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SWRPC |
February 2009 |
| Commission Highlights |
Vol. 15 - No. 2 |
Planning Commission's Winter Meeting set for March 24, 2009
The Planning Commission's Winter Meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at Papagallos Restaurant located in Swanzey, NH. A social will begin at 6:00 p.m. with dinner served at 7:00. The program will include a panel to discuss lessons learned during the December 2008 ice storm. Announcements for the event have been distributed and advance registration is required. For additional information or to register, please contact Becky Baldwin of Commission staff.
Innovative Land Use Workshop on March 28, 2009
The Planning Commission, through its Natural Resource Advisory Committee, will sponsor a workshop entitled Innovative Land Use Planning: Tools for Sustainable Development. The workshop is designed to provide technical assistance and guidance on the use of innovative land use approaches as they apply to land development and resource protection. Information to be covered from the Innovative Land Use Planning Guide include the following chapters: Energy Efficient Development, Village Plan Alternative, Agriculture Incentive Zoning, Drinking Water Protection, Wildlife Habitat Management, and Conservation Subdivisions. The target audience for this workshop includes planning board and conservation commission members, selectmen, town administrators, planners, developers, and interested citizens. The workshop is scheduled for March 28th from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon at Bentley Commons in Keene. The workshop is free but registration is required and should include your choice of sessions. For additional information, please visit our web site at www.swrpc.org or contact Lisa Murphy of Commission staff.
Route 119 Transit Expansion Feasibility Study
The Planning Commission, in conjunction with the Route 119 Transit Feasibility Advisory Committee and transit consultant Nelson Nygaard Consulting Associates, had its kickoff meeting for a Route 119 Transit Expansion Feasibility Study February 23, 2009. The three parties are conducting a study to identify existing and potential demand for the expansion of Brattleboro Bee-Line bus service or other alternative transportation service along Route 119 in Hinsdale and Winchester, with an examination of transportation service scenarios between the towns. The study is a result of a Monadnock Region Coordinated Community Transportation Plan created in 2006, which identified significant transportation need in Hinsdale and Winchester. The Brattleboro Bee-Line currently provides service to the Hinsdale Wal-Mart, which is located just over the Connecticut River. Wal-Mart will be upgrading and moving its store to a Super Wal-Mart further towards Hinsdale Village in the near future. The Bee-Line would like to continue service to the store, but also explore the economy of scale gained by increased ridership from the towns. Recent surveys performed by the Town of Hinsdale and SWRPC suggest that there is a significant potential ridership market in the two towns. For more information about this study, please contact J. B. Mack of Commission staff.
Green Business/Economic Development Forum Planned for April 21, 2009
The Planning Commission's Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) is joining forces with Franklin Pierce University to co-sponsor an upcoming forum entitled "Green Business: New Generation, New Ideas for the Monadnock Region." The Green Business Forum will take place on Tuesday, April 21st from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the campus of Franklin Pierce. The event will include a keynote address from a representative of Monadnock Paper Mills. The session will also include a panel discussion with regional leaders in green business-related fields. More information, including registration instructions, will be released soon. For more information, please contact Eric R. Smith, AICP, of Commission staff.
NH Water Resource Primer Public Information Session
The Planning Commission and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) are co-sponsoring a public information session on the Water Resource Primer recently developed by DES. The Primer, contains pertinent facts and statistics about the state's water resources, water use, water infrastructure and water law. Individual chapters cover rivers, lakes and ponds, groundwater, wetlands, coastal and estuarine waters, water use and conservation, drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, dams, and floods and droughts. It is the first document that covers all of the water related topics of importance to policy makers in New Hampshire. The session which solicits public reaction and ideas on how to address the water resources challenges facing NH will be held on April 6, 2009 at the Keene Public Library from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. For additional information, please contact Lisa Murphy of Commission staff.
Training Session for Public Officials held on February 17, 2009
The Planning Commission, in conjunction with the City of Keene, sponsored a training session for public officials entitled, Public Meetings: Everything You Wanted To Know, and More. The session was held at the Keene Public Library on February 17, 2009. The guest speaker was David Connell, Esq. from the New Hampshire Local Government Center. Topics covered included: conducting a meeting, public hearing procedures, right-to-know law basics concerning meetings and public records, recent amendments regarding use of email and other electronic media, conflict of interest and disqualification standards and procedures, adopting a written decision, and reconsideration of a decision. The event was well attended with 79 participants representing 18 communities within the Region. For additional information, please contact Lisa Murphy of Commission staff.
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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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