The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights:
Youth fall sports registration
The Parks and Recreation Department is accepting registrations of the upcoming youth sports season. Fall sports include: Archery (ages 6 and higher) NFL Flag Football Leagues (ages 6-8, 9-11 and 12-14) and Soccer Leagues (ages 4-5, grades 1-2, 3-4 and grades 5-6). Limited space and pre-registration is required.
City meetings
City meetings are held in person in Council Chambers at 37 Green St. (unless otherwise specified on the city’s calendar). Upcoming meetings include:
Zoning Board of Adjustment: Aug. 3, 7 p.m.
City Council: Aug. 8, 7 p.m.
Planning Board: Aug. 17, 7 p.m.
Zoning ordinance draft, meetings
The latest draft of the city’s new zoning ordinance has been released and is ready for public review! The revised draft is based on public and staff comments. The draft is available online at concordnext.info/ zoning-ordinance-draft-july-2022/.
Phase 2 meetings are with Code Studio to review the concepts generated from the visioning sessions in March. Feedback from these will be the basis for drafting the remaining districts, which are predominantly the Gateway Performance and General Commercial Districts.
Phase 2 webinars will be held on Zoom on Aug. 2 (12-1:30 p.m., 7-8:30 p.m.) and Aug. 4 (7-8:30 p.m.).
Phase 1 meetings are to review the long awaited draft, which pertains to the majority of districts and the city as a whole.
Phase 1 webinars will be held on Zoom on Aug. 9 (noon-1:30 p.m.) and Aug. 11 (noon-1:30 p.m., 7-8:30 p.m.). In-person meetings will be held in the Council Chambers, 37 Green St., on Aug. 11 (7-8:30 p.m.) and Aug. 16 (7-8:30 p.m.).
I-93 expansion project meeting
Representatives from the state Department of Transportation and McFarland Johnson will meet with the Transportation Policy Advisory Committee to present updates on the Interstate 93 expansion project. All are welcome to attend. The meeting is Aug. 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 37 Green St.
Community Center room rentals
The Parks & Recreation Department offers room rentals at four indoor centers. Along with the Green Street Community Center Gym, and the West Street Ward House, we also offer space at the City Wide Community Center and the Merrimack Lodge at White Park. This allows for a great selection of rooms to rent for a variety of uses including; indoor sports, baby showers, children’s birthday parties, business meetings, even small conferences and workshops. Rentals are offered on a space available basis. For information on facilities, rental forms and current rental rates, please visit our Community Center page on the Parks & Rec website.
Drought
Despite receiving much needed rain last week, drought conditions remain unchanged for New Hampshire, with 96.59% of the state (including Concord) experiencing moderate drought and 3.41% of southern areas experiencing severe drought. Warmer than normal temperatures are contributing to dry conditions with increased evaporation reducing surface waters and drying out soils and vegetation.
Water production at the city’s Water Treatment Facility increased slightly two weeks ago with an average at 5.6 MGD (million gallons per day), and came down slightly to 5.4 MGD last week thanks to some rain. However, high temperatures have led to increased irrigation and outdoor water use with a spike in consumption at 6.0 MGD on Wednesday. Although it is typical for water consumption to increase this time of year due to outdoor water use and irrigation, spikes in consumption are following weather patterns and being driven by drought conditions.
Some municipalities and community water systems have started implementing voluntary or mandatory outdoor water use restrictions. Currently, there are no water restrictions in place for Concord since water supply levels at Penacook Lake remain decent (check concordnh.gov/conservation for updates). However, water conservation is strongly encouraged. Please use water wisely. Be mindful of your water use, especially outdoors. Concord’s water supply is healthy, but we advise water customers to conserve use as a proactive measure to manage our water resource. Simple measures to take when conserving water include minimizing irrigation, lawn watering, and inspecting systems for water leaks. Practice watering at night or early morning to minimize evaporation and consider using weather-based irrigation controllers to avoid unnecessary watering.
Drought conditions will continue to be monitored. Updates and water conservation tips can be found at concordnh.gov/conservation.
Street Paving Program
The city’s Neighborhood Street Paving Program continues with Continental Paving, Inc. as the city’s paving contractor for this year.
Base pavement was placed two weeks ago on South State Street and catch basins were raised last week and sidewalk re-construction continues. Curb re-set is scheduled to start Aug. 1.
Cold planing was completed last week on the following streets:
- Centre Street (from North Main Street to Union Street)
- Capitol Street (from North Main Street to North State Street)
- Green Street (from Centre Street to Prince Street)
- North State Street (from School Street to Pleasant Street and Court Street to Capitol Street)
- Park Street (from Main Street to Green Street)
- School Street (from North Main Street to North State Street and Green Street to North Spring Street)
- Warren Street (from North Main Street to North Spring Street).
- Green Street (from School Street to Pleasant Street)
- Pleasant Street (from Main Street to Spring Street)
Traffic signal loops were replaced on these streets this week at all signalized intersections. Catch basins and manhole covers will be completed on these streets on Monday and final paving will start Tuesday or Wednesday and continue through the end of next week into the following week.
South Street from Broadway to Pleasant Street will also be finish paved later next week or the beginning of the following week, along with the above streets.
Traffic signal replacement will begin next week at the intersection of Pleasant and State streets.
This is a tentative schedule and is subject to change. Work is weather permitting. Streets may be reduced to one lane or closed to through traffic. Parking will be limited on these streets between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Residents will have road access to their homes. Find more information and a tentative schedule of streets approved for paving at concordnh.gov/ pavingplan.
Staying connected with Parks & Rec
With hundreds of programs offered throughout the year we know it is hard to stay up to date. The Parks and Recreation Department has several options to help you stay connected with department offerings. The department has four seasonal brochures that are available online, delivered to elementary schools, or copies can be picked up at the Merrimack Lodge at White Park, City Hall or at the City Wide Community Center.
The department is very active on social media with over 6,800 followers on Facebook and over 1,300 on Instagram.
The staff at the City Wide Community Center are also available to answer questions. The department’s web site with more information is concordparksandrec.com.
Stay & Play Camp: Week 9 added
Concord Parks & Recreation has added a ninth week of Stay and Play camps for Aug. 15-19. There are openings for 1st and 2nd graders and 3rd- 5th graders.
