Volunteers Needed

Today's blog is a call to arms (or more realistically a call to computers). As we have discussed in the past the Dover Planning Board and the Planning Department are constantly looking to review and revise the Master Plan. This year we hope to develop a Conservation and Open Space chapter.

To do so, we are seeking Dover residents interested in volunteering to serve on a committee to update the chapter, which was last revised in 2000.

As part of the Master Plan process, the Planning Board is creating a steering committee to oversee the work and ensure ample opportunity for public participation. The steering committee will consist of five to seven members and will work closely with the Planning Department. The goal is to have a steering committee diverse in interests and areas of expertise.

The process will take approximately six months.

The Master Plan, which is a blueprint for the City’s future development and acts as both a reference and policy document, is updated every five to 10 years by the Planning Board, and has a 10 to 20 year horizon. The Master Plan is designed to help a community meet change responsibly, guiding its growth in an orderly manner.

The 2000 version of the Conservation chapter contained numerous recommendations that helped kick start the City’s land conservation efforts. One recommendation was to form a committee that would identify land worthy of preservation and work to protect it.

The Dover Open Lands Committee has managed to preserve more than 700 acres of land in the last nine years by partnering with various public and private land conservation groups. The steering committee will develop new recommendations to guide the City’s conservation efforts in the future.

If you are interested in working on this project, please contact City Planner Steve Bird at 603-516-6008 or s.bird@dover.nh.gov.