What was the process in developing the Top Ten List?

 

The Top Ten List was an initiative of the UNH Center for Integrative Regional Problem Solving in collaboration with UNH Cooperative Extension.

 

We started with input from:

 

¯    The Voices of Communities Experiencing Rapid Change Symposium, held on 9/6/03 at the University of New Hampshire

¯     And the planning group for the CIRPS Resource Clearinghouse for Rapidly Growing Communities, which included representatives from the UNH Department of Natural Resources, Communications, Economics, UNH Cooperative Extension, Research Computing Center, Nashua Planning Commission, Livable New Hampshire, the UNH Library, and others.

 

And developed the first draft list on 11/29/03:

 

• Economic impacts of land use choices (short and long term)
• Controlled growth strategies Ð what works, what doesnÕt
• Ordinances for natural resource protection/zoning/conservation planning
• Collaboration
• Organization and training of community decision-makers
• Water protection
• Conserving land and open space through easements and land trusts
• Expanding economic base without losing quality of life
• Affordable housing
• Preserving rural character

 

This draft was then reviewed by

 

¯    Staff at UNH Cooperative Extension

¯    The planning group for the Clearinghouse

¯    The CIRPS Steering Committee, which included representatives from the UNH Department of Natural Resources, the UNH Department of Economics, Cooperative Extension, and the UNH Office of Sustainability Programs.

¯    And the CIRPS Advisory Committee, which included representatives from Rockingham Planning Commission, Jordan Institute, Town of Durham Planning, NH Office of Energy and Planning, New England Environmental Finance Center, Society for the Protection of NH Forests, Livable New Hampshire, the NH Estuaries Project, the Sustainability Institute, Northeastern UniversityÕs Center for Urban and Regional Policy, and the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve

 

The following comments (in italics) on the list were received.

 

• Economic impacts of land use choices (short and long term)
• Controlled growth management strategies Ð what works, what doesnÕt
• Model Ordinances for natural resource protection/zoning/conservation planning Ð what works, what doesnÕt
• Collaboration and regionalism, community building/cooperation within communities, networking
• Organization and training of community decision-makers
• Surface and ground, wastewater Water protection
• Non-regulatory options for Conserving the best open space
• Expanding economic base (or economic stability) without losing quality of life
• Affordable housing
• Preserving rural character and sense of community
• Finance (how to pay) - could be under existing categories, burden of financing K-12 education
• Finding time and political will, public understanding

 

Then, the second draft list was developed on 12/9/03:

 

• Economic impacts of land use choices, including cost of services, taxation, and financing education
• Growth management strategies and model ordinances for natural resource protection Ð what works, what doesnÕt
• Collaboration with the region and within communities
• Organization and training of community decision-makers
• Surface and groundwater protection
• Non-regulatory options for conserving the best open space
• Expanding or stabilizing economic base without losing quality of life
• Affordable housing
• Preserving rural character, including sense of community
• Finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

The second draft was then reviewed by

 

¯    Thirty participants of UNH Cooperative ExtensionÕs Community Profiles Program from various New Hampshire municipalities

¯    The 80 members of the CIRPS mailing list, includes community decision makers and community assistance providers

¯    The New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions

¯    The New Hampshire Municipal Association

¯    The participants of the CovertÕs Discussion listserve, includes citizens interested in wildlife issues around New Hampshire

 

The following comments (in italics) on the list were received. Many responses indicated agreement with the list rather than a need for further revision.

 

• Economic impacts of land use choices, including cost/nonexistence of services, taxation, and financing education (tax revenue impacts of commercial growth), may be considered three distinct issues, balancing the economic/natural resource/cultural aspects, commercial and residential sprawl
• Growth management strategies and model ordinances for natural resource protection Ð what works, what doesnÕt (may not be worthy of top ten list), building sustainable communities
• Collaboration with the region and within communities (regional collaboration does not get people elected in local elections unless significant impact, maybe shouldnÕt be on list), need to find community among newcomers and old guard, may be a wish list goal rather than a top issue, capacity building among communities
• Organization and training of community decision-makers (many donÕt see the need or take the time to take advantage of training, what is the context of the training?), lack of professional full-time staff
• Surface and groundwater protection, assuring adequate water supply and developing upgraded wastewater systems to accommodate growth, wetlands buffers, impervious cover, stormwater issues
• Non-regulatory options for conserving the best open space (needs verb), what about regulatory work, protecting large unfragmented areas of open space
• Expanding or stabilizing economic base without losing quality of life (may not be a top ten as we already have many economic drivers)
• Lack of Affordable workforce housing, developer incentives needed
• Preserving rural character, including sense of community, creating an open space master plan essential, ways to keep local school and general store in place, historic preservation of built environment, loss of downtown vitality, loss of working agricultural landscape and homogenization of communities
• Creating or finding time, political will, money, and public understanding, disconnect between law, policy and planning, statement not too clear
• Transportation, traffic congestion, noise, widening of 93, funding for transportation projects cut
• Private property vs. public good
• Local food systems
• Development of renewable energy, energy efficiency
• Strong management plans for solid waste
• Identifying natural, cultural, and social resources and determining the adequacy of the green, social and built infrastructures
• Setting appropriate resource protection goals and crafting plans for goal implementation
• Assigning appropriate costs and benefits to ecosystem services and creating an incentive structure that is consistent with those valuations

 

A final list, integrating these comments, was compiled by CIRPS and Cooperative Extension staff.

 

• Determining economic impacts of land use choices, including cost/access to services, taxation, and financing education

-       tax revenue impacts of commercial growth

-       commercial and residential sprawl

-       may be considered three distinct issues

-       ways to keep local school and general store in place

-       loss of downtown vitality

-       developing upgraded wastewater systems to accommodate growth

-       creating or finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

• Preserving New England character, including sense of community

-       creating an open space master plan is essential

-       ways to keep local school and general store in place

-       historic preservation of built environment

-        loss of downtown vitality

-        loss of working agricultural landscape

-       homogenization of communities

-       creating or finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

• Exploring growth management strategies and model ordinances for natural resource protection Ð what works, what doesnÕt

-       building sustainable communities

-       Strong management plans for solid waste

-       Setting appropriate resource protection goals and crafting plans for goal implementation

-       creating or finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

• Conserving the best open space through non-regulatory options

-       protecting large, unfragmented areas of open space

-       private property vs. public good

-       pursued via open space bonds

-       constructing greenways

-       creating or finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

• Sustaining economic base without losing quality of life

-       balancing the economic/natural resource/cultural aspects

-       creating or finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

• Creating housing that is affordable and developer incentives

-       ÒworkforceÓ housing

-       lack of affordable housing

-       not yet being discussed as a big subject in some towns

-       creating or finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

• Creating adequate transportation services and systems

-       traffic congestion

-       noise

-        widening of I- 93

-        funding for transportation projects cut

-       creating or finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

• Ensuring surface and groundwater protection

-       assuring adequate water supply

-       wetlands buffers

-       impervious cover

-       storm water issues

-       creating or finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

• Encouraging collaboration within communities and with the region

-       regional collaboration does not get people elected in local elections unless significant impact (hindrance)

-       need to find community among newcomers and old guard

-       capacity building among communities

-       creating or finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

• Participating in expedient leadership training of community decision-makers

-       lack of professional full-time staff

-       creating or finding time, political will, and public understanding

 

Other comments, important of mention but not a top ten list item:

 

-       disconnect between law, policy and planning

-       local food systems

-       development of renewable energy, energy efficiency

-       Identifying natural, cultural, and social resources

-       determining the adequacy of the green, social and built infrastructures

-       Assigning appropriate costs and benefits to ecosystem services and creating an incentive structure that is consistent with those valuations