On the agenda: Rochester Commission Meeting Packet September 18, 2026 — data center (Sep 18)

Meeting of the Strafford RPC Commissioners & MPO Policy Committee
Friday, September 18, 2026 9:00 – 10:30 AM
Hybrid Meeting (Conference Rm 1A, SRPC Office & via Zoom)
In accordance with RSA 91:A, the Commission requires an in-person quorum. So long as an inperson quorum, Commissioners may participate virtually. Guests may attend the meeting
virtually or at the SRPC Office. All participants, both in-person and virtual, can communicate
contemporaneously.
Microsoft Teams Meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/26158346669748?p=4xytesfYGFhcig30qO
Meeting ID: 261 583 466 697 48
Passcode: fH7Va7Ph
These instructions have also been provided at www.straffordrpcnh.gov. If anybody is unable to
access the meeting, please email [email protected] or call 603-994-3500
(x115).

Agenda Item

Time

Pre-Meeting Notes

1) Introductions

9:00-9:05

2) Commissioner Roundtable

9:05-9:10

Updates from your
community

3) Action Item
a. Approval of the August 21, 2026 Minutes

9:10-9:15

Enclosed

4) Public Hearings and Actions
a. MTP Public Hearing and Adoption
b. TIP Amendment Public Hearing and
Adoption

9:15-10:05

Enclosed.

5) Cocheco River Management Plan

10:05-10:20

Come hear highlights of
this recent SRPC effort from
your fellow commissioners

6) Other Business

10:20-10:25

7) Citizens Forum

10:25-10:30

8) Adjourn

10:30

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Include a detailed
description of the accommodation you will need along with your contact info. Please make your request as

STRAFFORD REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION
150 Wakefield Street, Suite 12, Rochester, New Hampshire 03867
Barrington ꞁ Brookfield ꞁ Dover ꞁ Durham ꞁ Farmington ꞁ Lee ꞁ Madbury ꞁ Middleton ꞁ Milton ꞁ New Durham
Newmarket ꞁ Northwood ꞁ Nottingham ꞁ Rochester ꞁ Rollinsford ꞁ Somersworth ꞁ Strafford ꞁ Wakefield

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early as possible; allowing at least 5 days advance notice. Last minute requests will be accepted but may be
impossible to fill. Please call (603) 994-3500 or email [email protected].

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RULES OF PROCEDURE
Strafford Regional Planning Commission
Strafford Metropolitan Planning Organization, and
Strafford Economic Development District

Meeting Etiquette
Be present at the scheduled start of the meeting.
Be respectful of the views of others.
Ensure that only one person talks at a time. Raising your hand to be recognized by
the chair or facilitator is good practice.
Do not interrupt others or start talking before someone finishes.
Do not engage in cross talk.
Avoid individual discussions in small groups during the meeting. When one person
speaks, others should listen.
Active participation is encouraged from all members.
When speaking, participants should adhere to topics of discussion directly related to
agenda items.
When speaking, individuals should be brief and concise when speaking.
The Strafford Regional Planning Commission & Metropolitan Planning Organization
holds both public meetings and public hearings.
For public meetings, guests are welcome to observe, but should follow proper
meeting etiquette allowing the meeting to proceed uninterrupted. Members of the
public who wish to be involved and heard should use venues such as Citizen Forum,
Public Hearings, Public Comment Periods, outreach events, seminars, workshops,
listening sessions, etc.

DATE:

September 11, 2026

TO:

SRPC Commissioners

FROM:

Colin Lentz, Principal Transportation Planner
Jen Czysz, Executive Director
Megan Taylor-Fetter, Office Coordinator

RE:

September 18,2026 Agenda Items & Upcoming Meeting Schedule

MTP Public Hearing
The official public comment period for the draft 2026-2050 Metro Plan wrapped up on
Friday, Sept 11th. Colin has been incorporating comments from the August commission
meeting and will be sending an updated final draft of the plan early in the week of the
September commission meeting. You can review the current draft on SRPC’s website here:
https://straffordrpcnh.gov/2026/08/14/public-comment-period-amendments-to-themetropolitan-transportation-plan/

TIP Amendment 6 Public Hearing
The 2025-2028 TIP has one more amendment before the close of the Federal Fiscal
year. The amendment includes proposed changes to one local project (Dover’s
Community Trail extension) and one statewide programmatic (underwater bridge
inspection). Underwater bridge inspection does not contain any specific projects in the
Strafford Region. Amendment 6 materials can be found on the SRPC website here:
https://straffordrpcnh.gov/2026/09/03/public-comment-period-tip-2025-2028amendment-6/

Cocheco River Management Plan
A commissioner led presentation on the draft Cocheco River Management Plan that is
nearing completion. John Mullen, Middleton, has been instrumental in seeing this
project through and will share insights into the plan and an introduction to the River.
In advance of the meeting, for those interested, all are welcome to join the Cocheco
River Corridor Management Plan Steering Committee and Strafford Regional Planning
Commission for a public workshop. (Wednesday, September 16th, 6:30pm-8:00pm, at
the Dover Public Library, 73 Locust Street, Dover, NH) Share feedback on draft actions
and priorities for this Corridor Management Plan. Registration is encouraged for
planning purposes: https://forms.gle/mcvyuMZKaCsfRszRA. Interested but can't make
the workshop? We have an online survey option as well:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HHNK7LM.

Draft Schedule of Upcoming Meetings
(subject to change)

STRAFFORD REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION
150 Wakefield Street, Suite 12, Rochester, New Hampshire 03867
Barrington ꞁ Brookfield ꞁ Dover ꞁ Durham ꞁ Farmington ꞁ Lee ꞁ Madbury ꞁ Middleton ꞁ Milton ꞁ New Durham
Newmarket ꞁ Northwood ꞁ Nottingham ꞁ Rochester ꞁ Rollinsford ꞁ Somersworth ꞁ Strafford ꞁ Wakefield

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Monthly Meetings: 3rd Friday of the month, 9-10:30 AM, SRPC Office, Conf. Room 1A
Quarterly Field Trips: Thursdays, 3:45-5:30 PM, in Sept., Dec., Feb., and Jun.
Date
Thu. Sept 24,
2026, 3:30-6 PM
Fri. October 16,
2026, 9-10:30 AM

Location
Great Bay
Marine,
Newington
SRPC

Program

Tentative Agenda Items

RPC

• Gundalow Great Bay Boat Tour

RPC

• SRPC Regional Plan Climate Chapter
• C-PACER Presentation by Sarah
Brock, Clean Energy NH

MEETING OF THE SRPC EDD BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Friday, August 21, 2026 9:00 – 10:30 AM
Hybrid Meeting (Conference Rm 1A, SRPC Office & via Zoom)
1. Introductions
At 9:00 AM, Chair Paul Rasmussen called the meeting to order and asked for
introductions.
Commissioners present: Paul Rasmussen, Durham; Michael Lehrman, Durham; Mark
Richardson, Somersworth; Matt Towne, Barrington; Joe Boudreau, Rochester; Steve
Stancel, Wakefield; Katrin Kasper, Lee; Michael Bobinsky, Somersworth; Krista Gingue,
Dover; Kate Buzard, Middleton; Rick Healy, Rochester; Steve Brown, Dover; Lindsey
Williams, Dover; John Nute, Milton; Curtis Register, Durham; Don Manter, Northwood;
John Mullen, Middleton; Tom Falk, Madbury; Somersworth
Staff: Colin Lentz, Mark Davie, Jen Czysz
Commissioners and Policy members attending on Teams: John Roth, Brookfield;
Michael Miller; William Rose, NHDOT; Stephen Pesci, UNH; Kevin Sillivan, Rochester; Jack
Wade, NHDES
Guests attending on Teams: Michael Miller
Staff attending remotely: Megan Taylor-Fetter
2. Commissioner Roundtable
J. Boudreau stated he has several items to share about Rochester. First is that Rochester
will be getting a new courthouse and is looking at options for other municipal buildings.
Second, the City is currently reviewing its water and sewer rates to ensure they are
financially sustainable and responsibly managed. Consultants have been hired to evaluate
the current rate structure and provide recommendations.
In addition, the City of Rochester is taking steps to address the development of AI data
centers. City officials are working to amend ordinances to establish a clear approach.
Kyle stated that Commissioners should have received a registration link for a planned field
trip on September 24 aboard the Gundalow, part of the quarterly commissioner field trip
program. Commissioners are asked to register as soon as possible so attendance can be
confirmed before opening any remaining spots to staff, as space on the boat is limited.
The trip will depart from Adams Point near Jackson Laboratory. Organizers are working
through parking and transportation logistics, including encouraging carpooling due to

STRAFFORD REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION
150 Wakefield Street, Suite 12, Rochester, New Hampshire 03867
Barrington ꞁ Brookfield ꞁ Dover ꞁ Durham ꞁ Farmington ꞁ Lee ꞁ Madbury ꞁ Middleton ꞁ Milton ꞁ New Durham
Newmarket ꞁ Northwood ꞁ Nottingham ꞁ Rochester ꞁ Rollinsford ꞁ Somersworth ꞁ Strafford ꞁ Wakefield

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limited parking availability. Highlights of the trip will include viewing the living shoreline
restoration project at Wagon Hill Farm, discussing saltwater intrusion issues affecting
Cedar Point residents, and potentially observing the area impacted by the bridge removal
project. The organizers expressed enthusiasm about the educational opportunity and the
chance to see these projects firsthand.
Kyle stated that Farmington is also looking at their water and sewer rates. Their policy has
not been updated since 2005. It was supposed to be updated every five years. looking not
only changing the rates, but a tiered system of how it should be implemented based off of
usage.
Mark Richardson reported that a proposal was presented to subdivide a long-standing
horse farm property in Somersworth. The property consists of approximately 180 acres,
with plans to retain 20 acres around the existing home and create a separate lot
containing the remaining acreage. The board's review was limited to the subdivision
request, which was approved.
Although the land is currently agricultural, some residents expressed concerns about the
future use of the newly created parcel. The developer's documentation stated that there
are no current development plans associated with the subdivision, though this does not
preclude future proposals. Several residents attended the meeting, but only one spoke
during public comment. Another piece of greenspace that will disappear unless residents
speak up against it.
M. Williams shared that COAST is working to replace its aging facility and has secured
more than $14 million in funding, primarily from federal sources. The organization is now
fundraising locally to meet the remaining funding requirements. Recently, COAST received
a $1 million challenge grant from the Thomas W. Haas Foundation. To unlock that grant,
an additional $1 million must be raised from other sources.
K. Gingue stated that Dover voted on changes on data center ordinances as well.
3. Approval of Minutes of July 17, 2026
M. Williams motioned to approve the minutes of July 17, 2026. K. Gingue seconded the
motion. The motion passed with all votes in favor by roll call. D. Manter, R. Healy,
Marshall, K. Sullivan. W Rose, J. Wade, abstained.
4. Metropolitan Transportation Plan Final Draft Presentation
Colin Lentz, Principal Transportation Planner, presented the final draft. The Metropolitan
Transportation Plan (MTP), the region’s long-range transportation plan through 2050, is
being comprehensively updated as part of the broader Regional Master Plan effort. The
update incorporates new regional data and trends, public outreach findings, revised goals
and objectives, updated transportation projects, and a fiscally constrained financial plan to
ensure projects align with realistic funding expectations. Key themes include improving
mobility options, strengthening connections between transportation and housing,
enhancing safety, maintaining transportation infrastructure, supporting trail and active
transportation networks, and promoting community accessibility. The plan also serves as

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a pipeline for future transportation projects, helping position the region to take advantage
of state and federal funding opportunities over the next 20 years.
The group discussed the Metropolitan Transportation Plan's project priorities and
emphasized the need for financially sustainable investments as project costs continue to
rise and future funding remains uncertain. Members supported focusing on lower-cost,
high-impact local projects, such as pedestrian and bicycle improvements, while also
planning for larger regional initiatives. Participants noted that many projects in the state's
10-Year Plan are experiencing significant cost increases, requiring flexibility, revised
scopes, and close coordination with NHDOT.
5. Discussion Items
a. Regional Impact Committee, Matt Towne, Barrington Commissioner
M. Towne presented on the 488-acre SELT conservation easement in Barrington, He
highlighted the positive environmental impact it has had for the community and
surrounding region. As a result they found 56 endangered species on this land being
protected. The project also protects nearly a mile of shoreline and plays an important role
in safeguarding regional aquifers and drinking water supplies used by several surrounding
communities.
b. Joint Loss Management Committee, Megan Taylor-Fetter, Office
Coordinator
M. Taylor-Fetter stated that in accordance with NH RSA 281-A:64 III for employers with
15+ employees, are required to have a joint loss management committee that promotes
workplace safety through equal employer and employee representation. The committee
meets quarterly, reviews accident data, conducts safety inspections, supports training,
develops safety programs and procedures, maintains meeting records, and annually
reviews the Wellness and Safety Policy. The current members consist of three staff, one
manager and one commissioner and should have an equal number of staff to
management. We are looking for a commissioner to volunteer to join the JLMC. D. Manter
volunteered to serve on the JLMC.
6. Citizens Forum
There were no citizens comments.
7. Other Business
J. Wade noted that NHDES has $640,000 remaining in its NH Clean Diesel Program. Next
application due date is September 20. Learn more here: New Hampshire Clean Diesel
Grant Program
The agency also has approximately $400,000 remaining for our Granite State Clean Fleets
program. Next application due date is August 31. Learn more here: Granite State Clean
Fleets Grant
S. Pesci shared that Durham and UNH have just expanded their EV charging stations in
the town, and the campus now has its first four EV charging stations. and that it has been
a collaborative locally funded project between the town and the university.

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Steve added that next month, UNH will be having a ribbon cutting (date to be announced)
for the brand new renovated compressed natural gas fueling station that fuels the
majority of our UNH Wildcat transit flee
K. Gingue shared that on September 22 Seacoast Eat Local is celebrating its 20th
anniversary with a growing together gathering and fundraiser at Saltonstall Barn in
Stratham. Krysta will share the information with Megan to distribute.
K. Kasper shared that Clean Energy has funding to help with a project called Charge
Smart. If you want to be like Durham and get more chargers in your town or want to
ensure your ordinances support EV in your town, Clean Energy would love to help.
Adjournment
Following a motion and a second to adjourn, all members voted in favor, the motion
passed. The meeting adjourned at 10:30am.

Respectfully submitted,

Megan Taylor-Fetter