BITS AND PIECES

A Weekly Update from the Strafford Region

Planning

Somersworth Zoning Changes Proposed

On Wednesday, August 19, Senior Planner Mark Davie and Principal Planner Blair Haney presented a first draft of proposed zoning changes to the Somersworth Planning Board. Throughout 2025 and 2026, Mark and Blair have been collaborating with the City’s Planning Division on the third installment of the city’s Housing Opportunity Planning (HOP) grant projects, a zoning recodification that implements the changes SRPC recommended in the 2024 Zoning Audit.

SRPC, city staff, and the Mayor’s Housing Task Force are hopeful that the proposed changes will streamline many of the city’s land use regulations and reduce barriers to accessible and attainable housing in the city of 12,000. Notable proposed changes include the conversion of the city’s downtown form- based code overlay districts to replace existing and become the base districts, and the implementation of a planned unit development ordinance.

Below: Senior Planner Mark Davie presents draft zoning changes to the Somersworth Planning Board on August 19.

The Somersworth Planning Board will have a dedicated workshop to the zoning changes in September at a date to be determined, followed by two readings at City Council before they are adopted. A draft will be available on the City’s website as it becomes finalized. Many thanks to Dana, Michelle, and Anna for their assistance in this effort!

Below: Partial zoning map presented as part of the proposed changes in Somersworth. 

Pieces of Interest

August 25: The Venn Diagram Between Hazard Mitigation Plans and Comprehensive Plans, webinar from the Maryland Department of Planning & Mid-Atlantic Planning Collaboration – register here

September 1: Summer Networking with Plan NH @ Inscription Architects, Weare, NH - register here

September 9, 2026, 4pm-6:30pm, Portsmouth, NH: Seacoast Housing Conversations – Advancing Conservation and Housing Goals

September 15: Dover, NH: Plan NH’s Annual Meeting – Built to Belong: The Next Generation of Mixed-Use Neighborhood Developments

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, 2026: NH Housing - Housing and Economy 2026 Conference: Preserving the Past. Creating Homes for the Future

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

October 1: Plan NH Annual Golf Tournament - register as a player or an event sponsor. More event details can be found on the Plan NH Event Calendar

October 28, 2026: AEI Housing Center's 15th Annual Housing Center Conference

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

Transportation

Dover Parking Study

SRPC and the City of Dover are conducting a parking study in downtown Dover in September. The parking study will take place over a course of 3 days (8am-9pm) including two weekend days and one week day. The parking study will look at the utilization of parking across the downtown, the efficacy of parking restrictions, meter usage, and other trends. This information will help the city make informed decisions on potential changes to parking regulations and to identify when and where additional parking structures should be built. 

Volunteers are needed to assist with data collection. There are over 2,000 parking spaces in the study, so we will need many volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering to collect data, please sign up at forms.cloud.microsoft/r/a490q38npp

New EV Charging Stations at UNH

Four new public access ChargePoint level 2 charge ports have been installed in the Edgewood Road Visitor Lot between New Hampshire Hall and the Hamel Rec Center. (GPS: 5 Edgewood Road). The new charge site continues a tradition of UNH and Town of Durham collaboration on EV charging installations and complements recent expansions completed by the Town in the Pettee Brook Lot.

To find out more about the UNH policies regarding Edgewood Road Visitor Lot charging go to the direct link on the UNH Parking website. ( https://www.unh.edu/transportation/parking/ev-charging )

Pieces of Interest

UNH T2: Trainings available now including Road Safety Advocate Program Starting Next Month and Other UNH T2 Training Events

Economic Development

Food Insecurity Roundtable with Jean Shaheen

On Tuesday, August 19, Senator Shaheen participated in a roundtable to discuss affordability and food insecurity across the region. Hosted by SRPC, the roundtable brought together partners and stakeholders including the Granite YMCA, the Share Fund, Gather NH, the New Hampshire Food Bank, the Rochester Child Care Center and more to share key insights with the Senator. 

Pieces of Interest

The hidden cost of child care: What NH businesses need to know

Grant Announcement

Land Conservation Transaction Costs in the Great Bay Watershed - Land Protection Transaction Grant Program, Fall 2026.

Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership announces the Fall 2026 application is available. Grants assist with transaction costs for land protection projects in the Great Bay Watershed of New Hampshire. Qualified nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) conservation organizations, municipalities and units of government may apply. Applications are due October 15, 2026.

Grant Application Instructions and Application Form are available on the GBRPP website http://www.greatbaypartnership.org

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

August 21, 2026