January 7th Select Board Newsletter
Dear Stratham Residents,
There is a lot going on at the start of the year, so we are back this week with a special edition.
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham. In this special edition:
- Route 33 Heritage District Open Houses
- Booster Blitz Reminder and Link for January 8th
- Community Bonfire & Tree Collection and Guided Snowshoe Hike
- Dog Licenses - Become Stratham's Top Dog
- Elected Positions Open & Candidate Filing Information
- No Parking on Town Roads During Snow Events
- Blood Drive Location Change
Please remind your neighbors about this resource for keeping on top of information from the Town. To sign-up for these updates and other notifications, please visit: https://www.strathamnh.gov/subscribe.
The Select Board
Michael Houghton, Chairman Joe Lovejoy, Vice Chair Allison Knab
ROUTE 33 HERITAGE DISTRICT OPEN HOUSES
The Planning Board is proposing to create a Route 33 Legacy Highway Heritage District. The proposed new district, which is to be voted at the Town election, includes parcels with frontages along the Route 33 corridor from the Town Center District to the Greenland town line. Building off the important recommendations of the 2019 Stratham Master Plan and the Route 33 Legacy Highway Ad-Hoc Committee, the Planning Board is confident that a Heritage District is the best land use tool available to allow for more flexibility in the re-use and re-purposing of properties along the corridor while providing for enhanced architectural standards and additional protections associated with the demolitions of historic structures.
Interested in learning more about the proposed Heritage District? Visit www.strathamnh.gov/route33 or stop by a Heritage District Open House at the Wiggin Memorial Library. Open Houses will be held from 10 am to 6 pm on Tuesday, January 11 and Thursday, January 13, 2022 (a third open house was held on the 4th of January). The Town Planner will be on hand to answer questions or provide printed copies of the draft zoning. If an Open House time is not convenient, residents are always invited to contact the Planning Department for more information at (603) 772-7391, x. 147 or at planning@strathamnh.gov. The next public hearing at the Planning Board will take place on January 19th at 7:00 p.m.
VACCINE INFORMATION
We encourage Stratham to get vaccinated! Click here for information about the next Booster Blitz on January 8th.
COMMUNITY BONFIRE AT STRATHAM HILL PARK
On Saturday, January 8th from 5:00pm-8:00pm. Stratham Parks & Recreation will be hosting a bonfire at Stratham Hill Park near the Main Stage following the 5th grade fundraiser of tree collections. We hope you can join us on Saturday for some fun around the fire and ice skating. The Ladies Auxiliary will be there with "Big Red" selling hot chocolate, snacks and treats.
Snow Shoe Hike at Stratham Hill Park - Saturday, January 8th at 3:30pm
With today's snow fall, Parks & Rec has added a snowshoe hike through the Stratham Hill Park trails before the start of the Community Bonfire at 5:00pm. We will meet at the Scamman Pavilion (pavilion on small hill near playground) at 3:30pm. Please be sure to wear snowshoes, bring poles if you feel the need and a HEADLAMP. It will get dark in the woods. All ages welcome! This is a family friendly hike.
DOG LICENSES
Annual dog licenses are now available for 2022. The cost of registering a dog is $7.50 for spayed/neutered and $10.00 for unaltered dogs. If you are 65 or over, the cost is $3.00 for the first dog. If you no longer own the dog(s) please contact us so that we may update our records. If you register your dog between January 1st and April 30th, your pup will be entered in a chance to win Stratham’s Top Dog! Winner will be the recipient of a gift basket and Top Dog bragging rights for 2022!
ELECTED POSITIONS OPEN & CANDIDATE FILING INFORMATION
To run for an elected Stratham Town Office, you must file with the Town Clerk. The filing period is January 19th -through January 28th. Declarations of candidacy may be filed at the Town Clerk’s Office, 10 Bunker Hill Avenue. Any candidate filing on the last day must file in person. The last day of the filing period is a Friday, the Clerk's Office hours on that day will be 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Declaration of candidacy forms are available at the Town Clerks office.
THE FOLLOWING ELECTED OFFICIAL POSITIONS OPEN
Select Board - 1 position, 3 year term
Town Clerk - 1 position, 1 year term (to fulfill prior elected official’s term)
Moderator – 1 position, 3 year term
Checklist Supervisor- 1 position, 6 year term
Cemetery Trustee - 1 position, 3 year term
Trustees of the Trust Funds - 1 position, 3 year term
Library Trustee - 2 positions, 3 year term
Elected official highlight: Cemetery Trustee
Cemetery Trustees are responsible for the care and maintenance of public municipal cemeteries. In Stratham, we have three cemeteries: Maple Lane and Harmony Hill Cemeteries (behind the Stratham Community Church) and Greenwood Cemetery on Portsmouth Avenue at the edge of Town Center. Cemetery Trustees establish regulations, prepare a budget every year, and prepare deeds for cemetery lots. In Stratham, this work is closely coordinated with our Public Works Director and Town Clerk/Tax Collector.
Want to learn more about Trustees positions? See here for NH Charitable Trust Division handbook for Library, Cemetery and Trustees of Trust Funds.
NO PARKING ON TOWN ROADS DURING SNOW EVENTS
Reminder - Per Town Ordinance, effective November 1st to April 30th, no parking is allowed on any street or property plowed by the Town or any other place where and when snow removal would be hindered. Cars will be towed (at owner's expense). Thank you for your cooperation.
BLOOD DRIVE LOCATION CHANGE
The American Red Cross Blood Drive being held this Saturday, January 8th has been moved to the Morgera Room at the Stratham Fire Station, 4 Winnicutt Rd. This information is for those who have already pre-registered, no new appointments are being made.