 |
SWRPC |
November 2007 |
| Commission Highlights |
Vol. 13 - No. 11 |
10-Year Transportation Improvement Plan
On November 14th, the Governor's Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT) met to discuss input received during 33 public hearings held across the State during September and October (including four in Southwest NH) relative to the 10-Year Transportation Improvement Plan. Also at that meeting, the NH Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a recommendation for further cuts to the 10-Year Plan. On November 28th GACIT made its final recommendation on projects to be included in the 2009-2018 10-Year Plan. This action represents a recommendation to Governor Lynch to accept a fiscally constrained list of projects at a cost of approximately $2.5 billion which is the estimated amount of revenue DOT expects to receive during the 10-year period of the Plan plus the use of bonding capacity approved by the NH Legislature last year. The Plan includes approximately $97 million in funds dedicated to projects in the Southwest Region over the 10-year period. The Region will also benefit from DOT's many routine funding programs that ensure transportation system preservation, safety and multimodal choice. The next steps for Plan completion require review and approval by Governor Lynch and the State Legislature. For more information, please contact J. B. Mack of Commission staff.
Fall 2007 Watershed Conference
On November 17th, Commission staff participated in the 2007 Watershed Conference, hosted by the NH Department of Environmental Services (DES), the NH Rivers Council and the NH Lakes Association. Attendees came from all backgrounds ranging from non-profits, local river advisory committees, institutes of higher education and private consultants. Steve Kahl of Plymouth State University and Dan Sundquist of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests were the Plenary Session speakers who vividly portrayed growth and landscape change in the Granite State and the ensuing effects on water quality. Breakout sessions allowed attendees to learn about statewide efforts including studies in the Ashuelot River Watershed by The Nature Conservancy and post-October 2005 bank stabilization efforts for the Cold River and Warren Brook. Also included were "hands-on" sessions in teaching plan reading analysis, approaches to writing grant proposals and working with ArcView and ArcGIS. For more information about this conference, please contact Tim Garceau of Commission staff.
2007 Traffic Research Season
During November, the Planning Commission's traffic research program ended for the 2007 season. During the 2007 season, over 120 traffic counts were performed in 19 towns across the Region. In addition, roadway inventory field work, which involves using a global positioning system (GPS) to map the location, size and surface types of Class V roads, was successfully completed in 8 towns. Through contracts for master plan updates in the Towns of Marlborough and Winchester, downtown sidewalk and parking inventories were performed, also using GPS. For more information about traffic research, please contact Tim Garceau of Commission staff.
Staff Participates in Keene State College Proposal
While Keene State College is in the early stages of developing a proposed exposition center, the Planning Commission was one of several groups invited to meet with the College's marketing and design consultants to provide input. Commission staff discussed how such a proposal relates to the goals outlined within the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Southwest NH and Guiding Change, The Southwest Region at the Beginning of the 21st Century. Commission staff also put forth pro-active smart growth related suggestions for consideration such as transit access, pedestrian orientation, energy efficient design, mixed use options and the potential for use as an emergency facility. For more information, please contact Matthew Suchodolski of Commission staff.
Plan NH Charrette Applications Being Accepted
Plan NH is currently seeking three communities or regions to work with in 2008. Every year Plan NH offers design services to local communities and non-profit organizations. Typically, a team of a dozen or so Plan NH members visit a community for a Friday and Saturday and work with municipal leaders and citizens to develop options and design suggestions for a project of local interest. Past charrettes have involved developing a re-use plan for an old mill, evaluating the re-use potential for a commercial building and preparation of plans to revitalize the villages and downtown centers of various communities. For more information, please go to the Office of Energy and Planning website at http://www.nh.gov/oep/news/plannh_charrette_applicatons_february_2008.htm.
|
|
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
|
Check out the