City seeks input in updating Downtown Master Plan

Staff reports 12:36 p.m.


City seeks input in updating Downtown Master Plan

City Manager Blaine Cox (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - Rochester's city manager announced today that the city will partner with a consulting firm to develop an updated Downtown Master Plan and is seeking community input throughout the process.

The plan for future development will include considerations for the arts, green infrastructure, transportation, economic development, historic preservation and more.

Resilience Planning and Design has extensive experience in community planning, design, outreach and engagement, as well as economic analysis. Working in close collaboration with city leaders, Resilience Planning and Design will draw upon that expertise to create what is hped to be an innovative vision for downtown Rochester.

Resilience Planning and Design has worked with communities like Dover, Portsmouth, Franklin and Littleton to create similar master plan documents, and will help Rochester refresh its own master plan, which hasn't been updated since 2003.

"This process is an essential step in ensuring that downtown Rochester reaches its fullest potential," City Manager Blaine Cox said on Thursday. "This will be a collaborative effort that's deeply reliant upon community feedback and stakeholder engagement, and will ultimately serve as a road map for the future of our city."

The team from Resilience Planning and Design includes the firm's Founder and Principal Steve Whitman, who will serve as Project Manager for the Downtown Master Plan; and Liz Kelly, a professional planner and designer with the firm. It also includes Russ Thibeault of Applied Economic Research, and Rob Harbeson of Market Square Architects.

The city's Planning and Development Department is seeking citizens or business owners to join members of the City Council in serving on the Downtown Master Plan Steering Committee. Those chosen for the committee are asked to make themselves available to attend monthly meetings for the Downtown Master Plan Steering Committee for the remainder of this calendar year, and then to assist with ongoing implementation efforts.

If you are interested in being a part of this important Downtown planning process and vision, contact Michelle Mears at michelle.mears@rochesternh.net or 603-335-1338.