with respect to known low-lying areas via local resilience measures focusing on stormwater management, bridge, and roadway deficiencies as identified in the Climate Adaptation Chapter of our Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Through our proactive planning, we know we have 6 critical facilities and 11 bridges within the 100 year flood plain. Forewarned is forearmed in terms of being mindful of enhancements that will be needed locally when future work is necessary and ripe for such infrastructure.
The Town has developed an energy checklist to encourage developers, applicants for Site Plan or Subdivision review, and applicants for building permits to systematically consider the energy efficiency of Durham’s new or renovated buildings and sites that are being developed or subdivided. Completion of this checklist and a meeting with the Building Inspector and a representative of the Durham Energy Committee is required prior to any Planning Board site plan or subdivision approval.
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OPENING A BUSINESS IN TOWN? EXPANDING YOUR CURRENT SPACE? CALL CHRISTINE SOUTTER, DURHAM'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, FIRST
The Town of Durham wants to work with you early in the process to avoid surprises down the road. We welcome the opportunity to meet with potential businesses, building owners, developers and commercial realtors to discuss your ideas and go over any steps that may need to be taken during the buildout of the facility.
Simply reach out to Christine Soutter at 603-590-1387 or mailto:csoutter@ci.durham.nh.us and she will arrange an onsite meeting with representatives from the fire department, code enforcement, planning and economic development to go over your ideas.
No need to guess, wonder or assume--just contact us.
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Oyster project presentation with Brianna Group, Coastal Conservation Coordinator for The Nature Conservancy on Wednesday evening at the old landing. Courtesy Todd Selig
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NATURE CONSERVANCY AND TOWN OF DURHAM TEAMING UP TO BRING OYSTER GARDEN TO AN OLD LANDING NEAR YOU...
On Thursday evening, Brianna Group, Coastal Conservation Coordinator from TNC met with Town staff and members of the community to teach us about oysters and the restoration efforts taking place in the Great Bay.
The Public Works Department has teamed up with The Nature Conservancy New Hampshire Chapter’s volunteer Oyster Conservationist program to pilot a Durham Community Oyster Garden at the Town Landing off of Old Landing Road to engage Durham community members and improve the health of Great Bay and the Piscataqua Estuary through oyster restoration.
TNC has provided the Town with 3 oyster cages located along the water at the Town Landing. They are suspended in the tidal portion of the Oyster River. We as a Town are responsible for fostering these oysters. Volunteers can pull the cages up out of the water to clean, count and inspect the oysters. There is a box mounted to the fence which contains items needed to inspect, clean, and measure the oysters. A note card is included with a marker to write the size of 25 randomly selected oysters (long end). It is also important to write which cage you are using – 1,2, or 3. You then simply take a photo of the note card and email it to Brianna Group at mailto:brianna.group@TNC.ORG. TNC will collect the cages in late September so that the Oysters can be counted and measured and placed with their oyster restoration areas in the estuary. In addition, we plan to install a panel with signage where the public could visit the site and learn about oyster restoration efforts.
Please contact Town Engineer April Talon at 603-868-5578 or mailto:atalon@ci.durham.nh.us for more information or if you are interested in learning about how to interact with the oysters! We would be happy to meet you there to walk you through the process.
View more information regarding oyster reef restoration efforts HERE.
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TOWN COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE FOR MONTHS OF AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER
The Town Council will be meeting only once in both August and September.
The August Town Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 19.
The September Town Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 9.
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As part of Durham’s Coastal Flood Hazard Overlay District, an advisory base flood elevation has been established for areas expected to experience water inundation due to moderate sea level rise by 2100. This base flood elevation tool – within Live Free or Die NH -- is for informational purposes only so that construction in the identified areas can anticipate the likely future flood water level for the life of a building. While owners of such properties may take their chances and build only to current standards, they will have been duly forewarned.
Durham’s building ordinance automatically adopts the International Energy Conservation Code upon publication of the code updates every three years. Although Durham is located in one of four NH Counties identified as Zone 5, for conservation purposes Durham by local option self-aligns with Climate Zone 6, which includes more northern counties and more stringent insulation standards.
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CHANGE TO STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE BUILDING CODE
The State of New Hampshire has approved the change in the State Building Code from 2009 to 2015 beginning September 15, 2019. All construction must conform to the 2015 building codes after that date. The Codes affected are the International Residential Code, the International Building Code, the International Existing Building Code, the International Mechanical Code, the International Plumbing Code, and the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code.
Copies of the 2015 codes can be reviewed in the Building Office at the Town Hall, 8 Newmarket Road. Copies for purchase can be found at http://www.iccsafe.org. Questions may be directed to Code Enforcement Officer, Audrey Cline, at 603-868-8064 or mailto:acline@ci.durham.nh.us.
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Alena Yuryna Connolly from the University of Leeds, UK speaks with town department heads about Cryptowall research earlier this year. Courtesy Todd Selig
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DURHAM WORKS WITH UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS ON RECENTLY PUBLISHED MALWARE STUDY
The Durham Police Department’s computer system was put into lockdown mode a few years ago after one of the officers opened an attachment contained within what appeared to be a legitimate e-mail. It was an attack by the malware Cryptowall.
What the malware does is attach to the files of the infected computer and then encrypts the files. The user cannot open them, see them, or work with them. A “ransom,” typically of $500 to $1,000, is demanded in order to open the files up for use again. Because Durham had a robust backup system in place, no ransom was paid, files/computers were purged, and clean data from backup was reloaded onto computers by the Town’s IT department.
Since that time, Alena Yuryna Connolly from the University of Leeds, UK has been undertaking research about incidents of malware and reached out to Durham to learn from our experience.
In her study she explores cryptoransomware incidents in organizations with the purpose to develop an all-inclusive framework of organizational measures to combat these attacks. Twenty purposely-selected organizations participated in this research, adding up to twenty-six cryptoransomware incidents due to secondary victimization.
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THE GLOBAL COVENANT OF MAYORS FOR CLIMATE AND ENERGY – Thinking about whether Durham should sign on to a particular campaign and place our varied efforts under the umbrella of a particular rubric?
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, built upon the commitment of over 9,000 cities and local governments. These cities hail from 6 continents and 132 countries. In total, they represent more than 800 million people. By 2030, Global Covenant cities and local governments could reportedly collectively reduce 1.3 billion tons of CO2 emissions per year. That’s the equivalent of taking 276 million cars off the road.
Increasingly, cities and local governments across the world are taking action steps in the face of Climate Change. Should Durham be a part of such an initiative and sign on to a plan like this, or perhaps the Paris Climate Agreement, or one of numerous other options available?
At present, we have absolutely no one on staff who has the time to undertake such a tracking effort, so staff with the assistance of the Energy Committee (including past volunteers like Charles Forcey and Robin Mower) and UNH, have been making progress to the best of our abilities as resources have allowed.
Including funding for a sustainability coordinator or some kind of special projects position on a part time basis to assist with Durham’s sustainability/resiliency/adaptation efforts in the face of Climate Change will be something Administrator Selig considers as part of the FY 2020 budget development process.
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The Milne Nature Sanctuary in the morning light, after Orion Tree Service removed several invasive Norway maples. Courtesy of Jean Olson
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HELP BUILD DOE FARM INFORMATION KIOSK - A call for volunteers
The new and improved trails at Doe Farm are nearly completed. The next project is to install an information kiosk that will include a trail map and other information. Epping boat builder and carpenter Kevin Martin will build the kiosk with the help of volunteers, similar to the kiosks installed at Thompson Forest and Oyster River Forest. Please join us for two work days to help build the kiosk with Kevin:
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INVASIVE NORWAY MAPLE REMOVAL AT MILNE NATURE SANCTUARY
At the Milne Nature Sanctuary on Thursday, Jon Roy and his crew at Orion Tree Service removed six overstory invasive Norway maples and a dead oak tree, then stumped the trees and other roots of invasive plants. This will allow the remaining native trees to expand their crowns and provide more light to a planned wildflower meadow. The next phase is to continue removing invasive plants and spreading wood chips along a new path. The tree crew left two large tree trunks along the new planned trail, which provides much needed habitat and structural diversity. Please join us for the following volunteer work day to spread wood chips and pull/clip invasive plants:
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Thursday, August 15th, 3:00-5:00 pm. Park along Mill Pond Road and meet at the Milne Sanctuary. All tools will be provided. Bring work gloves. mailto:ellensnyder1@gmail.com if you plan to join us.
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ORCHARD DRIVE WOODS CONSERVATION EFFORT - Consider making a donation to support the purchase/conservation of the Orchard Drive Woods property.
$100,000 still needed to be raised through donations by the end of August to purchase and conserve the Orchard Drive Woods Property!
Through a private fund-raising venture the Town of Durham has a chance to purchase this property, which has been offered for sale with house lots from the Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD).
Buying it would keep the property undeveloped and add an important parcel for the greenbelt of protected land on the south of town. Acquisition of the land will also increase protection for hundreds of feet of Oyster River frontage. Because Thompson Lane is on the north side of Oyster River directly opposite the land, purchasing Orchard Drive Woods would make it possible to construct a new bridge for walking and biking across the river connecting the Faculty and Foss Farm neighborhoods.
Protecting Orchard Drive Woods would protect permanent public access to miles of hiking, biking, running, and skiing trails that already exist on 2,000 acres adjacent land, including the UNH MacDonald Lot. Durham has agreements with NH Fish and Game and UNH that would let the town extend the trail system from Orchard Drive Woods as far as Durham’s Doe Farm, which would be a tremendous benefit for both Durham and UNH in terms of easy access from downtown Durham and the UNH campus.
This addition to our trail network will create direct downtown to trails access for all of Durham to enjoy !
Find out more about the Orchard Drive property and how you can be a part of building a better Durham on the Celebrate Durham website HERE.
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Wildcat camper, Elly Emanuel. Courtesy DFD
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DURHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT VISITS UNH's CAMP WILDCAT - Provides some cool relief during hot weather!
Durham firefighters visited Camp Wildcat twice over the past two weeks to provide campers with a refreshing break from the hot weather.
On July 19, 2019 firefighters provided a much-needed cooling mist for the campers from the water curtain of Truck 3. On July 25, 2019 firefighters lent a hand by wetting the slip and slide at the camp carnival with tank water from Engine 2. The community service was greatly appreciated by both staff and participants. Thank you to our team members who delivered the fun!
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DURHAM POLICE CONDUCTING FIREARMS TRAINING
Durham residents in close proximity to the Durham Public Works facility on Stone Quarry Drive may hear periodic shooting the week of August 19th through 23rd as the Durham Police conduct their annual qualifications with their firearms. While there are significant portions of the annual training that involves practicums without the discharge of a weapon, there will be periods of active shooting. While Chief Kurz anticipates that some area residents will hear the actual discharge of the weapons, it is his hope that the leaves on the trees, the enhanced buffering of the area with the addition to existing berms, warmer weather and the day-time hours all may have a positive impact upon lessening the noise levels. Additionally, the significant buildings that comprise RiverWoods will also serve to dampen the discharge sounds as the range is directly behind the facility.
The Town of Durham and RiverWoods have an agreement that the Durham Police will not be utilizing the range after December 31, 2021. While Chief Kurz has been attempting to have Strafford County officials construct a county-wide firearms range, that effort has not fared very well with the County budget and has been pushed off.
Letters have been sent to abutters, or those who may be in earshot of the actual training, advising that the training is scheduled. If there are any concerns please feel free to contact the police department at 868-2324 or Chief Kurz at mailto:dkurz@ci.durham.nh.us.
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Since 2012, Durham has been been successful in moving forward a municipal construction program to replace/renovate aged public infrastructure resulting in a new state of the art public library, newly renovated police station, ongoing improvements to our water and wastewater systems, and a new Town Hall receiving LEED Silver certification. Our philosophy is that if we want local developers, private citizens and businesses to meet new construction standards that provide adaptation and resilience, Durham has to set the example.
As of this week, a newly installed backup generator at the Town Hall now means that all of our public buildings and critical infrastructure are able to operate on emergency backup generation during power outages.
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AIR B&B’S ARE A CONCERN FOR DURHAM TOWN COUNCILORS
The current zoning ordinance includes provisions for the traditional bed and breakfast establishment. However, with the advent of Air Bed and Breakfast and similar operations the ordinance needs to be updated.
A number of Durham property owners have sought to rent their houses to short-term visitors largely via the internet, but to provide fewer services and operate with less formality and oversight than the traditional bed and breakfast. An Air Bed and Breakfast operation can help home-owners raise income through home rental, but can also have significant adverse impacts upon a neighborhood, in terms of traffic, parking, trash, noise, unruly guests, and partying, if not carefully managed. The City of Laconia has recently had significant issues which were outlined in a Laconia Daily Sun article.
In early 2016 an amendment to the ordinance to address these same issues was presented to the Town Council. That draft was prepared by then Council Chair Jay Gooze, Town Administrator Todd Selig, Building Official Audrey Cline, Corey Landry, fire chief at the time, Town Attorney Laura Spector, and Town Planner Michael Behrendt. Council members had some concerns with the proposal so it did not move forward.
Given ongoing concerns about proposed Air Bed and Breakfast-type operations in Durham, and problems experienced in other towns and cities nationwide, Councilor Carden Welsh spoke with the staff about developing a new proposal. He conducted research into the current marketplace for Air Bed and Breakfast establishments and reviewed ordinances and issues in several other communities. He worked with Audrey Cline and Michael Behrendt to develop this new proposal to accommodate the use while incorporating appropriate safeguards.
Last month the Council referred a proposed ordinance change along to the Planning Board for them to review and provide feedback following public hearing.
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Durham resident, Peter Marple, captured a photograph of this beautiful Lunar Moth on the sidewalk on Madbury Road. The Luna moth is a Nearctic moth in a group commonly known as giant silk moths. It has lime-green colored wings and a white body. Typically, it has a wingspan of roughly 4.5", but can exceed 7", making it one of the larger moths in North America. Across Canada,
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DURHAM SEEKS INTERESTED LANDOWNERS WITH SEPTIC SYSTEMS FOR WATER QUALITY INSTALLATION PROJECT
The Town of Durham, in partnership with the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, received a watershed assistance grant from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. The funding is to install two permeable reactive barriers (PRB) within the Oyster or Lamprey River watersheds to address nonpoint source pollution from residential septic systems. PRB’s are relatively new technologies, which are now being piloted in the Great Bay watershed, and seek to control nitrogen with a formulation of wood chips, additives, and sand or gravel to transform inorganic nitrogen to nitrogen gas.
The Town is currently evaluating potential locations and is looking for private landowners, with septic systems, who are interested in participating as a pilot site for the project. There is no cost to the homeowner and the project is entirely voluntary.
If you’d like to learn more about the project before volunteering, please reach out to Kyle Pimental at mailto:kpimental@strafford.org. He is the project manager for this effort and can help answer any questions you may have.
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Durham has replaced all of its roadside and decorative street lighting with energy efficient LED fixtures. We’ve installed, under an umbrella power purchase agreement, 120 kW of solar capacity at our police station, the public library, and Churchill Rink. This was followed up with a 640 kW solar array at our gravel pit in Lee, NH. Together, these efforts have allowed Durham to offset 100% of the electric demand of all municipal infrastructure with renewable power with the exception of our Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). At the WWTP, Durham purchases green power via Renewable Energy Credits from wind generation produced elsewhere.
Looking forward, Durham/UNH/Eversource are working together on the development of a Pilot microgrid project connecting UNH and municipal resources across a swath of Town extending to the WWTP that can be segregated, independent, and self-sufficient from the power grid during times of mass outages, and an asset to the larger grid during times of fair weather.
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FIRE DEPARTMENT TOWN WIDE INSPECTIONS STATISTICS
The Durham Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau has compiled the Quarter 2 statistics for the period April 1 – June 30, 2019. The information below shows the 2019 Year to Date statistics for the types of town-wide inspections performed, including rental housing inspections, and the top violations that were cited by the Inspectors.
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THE SWAP SHOP HAS A NEW LOOK!
The Durham Swap Shop sure looks nice these days thanks to the support and work of many local people! There is a new set of pine shelving inside the Swap Shop and walls up in the back section. In a joint venture, the Town of Durham paid for the supplies and the Durham Great Bay Rotary and the Community Toolbox members used their building knowledge to construct the shelves. Our new shelves allow “shoppers” easier access to see the gently used and functional items dropped off by Durham residents. We are very grateful to eight Rotarians and four Community Toolbox volunteers for their time and energy. The building of additional new shelving will take place in the future. Sports, hardware, plumbing, and lighting are now located in the back along with furniture. Be sure to walk around to check out these areas.
Thanks should also be given to the Swap Shop volunteers who worked additional hours during the heat wave to clean, reorganize, and set-up the items. Appreciation is also given to the residents who thoughtfully brought water and popsicles to volunteers during the high temperatures last weekend.
Volunteering at the Swap Shop is a fun and friendly opportunity to chat with people you know, take home interesting items, and support our Durham community! Call or text 603-969-4732. Email Cristina at mailto:foggdrive@yahoo.com
The drop off items can be done on Saturdays and Tuesdays until 2:00.
With more volunteers the Swap Shop will continue for all residents!
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Crosswalk improvements, pedestrian pathway modifications, incentivizing new downtown mixed-use development within walkable proximity to the UNH campus, painstaking traffic planning, demand management parking enhancements, bicycle infrastructure, and a system of sharrows all make it possible to get around Durham and the UNH campus more safely, easily, and resiliently while lowering our carbon footprint. We view mitigation in these areas today as adaptation for tomorrow.
We’re currently evaluating the introduction of micromobility devices (e-bikes/e-scooters) and determining what policies will be needed to manage such a program safely and effectively.
We have worked to create a municipal water system that is inherently resilient in order to reliably provide approximately 1.2 million gals/day of water to both town and campus. Together, Durham/UNH operate four water sources, one of which utilizes an artificial recharge system pumping raw water from the Lamprey River to our Spruce Hole Aquifer during times of plentiful flow, increasing our reserves for drought conditions.
A new $20 million Water Treatment Plant on the UNH campus is nearing completion, which will deploy state of the art technology – replacing an aged/outdated facility.
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7TH ANNUAL DURHAM FARM DAY IS SATURDAY, AUGUST 17TH, RAIN OR SHINE!
Spend the day exploring farms and gardens across town and campus and see how good food is grown in Durham. Bring your own picnic to LaRoche Farm at noon and enjoy steamed local sweet corn provided by the Agricultural Commission.
View a full list of events HERE.
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2019 DURHAM HISTORIC TREASURE HUNT
The 2019 Durham Historic Treasure Hunt is open to Durham residents ages 8-17, and will run through the end of August.
View more details HERE.
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With the heat wave we have been experiencing, the troll at 3 Faculty Road is preparing to head to the swimming hole. He has some fashionable goggles (from the Swap Shop) and a very recognizable “snorkel.” Courtesy Janice Aviza
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CELEBRITY TROLL AT 3 FACULTY ROAD
For close to twenty years, there has been a little troll who sits on a rock in front of 3 Faculty Road. He is a bit of a celebrity in the area, particularly among the kids. Periodically and seasonally, his "outfit" gets changed, which people enjoy. (In May, he wears a cap and gown.)
Very often a pedestrian will pause to take his picture, and fairly often, a car will stop and a person will hop out to snap a shot.
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LAMPREY RIVER ADVISORY COMMITTEE SUMMER 2019 NEWSLETTER
The Lamprey River Advisory Committee has published its 2019 summer newsletter which is available for viewing HERE.
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On an extremely creative note, the Town has partnered with the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, UNH Cooperative Extension, and Northeastern University Art Professor Tom Starr on a grant-funded project that will convey the potential impacts of climate change on the collective Durham community looking ahead into the next 100 years. We’ve identified strategic locations around town to highlight, have developed a description, map, and signage featuring an innovation or impact associated with climate change that is not only plausible, but likely to occur at the identified location if actions are not taken today to achieve a different collective future.
We’re not shy in Durham. In furtherance of the Town’s resiliency goals, Administrator Selig penned an Op Ed last month in advance of the Miami Democratic Presidential debates. The title was, "The Next President Must be Ready to Hit the Ground Running on Climate Change."
It’s not just the President who needs to be ready for a changing climate; we all do. We literally live in a changing world. If we hope our residents and businesses will take steps on a micro level to make themselves and our world more resilient/adaptive, we need to lead the way at the municipal and state level. Durham (individually and in close collaboration with UNH) has done a lot to date, and we have more to do.
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Several youngsters participated in a pie eating contest during last evening's Main Street Music event sponsored by Durham Parks & Recreation. Courtesy Sally Tobias
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TOWN OF DURHAM FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ACCOUNTS
Did you know that the Town has a Facebook & Twitter account and frequently posts Durham & UNH news, happenings, and articles of interest in our area and the seacoast?
Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.
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Wildcat Fitness is offering $1 for any fitness class and $0 to join in August. Wildcat Fitness is located in the Mill Road shopping plaza. 603-397-3200.
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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.
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DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY UPCOMING EVENTS
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Tuesday, August 6th - 7:00-8:00 pm
Guided Meditation at DPL! Back by popular demand!
Mindful Meditation with Jiong Jiong Hu
Congratulations Summer Readers!
For "A Universe of Stories," we read approximately 200,000 minutes together in five weeks with 390 Readers signed up! Way to go! Keep Reading. If you missed the fun finale, you can still pick up your Reading certificates, Bagel Works Gift Certificate and prize book at the Children’s/YA Desk. Also, if you won a raffle prize, they can be picked up at the Children’s/YA Desk as well.
A big thank-you to:
The Bagel Works, The Sea Dogs,Wildcat Pizza, Dunkin Donuts, Hayden Sports, Young’s Restaurant, Water Country, Canobie Lake, Park, Hop ‘n Grind, Moe’s of Durham, Monkey Minds Escape Rooms, and Durham House of Pizza for their summer reading prize donations.
We appreciate all of your support!
Thank-you to the Friends of the Durham Public Library for all of their support for our summer reading program and Music on the Library Lawn concert series. Every year, The Friends of the DPL help us bring wonderful programs to the Durham Public Library.
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HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL - A Brief History of Durham, NH 1600 - 1976 (A little volume that was the Heritage Project of the Durham Historic Association Bicentennial celebration)
Preface - "Since before God made the first little green apples, oysters have probably been growin in the Oyster River; and some of the largest and juiciest to be found anywhere in the world are still growing here today. The following vignettes from rollicking history of Durham town on the Oyster River are therefore presented between the shells of an oyster."
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1923 - N.H. College functioned as a single administrative unit. Hoever, the variety of subjects being taught and the size of the school required a fundamental reorganization. A university pattern was adopted, with separate colleges for Agriculture, Liberal Arts, Technology and Graduate School.
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Have a very nice weekend. Another beautiful weekend is being predicted.
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