BITS AND PIECES

A Weekly Update from the Strafford Region

Cocheco River Local Advisory Committee Update

On Wednesday, September 16, the Cocheco River Local Advisory Committee hosted a workshop at the Dover Public Library to gather feedback on draft goals and actions for the Cocheco River Corridor Management Plan. Participants were from Dover, Rochester, Farmington, Middleton, and Strafford, and included business owners, paddlers and fishers, teachers, and interested residents. The discussion helped illuminate priority actions and generated ideas for possible future projects. Many thanks to all who participated!

Weren’t able to make the workshop but want to share your input? SRPC has a survey open through Sunday, September 20 - please share your thoughts!

Reach out to Regional Planner Lisa Wise at LWise@straffordrpcnh.gov to learn more.

Pictured: Participants at the workshop held at the Dover Public Library.

Pieces of Interest

Happening Now! NH NPR asks One Big Question each month. “How has the cost of housing in New Hampshire shaped your life decisions?"

September 22: Northeast Housing Summit | 10am to 2pm, virtual | register here

September 22: Seacoast Eat Local 20^th Anniversary Celebration – a fundraising event honoring their Roots and Seeding their Future. Tickets available here. 

September 23: Implementing Comprehensive Plans Through Zoning: How Local Governments Are Advancing Sustainable Land Use

September 23: New Hampshire Housing's Housing and Economy 2026 Conference

 September 25: Preservation Regional Roundtable from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance | 10am to 2pm, Somersworth | register here

September 30: Salmon Falls Success Safari (FREE Walking Tour!)

September 30: Using Local Mutual Aid Networks in Your ERP

October 14: Natural Hazard Technical Assistance for Updating Your ERP

October 28: AEI Housing Center's 15th Annual Housing Center Conference

October 26 to November 2: Picturing Rising Tides 2026

Dover Parking Study

As posted in recent editions of Bits & Pieces, SRPC is updating Dover’s Transportation Master Plan! A key element has been to assess parking in the City's downtown. On September 12, 13, and 16, SRPC conducted a parking study of the downtown area. Some 45 volunteers and staff members walked a combined 380 miles to collect parking information in 2,000 parking spaces! Wow!

A parking study can answer questions such as:

• How long are visitors staying?
• How effective are the city’s parking hours and regulations?
• Does the city’s parking layout encourage “circling” for parking?

Volunteers were recruited from the StrongTowns Seacoast chapter, UNH Planning Club, Dover High School, city staff and board members, city email groups and Facebook pages, and a recent article in Foster’s. We thank all of these groups and individuals who spent part of their weekend or Wednesday (or all three days!) with us!

Well done! The results of the parking study will be available later this year, and the Master Plan survey is still live if you have not taken it! SRPC will be facilitating the next meeting of the Steering Committee in early or mid-October, which will be open to the public.

Above: A volunteer’s clipboard with train station parking lot visible behind it. Below: A screenshot of one volunteer’s Strava recording of the activity over several hours.

Pieces of Interest

How to Give Traffic Deaths the Attention They Deserve, from APA

International Renewable Energy Council (IREC) selects Clean Energy NH as a 2026 Charging Smart Regional Engagement Partner

Recharge the Adventure Level 2 electric vehicle charging funding now available from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

TREDS Upcoming Meeting

On September 22, the Tri-Region Economic Development Stakeholders (TREDS) group with gather for a virtual meeting. The topic of this upcoming meeting will center around updates and conversation provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information about the TREDS group, or to join the upcoming meeting, reach out to Economic Development staff Michael Polizzotti or Natalie Gemma at mpolizzotti@straffordrpcnh.gov or ngemma@straffordrpcnh.gov.

Pieces of Interest

Northeast Consumer Price Index (CPI) Summary update available

Public Input Opportunity

Share feedback on the draft New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary, Part II: Guidance for Using Best Available Science.

First published in 2020, the Guidance is currently being updated as part of the 5-year update required by the State legislature and guided by a Steering Committee of state agency representatives, regional planning commission staff, and other partners. The Guidance is intended to support users to access the latest information about sea level rise, groundwater rise, coastal storms, and extreme precipitation in different types of projects, including planning, regulatory, or site-specific efforts.

The public comment period runs throughout October 2026 and includes the following opportunities:

October 1, 12:00-1:00pm - Kickoff Webinar: Join this webinar for an orientation to the draft Guidance and Q&A

• Webinar Registration: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/09b57d34-434b-4024-8090-893c7ee5a336@992deae9-1c4c-42c8-a310-5088af55ba74

Two In-Person Workshops: At these workshops, participants will have an opportunity to apply the draft Guidance to different scenarios and share feedback with the Project Team.

• October 8, 1:00-3:00pm, Dover Library, Dover, NH
• October 13, 10:00-12:00pm, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Stratham, NH
• Workshop Registration: https://forms.gle/6zVqN9NMJHWVRSNS7

For more information, visit the public comment landing page: https://arcg.is/1KmXDD4. Questions? Contact Lwise@straffordrpcnh.gov.

This project is funded in part, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act in conjunction with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Coastal Program; the NHDES Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau; and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Coastal Resilience Fund. 

Strafford Regional Planning Commission | 603-994-3500 | info@straffordrpcnh.gov | www.straffordrpcnh.gov

September 18, 2026