PRELIMINARY until voted on at 8 April 2008 meeting

PRELIMINARY until voted on at 8 April 2008 meeting

Minutes of the Stratham Heritage Commission
11 March 2008
EOC room, Municipal Building

OPENING BUSINESS
Members present: Becky Mitchell, chair; member and secretary/treasurer, Nancy Hansen; Selectman’s rep, MJ Werner.
Meeting: The meeting was opened at 5:40 and was adjourned at 7:10 pm.

Minutes: Minutes of the 12 February meeting, written by the secretary, Nancy L. Hansen, were accepted as written. Attached addenda also approved as submitted.

Treasury Report: No report.

Next meeting: Tuesday, 8 April 2008, 5:30pm in the EOC room.

OLD BUSINESS

Master Plan: Those present discussed the goals and recommendations they felt were the first on which to begin working. They are: (1) Under “Make historic preservation part of the planning process” (first Goal), the second part re how the HC might best advise and provide information to the Planning Board and the ZBA, especially regarding a historic site or resource. In this discussion, it was determined that MJ Werner would refer to zoning standard procedures regarding historical sites and resources, if any, and report back, while the chair, would speak to the ZBA to find out how the HC might be more effective in our communications with that board. (2) Pertaining to the fourth Goal “Recognize Stratham’s agricultural heritage and potential through preserving farms . . .,” especially the fourth subsection re the Ad Hoc Conservation Bond Subcommittee: Those present discussed the need to invigorate and initiate interest; the chair will schedule a meeting with the subcommittee and find out its position and share the HC’s concerns and discuss any overlapping interests.

Planning Board: Both the Gateway and the HC section of the Master Plan were approved. Gateway Committee not to meet again until April.

Historical Resources Survey: Three items of interest: (1) The database manager is working on refining the compatibility issues in the Access program; (2) she will meet with Lynne Monroe’s computer analyst and have that individual critique our database for use as a historical instrument; (3) the grant process for an OEP grant is ongoing. The chair will produce a narrative and circulate it to HC participants for review, will discuss with the town planner the timing of our two portions of the OEP grants, and will talk to Lynne Monroe who may find funding sources for us in addition to the OEP grant possibility.

NH Preservation Alliance Spring conference: To be held 11 April, Friday, in Plymouth. Becky Mitchell, MJ Werner, and Nancy Hansen to attend.

OEP Spring conference: Stratham will be represented in two panels: Becky Mitchell (HC) is to be a participant on the Demolition Review panel, and Town Planner, Chuck Grassie and Preservationist/historian, Lynne Monroe, to discuss historic surveys. This conference is to be held on 26 April in Manchester.

NEW BUSINESS
Veterans’ Garden: The HC’s Heritage Fund was recently the recipient of a bequest in memory of Joseph L. Ross, Robin Glen Road, in the amount of $1000 to be deposited in the Heritage Fund. Use is stipulated for use in the Veterans’ Garden. The HC treasurer will open a line item in the records for the Garden and add this to the remaining funds from the original Stevens Fund. Specifics to be discussed in a committee with Nancy Hansen; the veteran’s widow, Amy Ross; and with interested veterans. If Mrs. Ross agrees, the HC would like to make a public announcement regarding this gift.
Reappointments: Nancy Hansen and Sara Kellner’s terms expire this month. It was determined that the HC wishes to have them continue their service to the town, and the chair will pass this information along to the Selectmen.
Announcement: All are encouraged to attend a meeting at the Municipal Center on 17 April (Thursday) to review the design layouts for a retrofitted town “hall.” The meeting will take place at 7pm in the cafeteria.
Other business: It was briefly discussed that, along with the information table (manned by Becky Mitchell, and for a short time, by Nancy Hansen) on Election Day (yesterday) and a second display planned for the Town Meeting on Friday evening, 14 March, it is critical to continue to get information out to the public re our mission, goals, and activities. Especially critical is information about the historical survey and how the HC differs from the Historical Society (a point that continues to mystify some). Action postponed until a future time.

Meeting in April: The next meeting will take place in the EOC room on the second Tuesday of the month (8 April) at 5:30pm.

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