Friday Updates - July 21, 2023

Friday, July 21, 2023

A photo of a beautiful rainbow over the Oyster River taken on July 18 by Durham resident Mary Ann Esposito

This past Wednesday, July 19, 2023, NHDOT officials held a Public Informational Meeting at Town Hall to present citizens and public officials with information regarding progress on the preliminary design for the intersection improvement project at US Route 4 and Madbury Road. This project is included in the NHDOT ten-year improvement plan with construction scheduled for 2025. The purpose of the meeting was to allow the public an opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts regarding potential improvements to ensure that the project decisions meet public transportation needs, community goals, and protect and enhance the environment. 

This project may have an effect on cultural or historic resources that are potentially eligible for or listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Individuals or organizations with a demonstrated interest in the potential impacts to historic resources have an opportunity to become Consulting Parties under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. 

The meeting was recorded and can be viewed HERE. Questions regarding the project can be sent to NHDOT Project Manager Matt Lampron at Matthew.D.Lampron@dot.nh.gov or at 603-271-2296.

The start of the Durham Day Dash Courtesy, Rachel Gasowski, Parks & Rec Director

RESOLUTION PASSED ON RECOGNIZING TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS FORAGING RIGHTS ON TOWN OF DURHAM PUBLIC LANDS

At the Town Council meeting of July 17, the Council approved a resolution recognizing traditional indigenous foraging rights on Town of Durham public lands. This statement was originally written and approved by the Durham Conservation Commission on April 24, 2023. Subsequently, the Durham Human Rights Commission endorsed the statement on June 13, 2023. To read the Resolution in full, please click HERE.

First place winner for men, Chris Jernigan, crossing the finish line at the Durham Day Dash Courtesy Rachel Gasowski, Parks & Rec Director

The Town of Durham acquired the 36-acre Pike property this past week. The site is located on Packers Falls Road just past the juncture with Wednesday Hill Road (outlined in red above). The Southeast Land Trust (SELT) will hold a conservation easement on the property, which includes almost a quarter mile of frontage on the Lamprey River. It is part of an extensive forest block composed of multiple lots, including the Town’s Thompson Forest located to the northwest.

Many thanks to Bonnie Pike, the former owner, and to Duane Hyde, Land Conservation Director for SELT, for bringing this challenging project to fruition. Duane helped the property owner achieve her goals, assemble a funding package, and kept all of those funders on board as the details of the project continually evolved. He also coordinated with four Town boards for various approvals: the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Conservation Commission, and the Town Council. The Town of Durham contributed $35,000, a small percentage of the value, to the purchase.

If you enjoy hiking/walking and exploring new trails, there are excellent trail maps and site plans for the various conservation lands in Durham on the Town’s website HERE.  (Doe Farm Trail Map shown above) Click on the green highlighted item to access a map and general information about the site. For the UNH properties the trail map is located further down on their webpage.

DID YOU KNOW? - PLASTIC FREE JULY

Are you interested in participating in Plastic Free July and committing to some easy changes in your life?

Each week for the month of July, we are offering simple actions you can take to reduce plastic waste:

Buy a reusable water bottle and refill at home or on-the-go and never buy a single-use bottle of water again. It takes 1 PET plastic bottle 700 years to start decomposing. Bacteria, which usually helps in breaking down organic materials, don’t like petroleum-based plastics. Technically, they can last forever.

Source: York EcoHomes Action 

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee

Questions about recycling or composting? Email us at Durhamrecycles603@gmail.com

Not sure if an item can be recycled? Check out this site to find out: www.recyclesmartma.org

Want to know more about the Swap Shop?  Find out HERE.

First place winner for women, Marlee Yoder, crossing the finish line at the Durham Day Dash Courtesy Rachel Gasowski, Parks & Rec Director

The Planning Board is meeting on Wednesday, July 26. The board will be reviewing an application for various exterior changes to the large industrial site at 121 Technology Drive, including existing parking lots, landscaping, primary entrance ways, and loading docks. 

The 500,000 square-foot building had been largely vacant for many years. R. J. Kelly, who acquired the property in 2021, has marketed the site aggressively and now 80% of the space is either occupied or leased out. The tenants on the first floor are indicated above (There are smaller second and third floors). The front entrance is at the lower right shown in yellow as the common area.

Tenant 1 – SSI Inc./Sig Sauer

Tenant 2 – Brazonics/Raytheon

Tenant 3 - Dachser

Tenant 4 – UNH: Olson Advanced Manufacturing and Northeast Passage

Tenant 5 - Airtho

The Planning Board will also continue its review of the Definitions section of the Zoning Ordinance as part of its comprehensive rewrite of the ordinance. You can watch the Planning Board meeting live online by clicking HERE and choosing "Live." The agenda for the meeting can be found HERE.

PRESENTATION ON FOREST HEALTH SCHEDULED FOR THE JULY 24 CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING

The Conservation Commission is meeting on Monday, July 24. Nick Lanzer, a professional forester and member of the Conservation Commission, will give a presentation about forest health. Nick works as a forester with Moreno Forestry of Strafford, NH. He is also an adjunct professor at the UNH Thompson School. You can watch the Conservation Commission meeting live online by clicking HERE and choosing "Live." The agenda for the meeting can be found HERE.

Mark your calendar - August 19th is Farm Day, rain or shine! The Durham and Lee Agricultural Commissions invite you to the 10th Annual Farm Day, featuring farms across Durham and Lee. Free and family friendly activities, information on backyard food production, behind the scenes farm tours, and much more. Full list of events available soon. 

Unitil’s excavation contractor, Neuco, continues to work diligently on the Emerson Road Gas Main Construction Project. The team has completed the main installation and will be focused on individual service connections over the next several days with the project expected to be completed by the end of next week.

As part of the Madbury Road – Phase 1 Culvert, Drainage, and Water Quality Improvements Project, Durham Public Works has been actively coordinating with Unitil regarding natural gas service interruptions that are necessary for the successful replacement of the Edgewood Road over Littlehale Creek culvert. To ensure a seamless process, the natural gas main, which runs over the culvert, needs to be temporarily repositioned in order to bypass the excavation site. This essential task is being carried out by Neuco, the designated contractor for the gas main project.

Due to the intricate topographical conditions near the excavation site, Unitil has determined that the most practical approach is to extend and loop the gas network from its current termination point at the intersection of Madbury Road and Wood Road. The extension involves the installation of a new gas main, which will run north on Madbury Road and south on Emerson Road, ultimately reaching the intersection with Edgewood Road. This crucial component must be completed before the Edgewood Road over Littlehale Creek culvert replacement project can proceed.

2023 ROAD AND SIDEWALK PROGRAM – WORK BEGAN THIS WEEK

Durham Public Works' contractor for its Road and Sidewalk Program, Continental Paving, began construction on the Sidewalk Program this week. This project consists of the continued phased reconstruction of sections of deteriorated concrete sidewalks with brick edging within the Downtown corridor. Construction improvements this summer include the sidewalk segment on Main Street that extends from Smith Park Lane down Newmarket Road to Mill Pond Road. These sidewalks currently have non-complainant accessible ramps, areas of failed and overturned curbing, dislodged bricks with upheaved and deteriorated concrete panels. This project will remove the existing concrete and brick banded sidewalks and replace them with new concrete panels eliminating the failed brick banding and sections of upheaved bricks. Additionally, the bituminous sidewalks along Emerson Road from Bagdad Road to Edgewood Road will be replaced and compliant ADA ramps installed. Temporary closures of these sidewalks can be expected during normal business hours. 

The FY23 Budget encompasses provisions for the comprehensive reconstruction of the parking lot and associated travel lanes at Durham Public Works. The nearly 27-year-old asphalt surface has encountered substantial issues in recent years, including alligator cracking, aggregate loss, and heaving, which has consequently lead to the formation of uneven surfaces and modified stormwater conveyance patterns. The Durham Public Works Team removed the existing asphalt this week and re-established the appropriate grades to facilitate efficient water runoff away from the buildings. This project will involve the construction of stormwater bioretention ponds aimed at treating and managing the stormwater effectively. Paving operations are scheduled for next week. 

NEW ELECTRIC CHARGING STATION AT THE DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY

Durham Public Works replaced the electric vehicle charging station at the Durham Public Library this week. Due to prolonged and intense usage over the past several years, the existing single-port station encountered intractable hardware malfunctions recently. To address the challenge and meet the growing demand for electric vehicle charging services, the infrastructure was upgraded to a more robust Charge Point dual-port station. This station is designed to accommodate two electric vehicles simultaneously. A mobile application will enable users to conveniently manage payment processes and monitor real-time station status. 

Durham Public Works and their contractor, Pichette Bros. Construction successfully completed the Emerson Road Watermain Replacement Project this week. This project included the replacement of nearly 2,500 of cast iron watermain piping, which had served its useful life and was experiencing an average of one main break per year recently. The piping was replaced with McWane Ductile iron, known for its exceptional durability and corrosion resistance. Additionally, existing fire hydrants were upgraded, and several new hydrants were installed along the corridor to increase their frequency and fortify fire protection capabilities. Durham Public Works would like to thank the residents of Emerson Road for their patience and understanding throughout the duration of this crucial project. 

The FY23 Budget contained funding for the procurement of a vegetation mulching head (VMH) for use in Durham Public Works’ Right-of-Way Vegetation Management Program. The hydraulic VMH is mounted on Durham Public Works’ Rubber-Tired Excavator and is capable of shredding vegetation up to 6” in diameter and is the most efficient way to increase sight lines along rights-of-way for motorists and pedestrians. Durham Public Works’ Highway Team has concentrated efforts this week on intersections which abut State roadways. 

This past week, the Durham Police Department conducted a promotional process for a vacant Sergeant position. This process was to identify the best-qualified member of the agency to be promoted to a first line supervisor position. The process also confirms the widely held belief that the Durham Police Department is made up of committed men and women who are dedicated and capable of serving our community. At the end of the process, Detective Carrington Cazeau was identified as the candidate selected for immediate promotion. 

Sergeant Cazeau has been with the Durham Police Department for six years and has been assigned to the Detective Division since 2020.  

2nd CYCLE POLICE CALEA COMPLIANCE REVIEW COMPLETED AS PART OF NATIONAL ACCREDITATION PROCESS

The Durham Police Department is a Nationally Accredited Police Department under the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Every four years, assessors from CALEA will come to the Durham Police Department and ensure the department remains in compliance with over 400 National Standards that govern the departments policies and procedures. During the first three years of the four-year cycle, the department undergoes a remote review conducted by a CALEA Compliance Service Member (CSM). CSM’s are not actual assessors; rather they are trained to review a selected portion of the standards to ensure the department is on track to meet all the fourth-year requirements.

Between July 7th and July 14th, CSM Russ McElwee, (Ret) Police Captain from Charlotte, NC, reviewed a selected portion of the Durham Police Department’s policies with the cooperation and assistance from Durham’s accreditation team. CSM McElwee made it clear to Chief Kelley that he found the Durham Police Department’s commitment to accreditation and professionalism outstanding. CSM McElwee will provide Chief Kelley with an official report of his findings upon completion. In 2025, the department will be up for re-accreditation for their 9th Award.

The Durham Professional Firefighters Local #2253 would like to introduce Smokey the Fire Dog. Smokey will give short tips on Fire Safety, weekly so Parents and guardians can generate conversation with their children about Fire Safety. Keep an eye out in the weekly updates These small questions and tips are a great way for you as a Parent to teach your kids about Fire Safety, the more they know the safer they will be.

WEEK #28

Cooking outside is always a great family time. This week Smokey has some tips for Dad.  For some helpful grilling tips for the family, click HERE.

JOB OPENING FOR FIREFIGHTER/AEMT

The Durham Fire Department is accepting applications to fill an open vacancy and to create a hiring eligibility list for the position of Firefighter/AEMT. The hiring eligibility list may be active for up to eighteen months.

The full position posting and Town of Durham application may be found on the Town’s website by clicking HERE.

The application deadline is Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 12:00 pm. Position to remain open until filled. 

INVITATION TO BID FOR BUILDING AND PURCHASE OF CUSTOM HEAVY RESCUE APPARATUS

The Town of Durham Fire Department will receive sealed bids until no later than 3:00 pm, prevailing time, August 17, 2023, at the Durham Fire Department Chief’s Office, Durham Fire Department, 51 College Road, Durham, New Hampshire for Contract #2023-DFD-Heavy-Rescue for building a custom heavy rescue truck to include all necessary labor, equipment, and materials as outlined in the full specifications for the Town of Durham Fire Department at the following link HERE.

CAR MEET TO BENEFIT THE OYSTER RIVER CLASS OF 2024

The Oyster River class of 2024 is hosting a car meet to fundraise for their upcoming graduation. This event is a chance for those with unique cars to come together to display their vehicles for all to see. The event will be held at the Oyster River High School on Saturday, August 5, from 12-4:00 p.m. The cost is $10 per person cash at the entrance, and kids under 3 are free. Restrooms available on site.

This family friendly event will have face painting for the kids, and many other activities! Come join us for some live music and a treat from The Kona Ice truck!

All the cool cars welcome!!

Thank you for supporting this cause to ensure our kids have a safe night after graduation.