City Council meetings — Feb. 20 & Mar. 4

On March 4 at 6:00 pm in City Council chambers at 37 Green Street, the Council will hold its Priority Setting Session. The session will be recorded by Concord TV. The following are the priorities that were set by the Council for 2022-23, in no particular order: Equity and responsible fiscal management are the guiding principles pertaining to all priorities listed below.

1. Balanced Budget Issues: FY 2023 and FY 2024

2. Community-wide Economic Development Initiatives to Expand Tax Base

3. Public Safety Work

4. Recreational/Cultural Opportunities, Parks and Cemeteries

5. Enhanced Community Events/Arts

6. Sustainability Initiatives/Climate Change

7. Transportation

Ongoing Initiatives

1. Former Tannery Site/Park

2. Enhanced Neighborhood Street Program (Paving)

3. Bridges

4. Technology Infrastructure Improvements

Details on the progress of these initiatives can be found in the City Manager's status report. If you have other topics you'd like to see included or where you think the City should concentrate its efforts, please contact Councilmember Brent Todd. His main commitments are our "Core Four" — Police, Fire, General Services, and debt service — but he is always available for any concerns.

Regarding #3. Bridges under the Ongoing Initiatives, there will be a meeting this Tuesday, February 20, at 6:30 p.m. in City Council chambers regarding a potential for a pedestrian bridge park over the Merrimack River in downtown Concord. Look for more information as it becomes available if you cannot make the meeting.

Penacook Library and Activity Center

At the February 12 City Council meeting, the Council accepted the recommendation from the Facilities Naming Committee for "Penacook Library and Activity Center" as the name for our new branch library. The entire building will be called the Penacook Community Center, and the Boys & Girls Club part will be named the Rowe Family Early Learning Center. More information to come regarding the old branch building on Merrimack Street when proposals are brought forward by the city.

Public Transportation Subcommittee meeting scheduled

The Concord Area Transit (CAT) service is operated not by the City but by a nonprofit organization, Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties, Inc. (CAPBM). The City does provide some funding to CAPBM that assists with CAT service and purchasing new vehicles. There is a committee designated to act as a liaison between CAT and the City, and to provide advice and recommendations; it's called the Public Transportation Subcommittee, and it's a subcommittee of the City's Transportation Policy Advisory Committee. For those interested in learning more about our bus service or providing thoughts or suggestions, please attend the upcoming meeting on Tuesday, January 9 at 12:00 noon in the second-floor conference room at City Hall, 41 Green St.

News from Concord City Council

At the December City Council meeting, the following actions were taken:

  • To create a new Concord Police Station, the Council approved the appropriation of $4 million to acquire the former Concord Insurance Group property.  

  • The Council appropriated $385,000 for General Services Department employee retention funds.  

  • The Council heard all public testimony about the proposed new Beaver Meadow Golf Course building and recessed the public hearing to a future date to allow for additional time for public input and to address questions posed.  City Staff and the Golf Advisory Committees will review the proposal and provide information and advice.

  • The Council set a public hearing to be held at the January 8 meeting to appropriate $800,000 for the construction of a new playground at White Park, consisting of City bonds of $350,000, Land and Water Conservation Fund grant funds of $400,000, and donations from the Friends of White Park of $50,000.

Penacook Historical Society open house

The Penacook Historical Society is having a Holiday Open House on Saturday, December 2nd, 1:00-4:00 pm, at 11 Penacook St., featuring refreshments, joyful music, and craft-making for children. The gift shop will be open. The Bicentennial quilt and collections will be on display. There is also a door prize, which is a handmade 60"x 60" quilt. The snow date for this event is Sunday, December 3rd, 1:00-4:00 pm.

2023 Election Day — November 7

The polling location for Ward 1 voters will be changing this election to the Merrimack Valley High School gymnasium, 106 Village Street. We will no longer be using the Immaculate Conception Church on Bonney Street as a polling location. Parking will be available in the Merrimack Valley High School student parking lot to access the gymnasium entrance. This new location will provide convenient parking, ADA accessibility, and more space for voters. Polls will be open on November 7, 2023, from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Reminder that the polling location for Ward 3 voters is now at the Beaver Meadow Elementary School, 40 Sewalls Falls Road; we are no longer using the Beaver Meadow Golf Course as a polling location.

Polling locations

Ward 1: Merrimack Valley High School Gymnasium, 106 Village Street

Ward 2: The Barn at Bull Meadow, 63 Bog Road 

Ward 3: Beaver Meadow School, 40 Sewalls Falls Road

Hazardous Conditions at Property at 77 Village Street

Deputy City Solicitor Danielle Pacik has been working hard to follow all the complicated legal requirements to help resolve the issues with this property, which is in unsettled estate status. Much of the trash from the driveway has been removed, and at the last City Council meeting, the City’s request was approved for an order for abatement costs, which will allow the City to place a lien against the property. There are still a number of code violations remaining, including additional remaining trash around the house, and the City is actively working on a cease and desist order to address those issues.

Proposed Improvements to the Sewalls Falls/Abbott Road Intersection

Proposed improvements to the Sewalls Falls/Abbott Road Intersection will be discussed at a neighborhood meeting on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at the Beaver Meadow Golf Course.  The recommendations are to remove the existing skewed approach and realign Sewalls Falls Road to “T” into Abbott Road.  Following input received at the meeting, the final design will be created and presented to the City Council for review.  Funding for this project was appropriated by the City Council as part of the FY2024 Budget (in Capital Improvement Plan #520). Construction is tentatively scheduled for next year.  Here is the current proposal:

The City has been working to convert intersections of this type to improve pedestrian and motor vehicle safety by eliminating high-speed turns, reducing conflict points, and improving sight distance.  This was recently done at our Lilac Street/Borough Road intersection.

Community Drive access to MV campus becomes one-way

Community Drive access to the Merrimack Valley School campus will become a one way entrance only following completion of a portion of a larger campus plan approved by the Merrimack Valley School District in 2014, designed to improve traffic flow and safety. Construction is expected to begin this week. The City is partnering with MVSD and will share the cost as part of its Capital Improvement Project #380-Neighborhood Safety Improvement, approved in the 2024 budget passed last month. MVSD will coordinate with City staff and the City's paving contractor, GMI Asphalt LLC, to install a traffic island and complete pedestrian sidewalk improvements along a portion of Allen Street. The result will be an improvement for Community Drive residents in reducing traffic volumes during afternoon hours especially. The City will be able to monitor effects this change may have on Allen Street, High Street, and Beede Drive and consider additional options as needed.

Phase I of the construction starts this week (July 17, 2023).

Paving Progress

GMI Asphalt has completed the finish paving work on Coral Street, Stark Street, Dolphin Street, Chandler Street, Shaw Street, Steeple View, Summer Street, Sweatt Street, Webster Place, and Merrimack Street. Shoulder gravel, and loam and seed work will be started on all these streets next week.

Penacook Historical Society Family Fun Day — July 29

The Penacook Historical Society will hold its Old Fashioned Family Fun Day on Saturday, July 29 from 1:00-4:00 pm at 11 Penacook Street. Everyone is welcome to this free community event, which will feature games, refreshments and penny candy. It's a great opportunity to explore the historic buildings and the community garden, and view the Abbot-Downing Historical Society collection of Concord Coaches and other vehicles. Hope to see you there!

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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