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SWRPC |
December 2009 |
| Commission Highlights |
Vol. 15 - No. 11 |
Technical Assistance for Water Quality Related Ordinance Awards Announced
Following a request for proposals that was sent to our member towns in September, the Planning Commission has awarded assistance to three communities for technical assistance in preparing an ordinance related to water quality as identified in the Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques handbook. The towns and their respective projects include: Fitzwilliam - Shoreland Protection, Greenfield - Aquifer Protection, and Winchester - Erosion and Sedimentation Control. Planning Commission staff will coordinate with these towns in preparing draft ordinances to be considered for adoption. This assistance is funded in part by the NH Department of Environmental Services through Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act with funds appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The towns have agreed to cover a portion of the costs. Staff has already begun work which is scheduled to be completed by June 2010. For additional information, please contact Lisa Murphy or Tara Germond of Commission staff.
Southwest Region Information Systems (RIS)
In recent months, the Commission's RIS/GIS program has been busy working with several of the Region's municipalities on a variety of projects. These include: updating tax parcel boundaries for the towns of Chesterfield, Hinsdale, and Roxbury; updating of the Town of Hinsdale and Chesterfield Zoning map; and updating the Town of Temple's Protected Lands Inventory. Commission staff is available to assist towns in meeting their mapping and GIS needs. For further information, please contact Michael Blair of Commission staff.
Wireless Broadband Ordinance Guidelines Available
A Municipal Fixed Wireless Broadband Facility Ordinance Guideline has been developed by Commission staff in conjunction with members of the Pinnacle Mountain Broadband Committee. The Guideline document is modeled in part after language developed by the Town of Fitzwilliam in order to provide a mechanism to allow fixed wireless broadband facilities (which include towers, relay sites and antenna array), under a separate permitting mechanism from a community's wireless telecommunications facility ordinance (which have usually been designed specifically for cell towers). Economic development planning efforts of the SWRPC have indicated the importance of greater deployment of broadband services to the rural communities of Southwest New Hampshire. The benefits of having reliable broadband internet services will foster rural economic development, small business growth, increase property values, and improve quality of life. The Guideline document can be found on our website at: http://www.swrpc.org/broadband/Municipal Wireless Broadband Facility Ordinance Guidelines 102209.pdf. For more information, including the recommendations of the Guideline document, please contact Eric R. Smith, AICP, of Commission staff.
NHARPC 2010 Legislative Session Update
In preparing for the 2010 Legislative Session, the NH Association of Regional Planning Commissions (NHARPC) Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) met on December 2nd and reviewed over 700 legislative service requests (LSRs), identifying 60 as being of potential interest to NHARPC. The LPC met again on December 29th, reviewed available bill text associated with these LSRs and selected 23 for further analysis. The LPC will make recommendations to the NHARPC regarding its review of legislation at its meeting scheduled for January 5, 2010. Staff support for NHARPC is provided by the Planning Commission. For more information, please contact Tim Murphy or Rebeckah Bullock of Commission staff.
Results of Watershed Restoration Project to be Presented
Doug Bechtel of The Nature Conservancy, will present the final report of the Ashuelot River Watershed Restoration Planning project at the next meeting of the Planning Commission's Natural Resource Advisory Committee. Water flow culvert rankings included in the report as well as restoration fact sheets prepared by Commission staff to assist Planning Boards, Conservation Commissions and Road Agents with projects involving new culverts or repair/replacement of existing culverts will be discussed. The meeting is scheduled for January 28, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. at the Keene Public Library and town officials and the general public are welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Lisa Murphy of Commission staff.
Recreational Trails Program Grant Proposals Due January 29, 2010
Does your town's master plan express a desire to improve or build a local trail or trail-related facility? Are you looking to create a trailhead in town for residents or to attract tourism for the local economy? If you have a trail development project, please be advised that the NH Department of Resources and Economic Development Bureau of Trails is currently soliciting applications for trail projects through the federally funded Recreational Trails Program. Grant applications can range between $1,000 and $25,000 and are due on Friday, January 29, 2010 by 4:00 p.m. Funds may be used for maintenance and restoration of existing trails, purchase and lease of trail construction and maintenance equipment, construction of new trails, development and rehabilitation of trailside and trailhead facilities, trail linkages, and acquisition of easements or property for trails. For more information, please go to http://www.nhtrails.org/grants-and-programs/recreational-trails-program/ or contact Bill Gegas, Program Specialist, Bureau of Trails at (603) 271-3254 x227 or bill.gegas@dred.state.nh.us.
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Southwest Region Planning Commission
20 Central Square, 2nd Floor, Keene, NH 03431
Ph: (603) 357-0557, Fax: (603) 357-7440
General E-mail: admin@swrpc.org
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