Member Services & Programs
UVLSRPC has been providing professional planning assistance to municipal boards since 1963. Our current staff's areas of expertise include comprehensive planning, land use regulations, development review, transportation planning, natural resource inventories, community/economic development, public participation, affordable housing, and hazard mitigation planning.
Services provided free to member communities
Advice is perhaps our most valuable service. UVLSRPC staff, with our cumulative experience and expertise, responds to day-to-day requests for information on a variety of planning and regulatory issues from local officials and board members, over the telephone or in our office. A wide variety of publications, data and maps are also available through UVLSRPC to assist communities with planning and problem-solving, and additional research can be conducted on specific planning topics at a community's request.
Hands-On Assistance is available to member communities for reviewing plans and regulations and providing general recommendations for revision & updating, providing guidance on planning board procedures, assistance with interpreting and implementing regulations, exploring alternative solutions to particular problems, and general planning nuts & bolts. Assistance is also available with identifying and obtaining grant funding for community needs.
A sampling of the many regional activities carried out for member communities
Advocacy
- Work with state officials and agency representatives to ensure that issues important to the Region are understood and addressed, and to help keep the Region an active participant in many ongoing programs. This includes advocacy with transportation, solid waste, economic development, housing and environmental regulatory agencies.
- Review and make recommendations on state plans, policies, regulations, and rules.
- Participate with NH Association of Regional Planning Commissions (NHARPC).
Education & Information Resource
- Maintain Census and other socioeconomic data, and library of maps, videos and other planning resources.
- Maintain the Geographical Information System (GIS) and provide data to a growing number of communities, state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, consultants and individuals.
- Sponsor NH Municipal Law Lecture Series, National Flood Insurance Program workshops for local officials, and regional workshops for local land use boards.
- Produce our newsletter to provide information about planning issues and other topics of regional concern.
- Conduct bi-monthly regional programs on planning issues important to our communities.
- Conduct bi-monthly member forums to facilitate communication between communities on issues important to local officials.
Environment & Natural Resources
- Conduct regional household hazardous waste collections, and work with Upper Valley Household Hazardous Waste Committee to provide educational opportunities for residents.
- Work with communities, state agencies, and other nonprofits, such as the Upper Valley Land Trust and the Society for the Protection of NH Forests, to identify and conserve high priority resources.
- Participate in and work with the Connecticut River Joint Commissions and the Connecticut River Byway Steering Council.
- Provide local watershed organizations with routine professional planning assistance.
Community Development
- Maintain an up-to-date and comprehensive Regional Plan.
- Conduct regional economic development planning to maintain Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS) for Grafton County and Sullivan County communities as prerequisite for federal economic development funds.
- Work cooperatively with Grafton County Economic Development Council.
- Maintain an up-to-date regional housing needs assessment.
- Serve on Upper Valley Housing Coalition Board of Directors; assist with development of Coalition's public education program.
- Review proposed developments with potential regional impact, and provide comments regarding consistency with the Commission's land use policies to local land use boards.
- Serve as professional planning resource for communities engaged in special planning programs, such as NH Main Street Program and Scenic Byways.
- Provide local and regional hazard mitigation and emergency management planning services.
Transportation
- Conduct corridor management studies to prevent or reduce future traffic problems as the region continues to grow: Click here for updates on US Route 4 Corridor Study.
- Maintain an up-to-date multi-modal Regional Transportation Plan and advocate for its implementation.
- Serve as the voice for area communities in development of state plans and policies.
- Support activities of Advance Transit and Upper Valley Transportation Management Association (TMA) through both board participation and technical assistance.
- Assist communities in integrating future land use planning with maintenance of an efficient state and local transportation system.
- Facilitate community input into state priorities for transportation funding through Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC); revise and submit to NH Department of Transportation (NHDOT) a bi-annual Transportation Improvement Program.
- Annually collect traffic data to meet state and regional needs; serve as data resource for local boards, organizations and businesses.
- Ensure that communities receive the appropriate level of road mileage-based funding by collecting up-to-date road inventory information for NHDOT.
Additional services UVLSRPC can provide to member communities at reduced rates
In-Depth Support is available to member communities for specific projects such as developing, revising or updating master plans and land use regulations, facilitating public participation , or developing capital improvement programs. UVLSRPC conducts a wide range of special studies and planning projects including watershed management planning and corridor studies. Our GIS enables effective use of the many data layers now available for future land use planning.
Regularly scheduled assistance to a community, typically to planning boards with the implementation of subdivision and site plan regulations, is also available to communities through UVLSRPC's Circuit Rider Program. Much of the cost for this service can be covered by subdivision and site plan application fees as it relates directly to review of these applications.
Impact Studies on specific development proposals can be obtained at the applicant's expense. This provides a means for planning boards to obtain professional review of proposed developments without placing additional burdens on tight budgets.
UVLSRPC 2007 Annual Report
For a summary of our activity in 2007, please click Here (91 KB)