Plan New Hampshire-The Foundation For Shaping The Built Environment

PLAN NH, FOUNDED IN 1989, HAS A MISSION TO FOSTER EXCELLENCE IN THE PLANNING, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE'S BUILT ENVIRONMENT. OUR MEMBERSHIP IS COMPRISED OF ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, PLANNERS, BUILDERS AND REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS, FINANCIAL AND INSURANCE FIRMS AND OTHERS WITH AN INTEREST IN HOW WE BUILD, WHAT WE BUILD AND THE IMPACT OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ON OUR DAILY LIVES. SEVERAL NH TOWNS AND CITIES ARE ALSO MEMBERS. PLAN NH HAS A VISION OF AN ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND VIBRANT NEW HAMPSHIRE IN WHICH: OUR CHANGING CONTEXT (WEATHER AND CLIMATE CHANGES, SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS, NEW WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT FOOD AND ENERGY SOURCES, MORE) IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION DURING PLANNING AND RELATED DECISIONS. TOWNS AND NEIGHBORHOODS BALANCE NECESSARY GROWTH WITH PRESERVING THEIR UNIQUE SENSES OF PLACE. COMPACT, MIXED-USE AREAS ARE ENCOURAGED. THERE ARE REASONABLE, AFFORDABLE CHOICES FOR WHERE TO LIVE AND HOW TO GET ABOUT. WE ARE STEWARDS OF OUR NATURAL RESOUR

PLAN NH CONDUCTED 2 CHARRETTES IN 2021: CHARRETTES 69 (WOLFEBORO) AND 70 (CASTLE IN THE CLOUDS) WERE HELD IN LATE OCTOBER, OUR FIRST CHARRETTES IN TWO YEARS. SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION FOR EACH. PLAN NH HAS CONDUCTED 70 COMMUNITY DESIGN CHARRETTES IN OVER 60 COMMUNITIES SINCE 1996, GUIDING CITIZENS TO IDENTIFY THE VISION THEY HAVE FOR THEIR TOWN CENTER OR OTHER SIGNIFICANT NEIGHBORHOOD, AND DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO HOW THAT VISION MIGHT BE ACHIEVED OVER TIME.

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WAS A CATALYST FOR PLAN NH TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT FULFILLING ITS MISSION. WHILE OUR STRATEGIES REMAINED THE SAME, THE LOGISTICS HAD TO ADAPT TO NOT BEING ABLE TO MEET IN PERSON. ZOOM BECAME OUR BEST FRIEND AND CONTINUED IN 2021. IN JANUARY, PLAN NH HAD ANOTHER VIRTUAL NETWORKING EVENT, WITH ABOUT 35 PEOPLE ATTENDING AND ENJOYING THE BREAKOUT ROOMS TO GET CAUGHT UP. IN FEBRUARY, PLAN HOSTED ANOTHER "TOWN HALL," INTRODUCING BOARD MEMBERS AND PLANS FOR THE YEAR. PLAN NH APPLIED FOR THE SECOND PAYMENT PROTECTION PROGRAM AND RECEIVED FUNDS TO COVER 8 WEEKS OF PAYROLL. PLAN NH HOSTED WEBINARS ON TOPICS PERTINENT TO OUR MEMBERS AND OTHERS: A.LESSONS LEARNED DURING COVID, A PANEL OF THREE MUNICIPAL STAFFERS FROM DIFFERENT SIZED TOWNS ACROSS THE STATE B.POP-UPS, PRESENTED BY REBECCA STONE C.DEI, PRESENTED BY TALMIRA HILL FOR NH GIVES DAY, PLAN NH HOSTED JEFF SPECK, A NATIONAL THOUGHT LEADER ON PLANNING AND WALKABILITY. PLAN RAISED ALMOST 10,000 FOR NH GIVES DAY, THANKS TO GENEROUS DONATIONS BY ATTENDEES AND MATCHING FUNDS FROM BOARD MEMBERS. IN AUGUST, PLAN NH HELD WHAT WE HOPE IS OUR FIRST "THANK YOU" EVENT, HOSTED BY THE BOARD AND GIVEN TO THANK MEMBERS, SPONSORS, VOLUNTEERS AND OTHERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT. THE EVENT WAS HELD AT THE 100 CLUB IN PORTSMOUTH WITH A GREAT VIEW OF THE RIVER, GOOD FOOD, AND WONDERFUL CONVERSATION.

THE ANNUAL MERIT AWARDS EVENING, RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES, WAS A HYBRID EVENT IN 2021. IN PERSON WERE MERIT AWARD WINNERS AND THREE GUESTS, SCHOLARSHIP/FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS AND ONE GUEST, BOARD MEMBERS, AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THERE WERE ABOUT 50 IN ATTENDANCE AT THE HOTEL CONCORD'S THIRD FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM, AND THE EVENT WAS LIVE ZOOMED TO ANYONE WHO WANTED TO BE PART OF IT. MERIT AWARDS FOR 2021: I.NEWPORT OPERA HOUSE AND COURT BUILDING (NEWPORT) II.CAREY COTTAGE AT CREEK FARM (PORTSMOUTH) III.SHOWROOM (KEENE) IV.KEENE'S MAGICAL HISTORY TOUR (MERIT AWARD OF HONOR) SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS: A.ALEXANDRA AVAKOVA OF MANCHESTER, STUDYING ART/FINE ARTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE B.CRYSTAL GIARD OF LITCHFIELD, STUDYING ARCHITECTURE AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY C.DEREK GOULET OF DERRY, STUDYING ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE D.EMALIE JOHNSON OF ROCHESTER, EXPLORING VARIOUS ARTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE E.JORDAN PECK OF CONCORD, STUDYING ARCHITECTURE AT ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY F.MEGAN PELISSIER OF JAFFREY, STUDYING ARCHITECTURE AT NORWICH UNIVERSITY G.HANNAH PERRY OF DERRY, STUDYING ARCHITECTURE AND BUSINESS/MARKETING AT WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY H.GIUSEPPE PUGLISI OF DERRY, STUDYING ARCHITECTURE AT THE ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY I.YAKELINE QUIROZ ARMBULA, OF MANCHESTER, STUDYING ARCHITECTURE AT KEENE STATE COLLEGE J.SHELDON ROGERS OF NEW DURHAM, STUDYING ARCHITECTURE AT NORWICH UNIVERSITY

PLAN NH CONTINUES TO MAINTANCE AND UPDATE ITS WEBSITE, WHICH COMBINES NECESSARY INFORMATION FOR PLAN NH AS AN ORGANIZATION AS WELL AS SOME ELEMENTS FROM THE OLD VIBRANT VILLAGES NH SITE. THE SITE DESIGNER, SCHALL CREATIVE, HAS BEEN RETAINED TO HOST THE SITE AND TO DO EDITS AND OTHER WORK AS NEEDED WHEN THE WEB MAINTENANCE VOLUNTEERS CANNOT. MTAG PROGRAM: IN 2015, NEW HAMPSHIRE HOUSING HAD APPROACHED PLAN NH WITH A PROPOSAL TO FUND A MUNICIPAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH WE WOULD ADMINISTER. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING (CURRENTLY 5,000 TO 25,000) TO MUNICIPALITIES WHO WISH TO CREATE OR REVISE THEIR ZONING ORDINANCES TO MAKE THEM MORE "HOUSING FRIENDLY." COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE PROCESS IS REQUIRED, AS IS A 15% CASH AND/OR IN-KIND MATCH. THE PROGRAM HAS AN ADVISORY BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES OF HOUSING COALITIONS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUPS, PLANNING CONSULTANTS AND OTHERS AROUND THE STATE. THE BOARD REVIEWS APPLICATIONS AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACCEPTANCE. IT ALSO CONTINUOUSLY HELPS SHAPE THE PROGRAM ITSELF. AS OF THE END OF 2021, 12 COMMUNITIES HAD BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE PROGRAM, ONE OF WHICH (PETERBOROUGH) HAD STARTED ANOTHER PROJECT WITH MTAG FUNDING: THERE ARE NO CURRENT PROJECTS, ALTHOUGH THERE IS FUNDING. THE ANNUAL GOLF EVENT WAS HELD ON OCTOBER 6, 2021 AT BEAVER MEADOWS IN CONCORD, HOSTING ABOUT 100 PLAYERS. ROBIN LEBLANC, AFTER MORE THAN 12 YEARS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SUBMITTED HER RESIGNATION. AFTER A ROBUST SEARCH, THE BOARD HIRED TIFFANY TONONI MCNAMARA, MOST RECENTLY OF IOWA, WITH A BACKGROUND IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. SHE STARTED IN SEPTEMBER 2021 A WORKED ALONGSIDE ROBIN FOR A SEAMLESS TRANSITION.