Strafford News

City of Dover issued the following announcement on December 2.

Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Committee (CWDAC) Chair Dana Lynch provided the City Council a status update of the long-planned redevelopment of city-owned River Street land at a recent meeting.

The update provided the public with new renderings of the project under review by the Technical Review Committee (TRC). Lynch’s presentation also included renderings of the entrance to the public Cochecho River Waterfront Park, part of the City of Dover’s responsibility as part of the overall land disposition agreement between developer Cathartes and the city. Lynch provided the update during the City Manager’s Report portion of the Nov. 10 City Council meeting, which can be viewed in its entirety here: https://dovernh.viebit.com/player.php?hash=9xEs3Bpw93YC. (Click on the City Manager’s Report video index point to jump to the presentation.)

CWDAC provided conditional approval to Cathartes’ site plan at its Aug. 31 meeting, allowing Cathartes to submit plans to be TRC. Once it clears the TRC, the project will move to the Planning Board for final approval. Cathartes’ development plans for Dover’s former wastewater treatment plant and public works garage include building 413 residential units, including apartments and townhouses, and 30,000 feet of commercial space. Part of CWDAC’s approval included the condition for Cathartes, the City of Dover’s planning and recreation staff, and the CWDAC’s Park Planning Subcommittee to “work diligently and closely with the paddlesports community to ensure cooperation in any future plans for the design, permitting and construction for a paddle sports facility.”

The Park Subcommittee has been meeting with stakeholders to finalize plans for the waterfront park and come to a consensus on what’s needed for a paddle sports facility. The subcommittee last met on Nov. 3, 2021, where it reviewed options for crew boat storage at the waterfront park. Currently, the metal “Butler Building” at the Cochecho River’s edge is utilized by Great Bay Rowing, Berwick Academy, University of New Hampshire and Northeast Passage. However, the building is set to be removed as part of the waterfront development.

The crew boat building options that the subcommittee are considering includes a first-floor space in one of the Cathartes buildings, utilizing the planned pavilion building at the waterfront park, or potentially expanding the pavilion building and constructing a freestanding boat building elsewhere in the park. The latter options would require additional permits from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

The subcommittee has not made any recommendations for crew boat storage and is still seeking information on the number of people and boats used and when they are used. The subcommittee met Wednesday, Dec. 1 to continue facility options. Any recommendations made by the subcommittee would be brought to CWDAC for a final decision.

Original source can be found here.