New Blog Post

We are shifting over to tumblr for the blog. Today's is on 6 elements of planning. Check it out at: http://dovernhplanning.tumblr.com/post/23542753063/basic-planning-building-blocks or just follow the blog itself at http://dovernhplanning.tumblr.com

Summertime Goings On

So, here we are deep into Summer 2011. If we were in elementary or secondary school we might argue it just began, but I think for adults more and more the lines of summertime blur and extend. So, in my mind we are deep in the summer. It is the All Star Break for the baseball season, so it must be the middle of summer.

I was thinking last night about summer projects. One I really want to tackle this summer is scanning documents and cleaning up some files and paperwork in the office. I know this has been on the back burner for what feels like eons. It is an ongoing battle to review and reduce the amount of paper we have in the office. Even better if we can weed out extraneous stuff and then scan it and make it available to the public via the internet and save us all time.

Another project is the Capital Improvements Program. There are two elements to this, one regrouping and redefining the 2013-2018 plan for presentation to the Planning Board and City Council in the fall. The second element is using the web to track progress on the FY 2012 projects as they get underway this year. I need to pin down some specifics on how we will do this.

A third project is the ever present review of zoning and land use regulations. A month ago we had a meeting with consultants from the Environmental Protection Agency, and their consultants who were retained to perform an audit of our regulations. They suggested areas we can look to make changes to encourage sustainability. I will be looking over these recommendations and bring them forward to the Planning Board towards the end of the summer.

Catching up is another "always on the list" task. In this case I need to catch up on some reading of journals and trends. Additionally, we need to review some procedures for the CDBG program and for the way we investigate code complaints.

A summer project is to determine where some of the sustainability programs we started in the winter will go now that we no longer have a Sustainability Coordinator. As I mentioned last month, we did not have funding in the, now, current budget to keep that position in play. I will be reviewing the tasks and programming started and evaluating how we can maintain some if not all of them.

So, that's my summer to be. Oh, that and one more project. To use this blog to answer some questions about why areas are zoned, and to also update people on existing programs, such as the Fast Trans, and Pay N Display parking program. For that last item, I will be bringing Bill Simmons from the Police Department in for an interview, as Bill is the Parking Manager for the City.

Activated Planning

What... two blog posts in one week? Wow, something must be up!

That's right folks, I've been inspired. Yesterday (Tuesday), was a day of active planning. Not to imply that regular day to day activities don't include planning, nor to imply that the day to day activities aren't important, but we all get bogged down in the day to day, and when something out of the ordinary comes along, you can get inspired by it.

Yesterday was one of those days. On the face of it, a day of 4 meetings, and some administrative work, might seem day to day. Bonus was the two main meetings. The first was a session with residents, business owners, transit providers and civic leaders to discuss ways to improve our wayfinding in downtown Dover.

What is wayfinding? It can be signage, but it is a much larger concept. Think about the tools we use to get around town. It isn't just signs - in the literal sense. We use clues such as activity and street furniture and lighting styles to be aware that we are in the downtown area.

The meeting was a great kick off to what I see as a project to highlight Dover's assets, our waterfall, our river, our shops and restaurants, and our museums. The meeting was geared to generate excitement among the stakeholders, and I think it did just that. It was fun to discuss Dover as a resident and as a tourist trying to get around.

The second meeting of note was a workshop the Sustainable Dover program hosted on permaculture. What the heck is permaculture? It is designing development with nature in mind. It is the idea that we are part of nature and need to design our homes, neighborhoods and communities to be part of nature and not fight nature.

Steve Whitman, a planner from Plymouth, who in my estimation is one of the most visionary and proactive planners in New Hampshire, came and taught 12 of us the basic philosophy and framework of this concept. It is not new, and Steve isn't the innovator, but it is new to many peoples conscious, and Steve has immersed himself and family into the idea. He has developed a sideshow that demonstrates the philosophy and framework using examples from his home and life.

I am not going to try and summarize the 12 points involved, or even try to explain the overall concept more than I have. Instead I am going to dwell on it, and review my own activities and make lifestyle changes to embrace the philosophy and I hope to continue to be inspired by the workshop, and its companion workshop in 2 weeks.It was great to see a concept that is complicated, but makes so much sense, and is obtainable with some minor changes to your life (composting etc).

I went home at 9:30 last night and didn't mind a bit that I had last stepped foot in the house 15 hours earlier. I didn't mind, because I was so jazzed about the great work we had completed during the day. It was rewarding to be encouraged by the stakeholders involved with the wayfinding project, and then to be inspired by learning something new and adoptable, was that much more energizing.

So, how do we replicate that energy today? We'll see and I'll let you know.

Cleaning Up with Pride

How did you spend your weekend? Maybe some mulching, maybe some planting of flowers, maybe some raking? Did you do this at your house, or in downtown Dover? If both you are dedicated.

I spent Saturday morning leading a great group of volunteers outside of City Hall pruning, mulching and raking. There were probably 15 of so people at the height of involvement and the volunteers did a great job. Drive by the Central Ave side and check out their work. All involved should be proud.

Clean up day, or its proper title "Dover Pride Clean Up Day" is probably my favorite community day here in Dover. It is great to see so many people from all sections, sectors, and walks coming together for the common goal of sprucing up our downtown. As in years past this was a family affair, not just my family - my sweet wife lead a group of volunteers on the brick walk way from Washington Street to Orchard Street - but it seemed that almost everywhere you looked there was a family working side by side.

We (all volunteers) did a lot of work. The City looks great. Check out Henry Law Park, where plantings/trees were trimmed, flowers planted, and mulch freshened. Continue onto River Street, where the view was opened up tremendously and you can see the beautiful river that much clearer. Walk the Community Trail or Joe Parks Riverwalk and see the wonder of nature in the heart of downtown, and swing through the Transportation Center or Library, where visitors will now be met with spruced up plants and trees. All of it looks tremendous (If I missed your area, I apologize - truly).

I challenge us all to appreciate what has been completed here, and dig in and help next year. Better yet don't wait until next year. Take pride in your neighborhood and get together with your friends and families and pick a Saturday, clean up your neighborhood park or other amenity and then have a barbecue and get to know everyone you might pass by daily that much better. It doesn't have to be a 4 hour commitment, just get in and get it done.

You can take pride in your community every day and grow and become more connected to it, by just reaching out, even a little. Take a walk, and don't ignore that piece of trash or debris, pick it up. Let your kids - or dog - play at the park, and look for litter. Smile and be part of the community.

Taking ownership in the place you live is an important lesson that everyone can learn. We try to teach our children to be aware and educated about life, do we do the same about community? Hopefully. The more people are involved and the more people are aware of the community around them, the better that community will and can be.

Energy Investments Update

In October, I had a post about the energy infrastructure improvements that have been completed here in Dover. My office has overseen the improvements and has worked continuously with Johnson Controls, the vendor to install, test and ultimately commission the infrastructure.

The improvements have included retrofitting lighting, toilet retrofits weatherization and installing air conditioning units in City Hall. Lighting in the Mast Road public works facility, McConnell Center and various recreation facilities has also been installed. Included in the recreation facilities has been improvements to the pools, and vending machines. Finally, improvements will be made to the Waste Water Treatment Facility's aeration blower and upgrades to transformers in various buildings.

As of January 19, 2011, we know that there has been a lowering of consumption and of emissions of green house gases. These emissions amount to:

Electricity:
reduced GHGs 81.8 tons CO2

Natural Gas:
reduced GHGs 339.8 tons CO2

Fuel Oil:
reduced GHGs 117.8 tons CO2

A good comparison is that we have lowered the CO2 equivalent to planting 13,830 tree seedlings, if they grew for 10 years, or 123 acres of pine or fir trees. This also equals the emissions of 99 cars (reduced that amount), or saved 1,254 barrels of oil from being consumed.

In regards to consumption savings, overall we have seen:

Electricity:
reduced 24kW
Cut 215,485 kWh
Saved over $23,000

Natural Gas:
reduced 7,997 Therms
Saved over $102,000

Water:
reduced 1,012 gallon
Saved over $11,000

In total there has been over $137,500 saved because of the improvements.

I will continue to include these stats from time to time to bring people up to speed. For now though, take a look at some of the improvements, and compare how far we've come since October. Better yet, take a minute to think about how you can meet or beat the City at the savings/sustainability game.

The Signs, They Are A Changin'

So, believe it or not, I had a friend say to me, "you seem like such a nice, laid back guy. Why do you turn into a Sign Nazi when you see signs around town?" That is a good question.

I think there are two reasons, at least, the first is that I place a high value on respect. We have rules and regulations and I find it disrespectful when people choose not to follow the rules (speaking of being conservative have I written yet about attending Oliver North's birthday party in 1993? - true story). The second reason has to do with community character. We have worked hard, I think, with the public, planning board and business community to review our sign regulations to ensure that they are flexible and encourage getting businesses message out, but at the same time helping to reinforce the character this community wants to have.

Truth be told, I much prefer the proactive regulation review and rewrite to the regulatory side of municipal planning, however both are parts of the whole job. So, the Zoning Administer and I drive around town collecting illegal signs, quarterly. Most are the type that get planted into the ground with metal legs. In addition we tackle the ones on utility poles (a rake is a very versatile tool). This past time (November 14th) we picked up 73 signs. This was after we drafted a press release and had information on Channel 22 etc.

After the purge we sent letters to the companies associated with the signs asking them to pick their signs up and pay a fine. One company accused us of planting the signs and going into other communities, and a second company said they'd be right over to pay, and we haven't seen them. Bottom line, apparently the signs are cheap enough that the owners don't care if we collect and toss them (we keep them for 30 days).

So why are the stake signs or utility pole signs illegal? Well, we are very clear in our ordinance about two things: we do not allow off site advertising (this is when the sign is not placed on the lot for which it represents), and we don't allow signs within the Right of Way (including on utility poles). This is mainly for safety reasons, we don't want to have pedestrian and vehicular travel impaired because people are distracted by signs.

I think an overarching reason we look at sign regulations though comes back to the community character concern. In interviewing residents, and the Planning Board, I think it is clear that Dover has a look and feel that we are trying to achieve. It is based upon the mill setting that we have, but I think it is more than that. It recognizes change and evolution, but at the same time it is sensitive to our surroundings. Much of this character is established by the "built environment," roads and buildings, which is why setbacks, massing and height are so important, but I think signs and other appenditures reinforce that character, which is why it is important to be aware of the signs out there.

Thinking about the options, one is hard pressed not to mention Route 1 in Saugus, Mass. Along that stretch of road there is a very cohesive feel which can be described as thoroughfare business. One is not going to mistake the commercial feel and glitz. Is it Times Square or the Vegas Strip? Nope, but at the same time it represents a more commercial and highway feel than Doverites (?) want.

I think we acknowledge the residential nature of the community and the historic downtown we have. Unlike a strip commercial district we have a concentrated downtown that has corridors leading into it with large homes and a more classic restraint to it. True we do have upper Central Avenue/lower New Rochester Road which does have a strip tone to it. What distinguishes that from a Route 1 is that it is a 5 lane roadway, as opposed to a divided highway. Also, next time you drive that area, look at the homes that still exist on Central Avenue. There are still residences mixed in with the commercial pods.

Part of this character argument is that we see these signs at different stages of existence. Day one they are bright and clear and usually clean. Soon after they get grimy with road waste, especially in the winter with snow and salt. Finally, it has been months on the side of the road or on the utility pole, and suddenly the signs look grungy and affected by the elements. They make the City look dirty and un-kept. My experience is that this grungy and un-kept impression isn't placed on the owner of the sign, but on the community as a whole. I think this is why the community has decided that it doesn't want to allow them.

Drive through town and think about your impressions. Do you have a positive one about fresh, clean and maintained areas and a negative one about the areas that don't shine as well? I bet you do. Next time you drive by and see a sign think of it in that frame of reference.

One last comment, I often wonder how effective the stake and pole signs are? Do you drive by a sign see it, and think that's a product or service I want to use (as you swerve to not hit the car in front of you as you were distracted from the road). I am interested so, let me know.

Next week, I'll discuss the difference between regulations and freedom of speech in regards to signs - the perfect holiday blog post (don't you think?).

Liveable Walkable Community

Many times we hear, especially in Planning, the term livable/walkable communities. This is a New Urbanist term, and has come to mean a community that is pedestrian friendly. In 2002 Dan Burden came to Dover and did a walkable audit of the City. We fared pretty well.

I don't necessarily consider myself a "New Urbanist" nor do I consider my department a "new urbanistic" department, though for disclosure I am a member of the Congress for New Urbanism. I argue that in an almost 400 year old community one can't be all that "new" urban. Instead I believe that I am (and by default my department) an urban planner in the traditional sense. I believe in pedestrian friendly, dense downtown areas surrounded by rural areas, with a middle ground - transition are - in between. I believe that we should encourage our economic growth to occur in the center or commercial nodes, as opposed to typical post WWII sprawling commercial growth. The Miracle Mile- Central Avenue - has its place, but should not be the focus of our economic growth.

Part of that philosophy spurred my wife and I to purchase a home which allows me to walk or bike to work. This week I began that process. It is maybe a mile from door to door. I enjoy either the bike or walk. The only downside, which I discovered last night after a Council Meeting that got out after midnight, was that I was not in the mood to make the trek home on foot power (truth be told I foresaw this and drove to work yesterday). Being this close to work, also means I am close to downtown amenities and can walk to get an ice cream, eat dinner out, or the Cochecho Arts Festival this summer.

All in all I think pedestrian (and by this term I am including biking) is a good way to benefit the economy, the community and our own health. According to a report prepared by the Maine Development Foundation, "walking improves community interaction as people are more likely to talk with neighbors and shop in local stores when they are walking through a community. It also provides easy, inexpensive and low-impact exercise that can improve the overall health of community residents. Walking instead of driving also protects environmental quality. Reducing vehicular emissions benefits plants, watersheds, and the health of wildlife and people alike."

Livable communities are ones which provide amenities and those amenities are easily served in a community the size of Dover. We are fortunate to have a compact, accessible and vibrant downtown. One reason I walk to work is to experience that downtown as much as I can. When you drive through town you're goal is to get from the railroad tracks to Silver Street as soon as possible, and you don't have the opportunity to window shop or people watch.

Now, I am not saying we should zone out rural zoning. Above all I believe we are a market driven society and what I like in a house, and what you like may be vastly different and as long the community character is in place, we should allow for many types of housing styles and locations. Instead I am just encouraging everyone to consider the opportunities around you to walk, and window shop; get out and explore your street, neighborhood or our downtown on foot and see what it has to offer.