2007 Annual Commission Meeting 

The Planning Commission’s Annual Meeting is scheduled for June 19^th at Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH.  Our featured guest speaker is Matthew Chase, Executive Director of the National Association of Development Organizations based in Washington, D.C.  The program includes a social beginning at 6:00 p.m. with dinner served at 7:00.  Advance registration is required.  For additional information or to register, please contact Becky Baldwin of Commission staff.

Broadband Forum 

On April 13^th, the Planning Commission’s Economic Development Advisory Committee sponsored a public forum on Broadband Accessibility and Affordability in Southwest New Hampshire as part of the ongoing program for the  Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for Southwest New Hampshire.  Panelists included Barbara Neylan of the Pinnacle Mountain Rural Wireless Project and Carlotta Pini, the Rindge Town Administrator and member of the Rindge and Fitzwilliam Broadband Committees.  Discussion covered topics such as broadband accessibility models for rural areas, state programs in support of broadband and related legislative initiatives.  For more information, please contact Amy Owens of Commission staff.

NH Office of Energy and Planning Spring Planning and Zoning Conference 

Commission staff and numerous planning and zoning board members from the Southwest Region attended the NH Office of Energy and Planning Spring Conference held in Manchester on April 28^th.  Sessions covered roles and responsibilities of planning and zoning boards; the role of emerging Agriculture Commissions; innovative techniques to protect groundwater and manage storm water; the use and significance of geologic maps in land use planning; downtown revitalization efforts; and the role of municipalities in reducing oil consumption. For further information about the conference, please contact Andrea Santoro of Commission staff.

SWRPC Traffic Research  

As of April, the Planning Commission’s 8^th traffic research season is underway.  Each year, between Spring and Fall, the Commission collects traffic volume data at up to 180 locations on state and municipal roads as requested by the NH Department of Transportation (DOT).  The data is collected using pneumatic tubes stretched across the pavement in conjunction with a small counting device located on the side of the road.   The Commission is also conducting roadway inventory in 18 of our towns.  This process consists of cataloging the location, names, and lengths of municipal roadways as well as other observed and measured data.  This data aids DOT in allocating Highway Block Grant Aid to each municipality.  For more information, please contact Sarah Patriquin or Nicolas Bosonetto of Commission staff.

GRANIT Municipal GIS Survey 

New Hamsphire’s Geographically Referenced Analysis and Information Transfer System (GRANIT) has posted the GIS Municipal Survey results on their website (http://www.granit.sr.unh.edu/).  The survey was conducted last Fall in collaboration with the nine regional planning commissions in order to better understand the availability of digital tax parcel data, digital zoning data, and other related data sets across the state.  For more information about survey results or the use of GIS in municipal planning, please contact Andrea Santoro of Commission staff.

 Northeast Economic Development Conference 

Staff attended the Northeast Economic Development Conference on April 24^th & 25^th in Providence, RI.  The conference was one of several sponsored by the National Association of Development Organizations throughout the U.S.  Featured on the agenda were sessions on technology, broadband, regional competitiveness, Brownfields, renewable energy, and value-added research and production.  Prominent throughout the conference was the staff of the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Philadelphia, PA office which serves the northeast states.  EDA staff described updates to their programs, discussed funding priorities and moderated a session on rejuvenating regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies.  For more information about the conference, please contact Tim Murphy of commission staff.

Bike-Walk to Work Day

Friday May 18^th is National Bike-Walk to Work Day.  Free breakfast, prizes, and information will be available between 7:00-9:00 a.m. at Railroad Square in the City of Keene in support of this event.  You are encouraged to leave your car behind and find an alternative mode of transportation.  If biking or walking is not feasible in your area, please consider carpooling with your co-workers.  For more information, please contact Nicolás Bosonetto of Commission staff.