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:
Beaver Meadow
The driving range at Beaver Meadow Golf Course is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Stay tuned for a full golf course opening announcement. For membership and other information, visit bmgc.golf.
Street Sweeping
The nice weather has allowed for the city’s sweeping contractor, BDM Sweeping, to start street sweeping last week. Sweeping is performed to clean up the city’s streets, with a focus on the city’s enclosed drainage system to keep drains clear of debris. This week, sweeping was completed in the drainage areas of East Concord and the south end. Sweeping will continue next week in the Penacook area and north end on Monday. This includes the general vicinity of Borough Rd., Washington St., Lilac St., Alice Dr., etc. Residents are advised to refrain from parking in this area between 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday, sweeping will continue in the high school area. This includes the general vicinity of Pleasant St., Green St., Centre St., Warren St., Washington St., etc. Residents are advised to refrain from parking in this area between 4 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. Cooperation is appreciated to allow the street sweeper to reach the curb and more thoroughly complete sweeping.
Paving Program
The City’s Neighborhood Street Paving Program begins next week with GMI Asphalt as the contractor for this year. Work will begin on Penacook Street from Rumford Street to Auburn Street. All catch basin and manhole covers will be lowered, pavement reclamation will follow, and then base pavement will be completed by Friday of next week. Sidewalk and curb work will follow the week of April 5. Perkins Street, Martin Street, Knoll Street, Wyman Street, and Bishopsgate Road are all scheduled for pavement reclamation during the month of April. Final pavement overlay for these streets will be applied later in the season. Traffic will be reduced to an alternating one lane on all roads from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking will be prohibited on these streets from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in order for the contractor to complete the work. Find more information and a tentative schedule of streets approved for paving at http://www.concordnh.gov/pavingplan.
Parks and Rec News
SUMMER EMPLOYMENT: Concord Parks & Rec is hiring for summer! More than 60 seasonal positions are open including: Lifeguards, Pool Supervisors, Camp Counselors, Camp Supervisors, and Cemetery and Parks staff. All staff must be at least 18 years old and must pass a national background check. Apply online.
TENNIS COURTS OPEN: Tennis courts are open at: Beaver Meadow Park, Keach Park, Memorial Field, Merrill Park, Rolfe Park, and Rollins Park.
Turkey River Watershed
The Upper Merrimack Watershed Association is seeking your input as we develop the comprehensive restoration and management plan for the Turkey River watershed. Your essential local knowledge and perspective will help shape the goals and recommendations included in this plan so that it reflects the needs, desires, and values of the four watershed communities.
Even if you just visit the watershed, your knowledge and perspective are requested.
The Turkey River watershed comprises 37 square miles in the communities of Bow, Concord, Dunbarton, and Hopkinton and is home to a vast array of terrestrial and aquatic plant and animal species. The watershed contains 15 active dams and over 100 stream crossings that can potentially fragment and disrupt fish passage, and are a possible detriment to water quality.
Please consider spending just a few minutes providing your local knowledge and perspective for this important project. Survey is available at surveymonkey.com/r/ TurkeyRiver.
Right-of-way moratorium ends April 5
Due to the early arrival of spring, the Engineering Services Division is lifting the Winter Construction moratorium for excavations within the city right-of-way effective April 5 at 8 a.m. Contractors interested in obtaining Street Excavation Permits should apply as soon as possible and applications must be submitted in accordance with the City’s Excavation Permit Regulation. Permit applications and the regulations are available on the Engineering page of the City’s website at concordnh.gov/429/Engineering-Permits-Fees. Permit applications must be received a minimum of four days prior to the proposed excavation. Once issued, the permit term is for thirty days and the permit must be renewed before the end of the term, if the work is not complete within the 30 days. You may submit your application by email by including a scanned copy of the application and a plan to engineering@concordnh.gov, however the application will not be processed until payment is received.
School Street Parking Garage
Knowles Industrial Services, the City’s contractor, will remobilize to the garage on March 29. Their scope of work includes:
- Repointing exterior brick masonry on the east side of the garage (adjacent to Indigo Blues and the NH Donut Company). This will require a man lift on Capital Plaza Property;
- Security improvements for the stair tower alcoves;
- Installation of snow guards on the north and south stair tower roofs;
- Installation of drainage improvements on first floor of the garage; and,
- Touch up paint as needed throughout the garage.
The city anticipates the work will be completed by May 31. Minor parking disruptions are anticipated.
Once repairs and renovations are completed, the garage will be reorganized to its original layout. This will occur prior to July 1. More information, including an updated floor plan detailing the locations of reserved and public parking, will be forthcoming prior to the reorganization.
Washington Street Bridge
The rehabilitation work on the Washington Street Bridge began on Monday. This first phase of the work will take place under the bridge. The bridge will remain open to traffic during this phase, but residents utilizing Washington Street should expect brief delays.
Phase 2 of the work will start around the beginning of May at which point the bridge will be closed for approximately 12 weeks. A detour plan and the exact date the bridge will be closed will be circulated as May approaches. Message boards will also be placed on Washington Street to provide real-time updates.
If there are any questions or concerns, please contact the Engineering Services Division at 225-8520. We thank you for your patience while we complete this important project.
Drought conditions
As of March 25, abnormally dry conditions in NH have slightly increased once again since last week. Conditions last week included 38.22% of the state, while this week now includes 41.36%. Moderate drought conditions remain unchanged at 14.93% for NH, while 43.7% of the state is currently not experiencing any drought conditions. The National Weather Service predicts a 33-40% probability of below average precipitation for the region in the next 8-14 days. Concord’s water consumption continues to remain low, which is consistent for this time of year. Please continue to use water wisely. We thank everyone for their efforts to conserve water. Every drop counts! Drought conditions will continue to be monitored. Find drought updates and water conservation tips at http://www.concordnh.gov/conservation.
Outdoor dining opens
During their February meeting, City Council approved the renewal of temporary expanded outdoor dining once again in the City of Concord. This temporary program is an effort by the Council to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our local restaurants. The 2021 season will run from April 1 through Nov. 15. The temporary program provides for the issuance of special permits for expanded outdoor dining to allow restaurants in the downtown to use areas of the public sidewalk, squares, and parking spaces in front of their businesses to accommodate customers’ tables and chairs.
State of the city
Join the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce for a virtual forum focused on the capital city on April 8 from 9 to 10 a.m. This event features Mayor Jim Bouley and City Manager Tom Aspell. Learn what capital improvements are on the horizon and what challenges and opportunities are ahead. Our speakers will discuss this year’s priorities and open up the conversation to our audience with a Q&A session. This event will also recognize the City of Concord’s 2020 and 2021 Police Officers of the Year. Please join us in thanking them for their service. This event is generously sponsored by Charter Trust Company.
You must register in advance to attend this event at cca.concordnhchamber. com/webforms/Evt Listing.aspx?dbid2= NHCon&evtId= 692596. Questions? Reach out to Emily Marsh at emarsh@concordnhchamber.com.
