Ward 1 Councilor Brent Todd was asked to speak at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce breakfast forum on October 10 about economic development, in Penacook. Other guests included Concord's Economic Development Director Suzi Pegg, and developer Steve Duprey. Here’s a video of the event (link below).
https://youtu.be/LLy8P3gawAc
This was held on October 1 was well attended, and very informative. For those who missed it, here is the recording (link listed below):
In September, the City and Caleb Development Corporation closed on the sale of a 2.5 acre piece of the former Allied Leather site being sold by the City to Caleb for their new housing development. The sale price was $540,000 (which was the City’s full asking price). Phase I of Caleb’s development is scheduled for completion in September 2020, and features 34 housing units. It is anticipated that Phase II of the project will begin construction in 2021. You can see foundation working progressing now at the site.
Property owners David and Laurie Rauseo requested of City Council in September a public-private partnership to carry out improvements to the intersection of Rte 4 and Whitney Rd. Council then accepted a City report in October that stated the Rauseos "have indicated that they have a full-service supermarket and ancillary retail operators ready to move forward on their property pending resolution to the intersection’s condition."
It was just announced that the new supermarket will be a Market Basket. Next steps include DOT review of the recent traffic conditions in the area and signing off on a proposed design for improvements.
The Penacook Village Association is sponsoring a free public event on affordable housing, to be held Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. in the Merrimack Valley High School library. Everyone is invited. Light refreshments will be available.
Our State Senator, Majority Leader Dan Feltes and Speaker of the House of Representatives Steve Shurtleff will be on hand to discuss budget impacts on housing, and answer your questions.
Special guests include City Manager Tom Aspell, CATCH President and CEO Rosemary Heard and NH Housing Finance Authority Executive Director Dean Christon. They will discuss what the City and their organizations do to promote housing options in Concord and NH. This will be an opportunity for all of us to learn more about "affordable," "workforce," "low income," and "Section 8" housing. and have our questions answered. Hope to see you there!
The Penacook Village Association will host an informational meeting on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at 6:00 pm, in the Merrimack Valley High School Library. Special guests include Rosemary Heard, President and CEO of CATCH Neighborhood Housing, and Dean Criston, Executive Director of NH Housing Finance Authority, who will discuss what their organizations do to promote housing options in Concord and NH. Special guest, Tom Aspell, Concord City Manager, will present the City’s point of view, and some of our State and City representatives will be present. This will be an interactive meeting, so please bring your questions.
Site preparation work for the Penacook Landing Project at the former Tannery site is underway. The City has engaged Jeremy Hiltz Excavating in the amount of $401,667 to demolish remaining buildings at the property, as well as to install a new sewer pump station, and make other site improvements to support the Caleb Development Corporation’s forthcoming redevelopment project.
The demolition work is being financed by a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant at no cost to the City. The work will take approximately 60 days to complete. Once completed, the Caleb Development Corporation will close with the City on the acquisition of approximately 2.5 acres of the 4 acre site, for the sum of $540,000, for their 54 unit housing project.
Upon closing, Caleb will immediately proceed with construction of Phase I of their project (34 units), which will take approximately 12 months to complete. The schedule for Phase II of the project (20 units) has not be determined and is subject to Caleb securing additional federal tax credits from the NH Housing Finance Authority. When fully built out, 48 of the 54 units will be affordable housing, and the remainder will be market rate. It is anticipated that the project will create approximately $3 million of new assessed value and $105,000 of new property tax revenues.
The remaining 1.5 acres of the parcel is being retained by the City for a possible future riverfront park. There is funding in the FY 2020 budget to begin design exploration for the park. The new park will need a name, so let's start thinking about that, and please send me your suggestions.
It's sad to see the final remaining Tannery buildings go, but certainly the brick building, originally built over a canal, is unfortunately beyond repair. The Penacook Historical Society was invited in to the property to salvage some historical remnants. This is a big change for our community.
The following is a list of the new membership of the Board for the PVA:
Al Brack
Jennifer Craig
Kris LaBrake
Teri Maxwell
Chris Miller
Paula Miner
Carole Palmer
Steve Shurtleff
Brent Todd
The Penacook Village Association Annual Meeting was held Tuesday, June 25th, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, at the Merrimack Valley High School Library. Special guest Matt Walsh, Concord's Director of Redevelopment, Downtown Services, and Special Projects, discussed and answered questions on TIF (Tax Increment Finance) Districts -- why Concord uses them, what financial options they provide, and how Concord's existing TIFs have performed. Mr. Walsh can also provide updates on other ongoing projects. Watch this YouTube video for the presentation.
City Council budget meetings are in progress, and also are open to the public. For a budget overview, please see the City Manager’s presentation. The City’s recommendation is for a 1.92% budget increase. Of this additional funding, .25% (one quarter percent) would be devoted toward the City’s road paving program to give that a further boost. You can see from the second page of the presentation that Merrimack Valley school district residents continue to pay a higher tax rate because the MV portion remains higher than that of the Concord School District.
A few highlights for Penacook: Capital Improvement Project (CIP) #567 calls for $50,000 to provide planning for a riverside park at the former Tannery site. CIP #466 calls for $360,000 for more upgrades to the Penacook Wastewater Treatment plant. Funding is sustained for the Penacook Community Center at $28,000. Funding for a Merrimack Valley Middle School resource officer is a $26,500 25% shared city cost, with MV supplying the additional 75%. The Whitney Road CIP #30 is $100,000 for conceptual intersection design (to improve traffic conditions at the intersection of Rte 4), and CIP #502 is $52,700 for survey work for potential roadway extension design; both of these utilize Impact Fees for the funding, so this is not coming from our taxes.
A few other general highlights: Concord still enjoys a "AA+" Standard & Poor’s bond rating and Concord was cited for its strong budgetary responsibility with strong management policies and priorities. This rating is important because it sends a signal to investors that Concord is a secure investment for municipal bond purchases. Also, it plays a critical role in determining how much interest Concord must pay on their issued debt. Concord needs the sale of bonds to finance many ongoing and future projects. This superior rating means borrowing is less expensive and those savings can be passed on to taxpayers. To put this in a little more perspective, Concord’s debt service takes up 18% of our property tax payments, and the remaining 82% of our property taxes goes to Police, Fire, and General Services departments.
Interesting budget facts: Insurance on all City employees costs $9 million. Every 1% increase in the budget represents $420,000 in revenue to the City. The City has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for the 24th year in a row; Concord has the statewide record for this award.
Update [June 25, 2019]:
City Council just passed the FY2020 budget. An additional highlight for Penacook is work to be performed on sewer linings on portions of Merrimack Street, Village Street (from Bonney St. to #88 Village St.), Chandler St., and Stark St. Residents affected will be notified by the City in advance.
The Penacook Village Association Annual Meeting will be held Tuesday, June 25th, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, at the Merrimack Valley High School Library. Special guest will be Matt Walsh, Concord's Director of Redevelopment, Downtown Services, and Special Projects, who will discuss and answer your questions on TIF (Tax Increment Finance) Districts -- why Concord uses them, what financial options they provide, and how Concord's existing TIFs have performed. Mr. Walsh can also provide updates on other ongoing projects. Refreshments will be available.
The PVA's annual Downtown Beautification project is in full swing again, with several downtown businesses participating in the Flower Barrel Program. Our thanks to our partners who helped out this year:
AML Partners
Capital Alarm
Chief's Place
Kaye Place
Larry's Barber Shop
Penacook Family Dentistry
Penacook Pharmacy
The Hair Clip
Village St. Garage
Also thank you to PVA Board members Al Brack and Teri Maxwell for all their efforts on this project.
Extra special thanks to Dave Murray of Murray's Greenhouse in Penacook. Despite the setbacks from a recent fire Dave rose to the challenge and has once again helped make this program possible.
The PVA hopes you enjoy the barrels, and also the work of Ruth Brack (Gazebo flowers) and Bob Gabrielli (roundabout landscaping). We're very fortunate to have Dave, Al, Teri, Ruth and Bob volunteering in our community!
City Council budget meetings are in progress, and also are open to the public. For a budget overview, please see the City Manager’s presentation. The City’s recommendation is for a 1.92% budget increase. Of this additional funding, .25% (one quarter percent) would be devoted toward the City’s road paving program to give that a further boost. You can see from the second page of the presentation that Merrimack Valley school district residents continue to pay a higher tax rate because the MV portion remains higher than that of the Concord School District.
A few highlights for Penacook: Capital Improvement Project (CIP) #567 calls for $50,000 to provide planning for a riverside park at the former Tannery site. CIP #466 calls for $360,000 for more upgrades to the Penacook Wastewater Treatment plant. Funding is sustained for the Penacook Community Center at $28,000. Funding for a Merrimack Valley Middle School resource officer is a $26,500 25% shared city cost, with MV supplying the additional 75%. The Whitney Road CIP #30 is $100,000 for conceptual intersection design (to improve traffic conditions at the intersection of Rte 4), and CIP #502 is $52,700 for survey work for potential roadway extension design; both of these utilize Impact Fees for the funding, so this is not coming from our taxes.
A few other general highlights: Concord still enjoys a "AA+" Standard & Poor’s bond rating and Concord was cited for its strong budgetary responsibility with strong management policies and priorities. This rating is important because it sends a signal to investors that Concord is a secure investment for municipal bond purchases. Also, it plays a critical role in determining how much interest Concord must pay on their issued debt. Concord needs the sale of bonds to finance many ongoing and future projects. This superior rating means borrowing is less expensive and those savings can be passed on to taxpayers. To put this in a little more perspective, Concord’s debt service takes up 18% of our property tax payments, and the remaining 82% of our property taxes goes to Police, Fire, and General Services departments.
Interesting budget facts: Insurance on all City employees costs $9 million. Every 1% increase in the budget represents $420,000 in revenue to the City. The City has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for the 24th year in a row; Concord has the statewide record for this award.
The CATCH Neighborhood Housing proposal to develop affordable housing on Village Street will continue to move forward as a result of the City Council vote on May 13 to change the zoning as recommended by the Planning Board. The CATCH project site plan will now need to be approved by the Planning Board at their June 19 meeting (Council Chambers on 35 Green St at 7 pm), which is open for public comment.
First up, more information on the proposal by CATCH Neighborhood Housing to develop affordable housing at 95-97 Village Street. What is proposed is six new residential buildings accommodating 42 units. There are two landowners involved. The “Water Tower” lot is owned by the City and was originally set aside to be used for cemetery expansion. It has no frontage, so it can only be developed if combined with another piece of property. A few years ago, the Penacook Community Center made a request to purchase it, which was approved, with a determination that there currently exists another 125 years or so of available cemetery land without the Water Tower parcel. When the PCC’s expansion plans fell through, they put their land for sale, CATCH made them an offer, and also offered the City to purchase its parcel. CATCH plans to move forward with plans for either the PCC parcel alone or the PCC and City parcels. Therefore, if CATCH’s proposal is not accepted by the City, the Water Tower lot will stay dormant, with no potential for improvements or revenue.
The first step for CATCH has been to request zoning changes to accommodate the proposed project. At the Zoning Board’s April 3 meeting, it was decided 5-0 in favor of granting the variance allowing development on a lot with only 148.2’ of frontage when the minimum frontage requirement is 150’. Then at the April 17 Planning Board meeting, the Board recommended the rezoning of property from Residential to General Commercial which allows for the multifamily dwellings that are proposed by CATCH. Now the matter will be taken up by City Council with a public hearing for the May 13 meeting (7:00 pm in Council Chambers on Green St.) to decide whether to change the zoning as recommended, which would allow for a purchase and sale with CATCH of the Water Tower lot. If you are unable to attend on May 13, you can send your comments to the City Clerk Janice Bonenfant: jbonenfant@concordnh.gov. Relevant documents, including a March 22 report that provides additional information can be found here: Council Agenda 5-13-19 Item 48H. Also helpful is an additional report from March 29: Report and Agreement. The reports detail the proposed project and also discuss affordable housing in Concord.
Also note that if Council approves the zoning change, the CATCH site plan will need to be approved at Planning Board. This will provide residents with an additional opportunity to provide input. The earliest the public hearing could be held is at the June 19 Planning Board meeting, and I’ll send you an update with that information.
Concord and the nation have an affordable housing crisis. Concord has an overall housing crisis, with vacancy rates hovering at around 1-2%. My research indicates that there are currently about 40 affordable housing apartments in Penacook (excluding those restricted to seniors), which accounts for 4% of the City total. The majority of the City’s affordable housing is located in the Heights and Downtown. Three residential housing projects have been discussed lately in Penacook: the CATCH proposal, the Caleb Project at the former Tannery site, and apartments at the former RIVCO site. While there is no new information to report on the latter at this time, the expectation is that ground will break at the Tannery site in September. Housing construction will help ease the crisis; it will also provide economic benefits of additional local consumer spending. Penacook needs more consumer foot traffic and more residents to spur on commercial development growth, which in turn will help lower our taxes. If you have any questions or want more information please write back.
Major site plan approval and granting of a conditional use permit for the 212 Fisherville Rd development of a Domino’s pizza and Aroma Joe’s coffee shop occurred at the April 17 Planning Board meeting.
During May and June, City Council will be holding its budget meetings. All meetings are open to the public, and your comments are welcome. Here is the proposed subject matter schedule:
Fiscal Year 2020 Finance Committee budget schedule — Concord City Council Chambers
May 16 (Thursday) Budget Delivery to City Council
May 20 (Monday) 5:30 PM City Manager’s Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Presentation
May 23 (Thursday) 5:30 PM General Government (Administration) (Police, Fire, General Services)
May 30 (Thursday) 5:30 PM Community Development (Library, Parks and Recreation, Human Services, Capital Improvement Program)
June 3 (Monday) 5:30 PM Special Revenue Funds (Parking, Airport, Conservation Property, Golf Course, Arena, Solid Waste, Water, Wastewater)
June 6 (Thursday) 5:30 PM Public Hearing Action (Budget Adoption)
As I was writing this to you today, I received word of an aggressive fire that occurred at 63 Merrimack Street. Thanks to the efforts of our Concord Firefighters, it was quickly contained, an occupant was safely removed, and a pet cat who had suffered severe smoke inhalation was rescued. Firefighters used a specially designed oxygen mask for pet animals to resuscitate the cat. The City Council invests in training programs that aid our firefighters in handling these situations. The return on that investment is tremendous, as seen here today. We’re fortunate to live in a community with top-notch fire and police professionals.
Brent Todd
You may be aware that the proposal by the Penacook Community Center to develop land at 95-97 Village Street for their new Community Center has been abandoned. The land was placed for sale and the interested buyer is CATCH Neighborhood Housing, who would like to merge the lots, change the zoning to residential, and construct approximately 40, one to three-bedroom affordable housing units in multiple buildings on the property. Their first step will occur at a public hearing Wednesday, April 3 at the 7 pm Zoning Board meeting in Council Chambers on 37 Green St. The Zoning Board will review the request for a variance to allow multi-family development with a total frontage of 148 feet where 150 feet is required. Their next phase will be at the City Council meeting on April 8, where Council will be asked to adopt the zone change. Council may refer the matter to the Planning Board first, or it may set a public hearing. Stay tuned for updates.
Expect to see two pedestrian crossing “weebles” installed near Chief’s Restaurant and at Charles St. this April. This is an investment by the City to assist pedestrians and slow traffic down at these major intersections.
Local property owner and architect John Jordan has been are targeting late June Saturday from 2 - 6 pm for a free afternoon of music at Riverside Park. The event will be in partnership with the Concord Parks & Recreation department. This will be a new event for Penacook, though you may recall the last concert at Riverside in 2015 by the Wildcat Regiment Band as part of the city’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Brent will let everyone know more info and volunteering opportunities soon, as we might be able to turn this into an annual event.
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce is updating its Guidebook to Greater Concord for the 2019-2020 publication in the spring. Thanks to the Chamber and the Penacook Village Association, the new book will feature an entry about Penacook. The Guidebook is widely requested as a relocation/vacation resource by area businesses for prospective employers and visitors.
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Penacook Village Association is exempt from federal income tax under sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code. Contributions to the Penacook Village Association are deductible under sec. 170(b)(1)(a) of the code. Tax ID 27-0511386.
Penacook Village Association, P.O. Box 6174, Penacook, NH 03303 | Copyright 2019, Penacook Village Association
