InvestNH Update

On Wednesday, Feb. 28, the City Council voted unanimously to accept a $440,000 grant award in recognition of the City’s planning practices that permitted the creation of the 44-unit, Cottages at Back River Road development. The grant funds were made possible through InvestNH, a state program managed by the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) that aims to expedite the approval and construction of affordable workforce housing across the state. 

The City worked with the developer of the Back River Road project, Harmony Homes, to permit the project’s extra density in exchange for commitments that restrict the rents, in perpetuity, to no greater than the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market rates, a metric that is well below comparable units in Dover.

The City was previously awarded $120,000 in InvestNH grant funding in recognition of the 12 workforce-rate units incorporated into the recent redevelopment of the Old Courthouse by Chinburg Properties. The City’s Ad-Hoc Committee to Address Community Housing Needs is actively considering potential ways to leverage these funds to better support future attainable housing initiatives and will include their recommendations in their report to the Council this fall.

Planning Department Budget Presentation

On Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m., the City Council will hold its next budget workshop. Director Donna Benton will present the Department of Planning and Community Development's proposed budget. Planning, Community Development, and Inspection Services are all administered by the Planning Department. The Council will also receive budget presentations at the workshop from the Police and Fire and Rescue departments.

The workshop will be televised on Channel 22 and online here.

To learn more about the budget process click here and to review the Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Budget, click here.

Planning Review Question

The Department of Planning and Community Development would like your input! We'll be featuring a question in each edition of the Planning Review, and we'll also share the results from the previous week.

This week, we want to know:

What types of community events would you like to see organized along the Dover Community Trail in the future?

Submit your answer here: https://polco.us/fzwn5h

Thank you to those who responded to last week's poll, which asked, "What amendments or changes would you like to see made to the City of Dover's Zoning Ordinance?"

Didn't get a chance to add your answer to the last poll asking about zoning amendments? You can still share your thoughts with Zoning Administrator Paul Crouser at p.crouser@dover.nh.gov.

Dover Download podcast: Your guide to what's happening this week

In the latest episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Steve Fournier, Town Manager of Newmarket, about economic and business development strategies in the region.

In This Week in Dover History, we learn how Garrison Hill embraced skiing in the 1920s with the addition of a ski jump.

The podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and by clicking here.

Upcoming Meetings

Arts Commission, 3/4/2024

The Arts Commission will meet on Monday, March 4. On the agenda:

• Review the Commission's budget;

• Discuss the 2024 Community Arts Champion Nomination; 

• Discuss updates for ongoing projects including the Commission's work with various other public bodies like the Graffiti Committee and Waterfront Committee;

• Review and report on 2024 Commission Goals and planned projects.

Click here to find the complete agenda, where minutes will be posted when available.

Community Trail Advisory Committee, 3/5/2024

The Community Trail Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 5. On the agenda:

• Review ongoing projects such as the Phase IV Trail expansion, public art on the Trail, and outreach events;

• Discussed visioning and goals for the Community Trail.

Click here to find the complete agenda, where minutes will be posted when available.

Results of Recent Meetings

Committee to Address Community Housing Needs, 2/22/2024

The Committee to Address Community Housing Needs met on Thursday, Feb. 22, where

it:

• Discussed InvestNH grant funding;

• Continued goal setting for the Committee and discussed Work Groups.

Click here to find the complete agenda, where minutes will be posted when available.

Forest Management Subcommittee, 2/26/2024

The Forest Management Subcommittee of the Conservation Commission met on Monday, Feb. 26, where it:

• Reviewed updates and ongoing projects such as the Pocket Forest project and Central Business District (CBD) street trees.

Click here to find the complete agenda, where minutes will be posted when available.

Planning Board, 2/27/2024

The Planning Board met on Tuesday, Feb. 27, where it:

• Approved a Conditional Use Permit for Gove Environmental Services, Inc., (Owners: David R. Lemieux), Assessor’s Map 8, Lot 19, zoned R-20, located at 14 Leighton Rd. Proposal is for a residential redevelopment of the property with approximately 2,887 square feet of temporary impact and approximately 8,362 square feet of permanent impact to the Conservation District. *(COND-2023-0060)

• Approved a Conditional Use Permit for Gove Environmental Services, Inc., (Owners: David R. Lemieux), Assessor’s Map 8, Lot 19, zoned R-20, located at 14 Leighton Rd. Proposal construct a new single family house and cottage further inland creating approximately 1,908 square feet of temporary impact and approximately 2,067 square feet of permanent impact to the 50-foot wetlands buffer. *(COND-2023-0061)

Note: * denotes public hearing; (20XX-XXXX) denotes the application number.

Click here to watch the meeting or click here to find the complete agenda, where minutes will be posted when available.