The Planning Board on December 16th (https://zoom.us/j/754076629) will be discussing requests by Unitil for two Conditional Use Permits to allow disturbances of wetland and Shoreland Protection District buffers to allow Unitil to replace utility poles and wires within the utility right of way between MacCoy Street and Village Street Approximately 1.2 miles of poles and wires are proposed to be replaced. If this item is approved work is tentatively scheduled to commence in March 2021 and last about 12 to 16 weeks. This project is being undertaken to maintain uninterrupted service and to plan for increased demand. More information is available here.
Happy 100th Birthday Rolfe Park!
Abial W. Rolfe donated the land for what is now Rolfe Park to the City of Concord in 1920, in memory of the family's early settlers. Truly a remarkable gift to our community.
"Welcome to Penacook" video
The Association for Community Media - Northeast handed out their awards on December 2, and the City and ConcordTV received a bronze medal in the Municipal/Government programming category for the “Welcome to Penacook” video.
Congratulations to the City and ConcordTV!
15th Annual Tree Lighting
The PVA decided to not hold an in-person event this year, due to safety concerns about the COVID pandemic. We held a limited gathering, as a special tribute to event founder Liz Blanchard, who passed away earlier this year, and it was recorded by ConcordTV.
We hope to see you all live and in person for next year's event! Until then, Happy Holidays from the PVA and stay safe.
PVA Virtual Annual Meeting
The Penacook Village Association is holding its annual meeting on Tuesday, November 9, at 6:30 pm. This year, we're opening up the meeting for anyone who is interested. Even if you are not a member, you are invited to join in and listen to our Village news.
Voting for officers is only available to PVA members, but everyone is welcome to participate in all other business of the meeting.
We'll be starting at 6:30 sharp, so please log into the Zoom meeting a few minutes early. Here are the details for the Zoom meeting.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84006455991?pwd=NERSU0Z5Z2lTSGxtRnhnMXBMYXZsZz09
Meeting ID: 840 0645 5991
Passcode: 140795
One tap mobile:
+13017158592,,84006455991#,,,,,,0#,,140795# US (Germantown)
+13126266799,,84006455991#,,,,,,0#,,140795# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location:
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Face Mask Ordinance for Concord
The Concord City Council passed a face covering ordinance during a special public hearing on Monday, August 31. The ordinance is effective immediately, and will remain in effect through January 2, 2021, unless otherwise repealed or extended.
Concord City Council Meeting on Face Coverings, August 31, 2020
The Concord City Council will meet on August 31 to discuss a proposed ordinance on face masks. The council will be hosting the meeting on Zoom at 7 p.m. on Monday, August 31. The meeting can be accessed at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83175728546. If you prefer to use a phone line instead, call (929) 205-6099 or (877) 853-5257 (landline) and use webinar ID# 831 7572 8546.
Voter Registration & Absentee Balloting
On July 26, Gov. Sununu signed House Bill 1266, which our Legislature passed based on recommendations made by the Secretary of State’s Select Committee on 2020 Emergency Election Support considering the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill temporarily allows absentee balloting by voters concerned about exposure to COVID-19. The bill also will allow town officials to begin processing ballots several days before the election, though they could not view or tally the votes until Election Day.
Concord’s City Clerk’s Office has already been receiving and mailing out absentee ballots for the September 8 primary election and is expected to mail out ballots for the November 3 general election 30 to 45 days before the election.
If you are a registered voter or will register to vote at least 10 days in advance of an election, you may request and obtain an absentee ballot from the City Clerk. You can also download the application form and get more information about absentee balloting here.
If you have not yet registered to vote, you can register with the City Clerk’s Office. Check out more information about registering to vote.
Finally, completed absentee ballots can be returned by mail, or you can bring them to the City Clerk’s Office. All you need is your ballot and ID. You can also drop off ballots for family members; you just need to sign a form the City Clerk’s Office will provide you.
The State of New Hampshire has also set up a website where you can check the status of your absentee ballots.
Former RIVCO site lease
More details to come, but it looks like Concord’s Company C home furnishings store will be leasing space at the former RIVCO site on Merrimack St. starting this month for warehouse and office space. You may be aware that their showroom moved recently to Storrs St., but this may be temporary depending on proposed redevelopment of that location. We're certainly looking forward to more activity at the site, with continued cleanup and repairs.
The PVA Remembers Liz Blanchard
We are saddened to hear of the passing of PVA supporter and our friend, Elizabeth Blanchard. Liz attended many PVA meetings and working sessions throughout the years and was a strong voice for our community as City Councilor. Of course, we can't think of Liz without remembering the many years of partnership with her on the event she started: the Annual Tree Lighting, held each December. This year will mark the 15th anniversary, and we are working on plans to safely carry on despite the pandemic emergency. More details to follow. We also still have our Penacook Branch of the City Library thanks to her leadership efforts.
Thank you for everything Liz. We'll miss you.
Hearing for mask ordinance in Concord, N.H.
The City Council has set a special meeting to discuss a mask ordinance for Concord, with public hearing, on August 31st. Details to follow as soon as they become available; you can send your opinions and thoughts to the City Clerk’s Office at cityclerk@concordnh.gov.
Riverside Park volunteer cleanup
Connor Baldwin and his crew of volunteers braved the very hot weather and managed to make great progress at the Riverside Park volunteer cleanup this week. If you get a chance, stop by to see the walkway cleared and ready for some gravel stone and a generally cleaner and more visible park area.
Donations are being accepted through the Penacook Village Association or at contactus@penacook.org. Another date for the next round of work will be set for sometime within the month.
Whitney Road off Exit 17 development news
On Wednesday, August 19, at 7:00 pm, the Concord Planning Board will host a preliminary “Design Review” of plans for the new Market Basket and other shops on Whitney Rd. off exit 17. To attend, please follow the Zoom meeting link.
Public comments will be accepted, and the project details will be presented. You can find more information here. You can also send your comments to City Planner Heather Shank at HShank@concordnh.gov.
Absentee Ballot Voting
Residents who want to vote in New Hampshire for the 2020 election who are concerned about participating in-person due to COVID-19 may register to vote and vote by absentee ballot. You can find more information on the State of New Hampshire’s website, or please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (603) 225-8500 or by email at cityclerk@concordnh.gov.
Demand for absentee ballots is expected to be great; to help our City Clerk’s Office, please plan on applying sooner than later, and remember to send in your ballot early, as well, to ensure timely delivery of ballots by the U.S. Postal Service.
Riverside Park Volunteer Clean-Up
Penacook native and current Merrimack Valley High School student Connor Baldwin and his team will be helping to clean up Riverside Park on Tuesday August 4 from 12 to 3 pm. For this first volunteer clean-up day, the plan is to pick up trash, rake, weed the walkway, clear out brush along the river, and add mulch to the tree in the center of the park. For future phases, he plans to add gravel to the walkway, add some historical signage, look into improved lighting, and add trash receptacles. He's gotten in touch with the Penacook Historical Society regarding signage. The City of Concord has some granite salvaged from the Tannery collapse/demolition that could be used to create benches.
The PVA is proud to assist by creating a fund so folks can donate to Riverside Park and Connor's efforts. Donations by check should be made out to Penacook Village Association, with "Riverside Park" written on the memo line of the check; please mail to P.O. Box 6174, Penacook, NH 03303, and thank you for your support. If you want to help on August 4th, please contact Councilor Brent Todd for more information at brenttoddconcord@gmail.com.
City Further Reopened for In-Person Services
Many of our City operations have now reopened for in-person service, although continuing to use online services is encouraged. Department-specific information and business resources are available at www.concordnh.gov/coronavirus. Although the main branch library is open, our Penacook branch will not be reopening yet. Unfortunately the branch size doesn't allow for easily operating within the safety guidelines.
Supermarket at Exit 17
At the July 13th meeting City Council voted to approve designing and engineering a multi-lane roundabout at Hoit and Whitney Roads (Exit 17). Market Basket and other retailers are still very interested and ready to build in Penacook, but that can't happen unless the intersection is improved. The roundabout design will reach 30% completion, then go back to Council for further review and approval. This will be the next step and is an important vote, so we'll keep you informed.
Pay-As-You-Throw Program update
On June 15, in a unanimous vote, the Concord City Council voted to reinstate the Pay-As-You-Throw Program. This change is effective June 22.
Concord City phased reopening
Concord is undertaking a phased approach to reopening. Residents are still encouraged to use online services whenever possible; in-person services are available by appointment only. Information will be provided ongoing at the website www.concordnh.gov/coronavirus.
More information about the state of opening in New Hampshire on the State site.
Exit 17/Hoit & Whitney Roads development
At the June 8 meeting of the City Council, an item passed to set a public hearing for the July 13th Council meeting to decide on a resolution to appropriate $456,000 for the 100% design/engineering of a multi-lane roundabout at the intersection of Hoit Road and Whitney Road. No development, including the Market Basket store, can be built until this intersection is improved.
The State DOT has recently recommended a two-lane roundabout as the best design choice for the improvement (too much traffic would queue if a stoplight was installed). The funding source recommended to pay for the design is general obligation bonds. The design will allow City staff to determine the price of the improvements, so it puts us one step closer to making this project a reality. More information is available in the report submitted to Council.