BY KEVIN SHALVEY
Bedford has taken the first step to participate in a state-funded, $3.2 million regional assessment to determine the best planning strategies for 26 communities that will be affected by the eventual expansion of Interstate 93.
On Monday, June 18, the Planning Board reviewed answers submitted by town planners to a Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission survey.
Some board members and Town Planner Karen White, also questioned how the town would benefit from participating in the survey, which will be compiled and sent to the state Department of Transportation.
“Instead of grassroots initiatives, it’s one of those top-down policy initiatives that the DOT had got away from in recent years,” White said.
The commission is surveying 11 municipalities, including Goffstown, Hooksett, Candia, Auburn and Manchester, as part of the I-93 Community Technical Assistance Program, said David Preece, executive director of the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission.
The first year of the five-year project began in February 2007. Information gathered from each of the 26 communities will be compiled and given to the Department of Transportation for analysis.
“The idea was to use this as a ruler to see how Bedford is doing compared to the other 25 communities, and it’s no surprise to you or me that Bedford is doing very well with planning,” Preece told the Planning Board.
Board member Deb Sklar said sample questions include, “Are street lights encouraged or required in any areas?” and “Does your community’s regulations encourage energy conservation?”
After results are compiled, each town will be given a set of nonbinding recommendations, Preece said.
“It’s basically an exercise between the regional planning committees and the communities to see where they’re at,” he said.
State officials have planned, since the mid-1980s, to expand I-93 to four lanes from the Massachusetts’ border to Manchester. That expansion is expected to bring about 26,000 people into 26 New Hampshire municipalities, said Preece.