Projects & Initiatives: Strategic Plan

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For the past 5 years, Concord 20/20 has worked at supporting a sustainable vision for the future of Concord and the surrounding region. Our mission is to be a catalyst for:

• A vibrant, livable downtown
• Neighborhoods served by walkable villages
• Preservation and access to the natural environment
• Economic vitality
• Transportation that serves the community

How will we measure our success?
By 2010, Concord 20/20 will be successful if it has:
(1) Changed the framework for discussing Concord’s vision of the future and its strategies
for getting there.

(2) Strengthened relationships between Concord 20/20, the city, and partners like local
chambers of commerce, the regional planning commission, and state agencies.

(3) Helped to create widely accepted design and performance standards for development,
especially as they relate to the correlation between transportation and land use.

(4) Fostered the creation of a new village or nodal development project.

Concord 20/20 has an established reputation as a well-respected convener. In the future we will seek ways to move forward as a pro-active catalyst as well. Below outlines the 8 tasks we think will energize progressive development in Concord.

Task 1: Education and Partnering
As always, Concord 20/20 will communicate with the community about our purpose, mission, and goals. In the course of this process, we will continue to work and form relationships with partners like the city, local chambers of commerce, the regional planning commission, and state agencies. Education and partnering is an overarching theme – one that will be woven into every task that follows. Occasionally there will be events and programs devoted exclusively to education and partnering, such as the recent Growth Forum in the fall of 2005, but most of the education work will be incorporated directly into the tasks outlined below.

Task 2: Design Competitions
Concord 20/20 will establish a design program (such as a competition, workshop, etc.) that will produce examples of successful development. Models emerging from the effort will include walkable neighborhoods, open space preservation, increased development in and around the downtown, and mixed-used plans for residential, retail and commercial development. These designs will be used to compare and contrast current models of development with future models of development. At a minimum, the effort will foster three distinct demonstration design efforts: an infill project on an existing block or in an existing neighborhood; a redevelopment project in the Opportunity Corridor; and an open space preservation project where development becomes the financial vehicle supporting the preservation of 80% of a parcel.

Task 3: Zoning
Concord 20/20 will support the drafting and presentation to the Planning Board of any zoning changes that may be necessary to carry out the projects presented during the design competitions. Also, as the Master Plan is finalized, zoning changes will be offered.
Task 4: Transportation Planning
Concord 20/20 will be a catalyst for the exploration of alternative transportation systems
in the city and the region. There are multiple opportunities for realizing this task, including:
(A) Bringing the “Getting There” program to Concord, which uses a common dispatching center and schedule to coordinate multiple transportation providers; (B) Working with Concord Area Transit to establish a network of rubber-tired trolley routes to serve the community; (C) Helping GroundWorks establish a network of trails and walking paths throughout the community; and (D) Planning for the construction of transportation nodes at various sites around the city.

Task 5: Downtown Parking Garage
Concord 20/20 will work with the city and state legislature to support the city’s interest in the potential future parking garage on the site of the current Laconia Savings Bank/Attorney General’s Office on Green and Capitol Streets, as a possible transportation node that could be served by a variety of transport systems. Concord 20/20’s efforts could involve creating a model, hosting a design competition, and/or lobbying for the necessary funding and permits to allow this to occur.

Task 6: Opening a Dialogue with School Boards and SAUs
Concord 20/20 will open a dialogue with school boards and administrators about the current role our schools play in transportation systems. In 2004/5, the Concord and Merrimack Valley School Districts enrolled over 7,900 students, all of whom impact traffic and travel patterns whether they walk, drive, or take the bus to get to school. The goal for this dialogue will be to work jointly to improve walkability, strengthen neighborhoods, and improve the health of our kids.

Task 7: Small Projects
In addition to long-term planning, Concord 20/20 will continue to invest in small-scale projects that can have an immediate impact. Examples include the walk to school program, the pavilion at the boat launch at NHTI, and the GroundWorks park projects. Projects selected for funding must have fairly specific standards and goals that support Concord’s vision principles.

Task 8: New Opportunities
Finally, Concord 20/20 will continue to take advantage of unplanned opportunities and deal with crises and challenges that arise.

OPERATING PRINCIPLES
As its core operating principle, Concord 20/20 will help the community jump start the transportation opportunities available in Concord and the surrounding area because land use and transportation are strongly linked. From walking, biking, and ride-sharing, to trolleys, and buses, our goal will be to get some of us out of our single occupant vehicles at least some of the time!

Concord 20/20 is primarily a convener and a catalyst – not a service provider. We are dedicated to using our talents and position to secure opportunities, build partnerships, and leverage outside resources that will benefit the region and support implementation of Concord’s Master Plan.

Concord 20/20 has a proven record of securing transportation funding from the federal government, but in the future we will also need to think creatively about other sources of funding such as housing dollars, land protection dollars, and utility dollars to achieve our goals. Concord 20/20 will always evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of our spending by identifying clear goals prior to expenditures; by assessing our dependencies on outside parties; and by evaluating how expenditures relate to the actual outcomes at the end of each project.

Finally, Concord 20/20 will be an educator in everything we do, working with partners to inform public policy discussions in a way that emphasizes transportation in land use.