Dover Download

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Mike Gillis for an end-of-June recap of city government activity. June was an unusually quiet month, with the City Council holding only one regular meeting, plus a special meeting and workshop on June 3. The special meeting addressed a procedural housekeeping vote on the waterfront TIF, ensuring the $6 million in bonding was properly noticed. Parker explains how tax increment financing works, with growth above a baseline funneled into a dedicated bucket that pays debt service, and notes the city only issues debt when funds are actually needed. The accompanying workshop covered stormwater management and nutrient loading in Great Bay, plus an update on the Tolend Road landfill Superfund site, a long-term obligation that later prompted a roughly $530,000 appropriation from unassigned fund balance. The council also weighed in on state legislation, supporting HB 1491 (later vetoed) and opposing HB 1588 as an attack on local control.

The Planning Board met twice, granting conditional approval to convert below-grade canal-level space at the Cocheco Falls Mill into residential units, and experiencing a rare 4-4 tie vote on a conditional use permit for the historic Samuel Wyatt house at 7 Church Street. Parker announced a July 14 ribbon-cutting for Nebi Park, comparing its cost to the newly renovated outdoor pool. The School Board accepted 16 retirements totaling 369 years of service, and both Parker and Gillis praised Dover Adult Learning graduations and the Dover High commencement at the Whittemore Center.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Deputy Community Services Director Ken Mavrogeorge and City Engineer Jillian Semprini about the construction projects underway across Dover. The conversation begins with how projects move from the Capital Improvements Program through design and engineering before any work begins, noting that a major reconstruction like Horne Street can require 10 to 12 months of design plus public input meetings, followed by 18 months to two years of construction.

A central focus is the Central Avenue water main project, replacing infrastructure roughly 150 years old, with future phases planned southward from Broadway to Washington Street to Silver Street. Mavrogeorge explains the city's shift toward keeping good roads good while improving the worst, expanding paving and reclamation work as reconstruction costs climb (Court Street alone nears $10 million). They discuss complete streets principles, bike lanes, sharrows, and how public meetings and polls shape decisions, citing the Fifth and Grove one-way conversion that added parking and improved safety. Other highlights include the Henry Law Avenue and Payne Street reconstruction, downtown bump-outs and lighting, roundabouts for safety and lower operating costs, and accessibility upgrades at parks and ballfields. They also note the Jenny Thompson pool, library renovation, and court resurfacing wrapping up this summer, plus project web pages available on the city site.

In This Week in Dover History, we begin a month-long look at Dover's role in the American Revolution and 1776, focusing on the Association Test, a loyalty oath that forced residents, including the area's pacifist Quakers, to declare themselves patriots or risk treason.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with project manager Jamie Stevens about the long-awaited completion of Dover's waterfront development, including Nebi Park, the rebuilt River Street, Seaport Way, and Payne Street. Three years after the June 2023 groundbreaking, the three-acre park is nearing the finish line ahead of a ribbon cutting on July 14. Stevens walks through the final push of work: detailed concrete paver areas around the pavilion, the Makem Bridge approach, and the flagpole overlook; ornamental fencing; and installation of park benches, including three swing benches out on the point. He notes the restoration of the shoreline to its original point. Plantings are roughly 90 percent complete, with final street trees and paving near Building F at 40 River St. held back until the private developer finishes construction. Stevens explains the project's stormwater management systems, which filter sediment and pollution before water reaches the river, and describes street and park elements designed to blend with downtown and Silver Street while introducing newer features like modular platform benches. He and Parker emphasize how early decisions, especially pre-ordering benches, pavers, and trees in the project's infancy, helped avoid cost overruns and keep the project under budget. Public art includes the "River Roots" sculpture and three rotating display bases along the Riverwalk. The paddle sports dock and a kayak and canoe rental vendor will be ready shortly after the park opens following the July 4th holiday.

In This Week in Dover History, we look back at June 1855, when Dover took the pivotal step of transitioning from a town to a city. After town meetings grew unwieldy in the busy, industrial community, voters narrowly approved a city charter by just 44 votes.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Katy Cordova-Brooks, executive director of the Strafford Nutrition and Meals on Wheels program, continuing the series spotlighting nonprofits that strengthen Dover. The program delivers hot lunchtime meals to seniors and adults with disabilities across Strafford County, helping people remain independent at home and easing the burden on families who can't be present during the workday. Deliveries run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, with an extra meal sent on Tuesday to cover Wednesday, and drivers double as wellness checks, reporting any concerning changes. Headquartered in Somersworth with sites in Dover and Rochester, the organization runs 17 routes serving urban and rural communities alike. State contracts cover only 60 to 70 percent of costs, so the group fundraises and never charges clients, though donations are welcome. Cordova-Brooks, who relocated from Las Vegas about a year and a half ago, described menus that vary for variety while following loose patterns, low-sodium meals with some modifications, and nutritional education built into state contracts. Drivers are paid employees because they use their own vehicles, while volunteers assist at sites and with congregate dining, which emphasizes social connection and combating loneliness for those 60 and older. Client retention is high. She urged listeners to set aside the misconception that meals should be reserved for someone in greater need, stressing that both nourishment and human connection matter. Learn more or donate at straffordmealsonwheels.org.

In This Week in Dover History, we hear about Dover caterer Roscoe Simpson, who in 1923 was in high demand for his celebrated clambakes and shore dinners across the region — from MIT graduates at the Rollins estate to events in Exeter, Haverhill and Rye — a thriving business he would later expand with the Simpson Pavilion in Madbury.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Director of Media Services Mike Gillis fills in for Deputy City Manager Chris Parker to discuss the major items from Dover's May public meetings.

The City Council held three meetings. A May 6 workshop covered housing—where the median home sale price topped $570,000 and a two-bedroom rental requires roughly $90,000 in annual income to be affordable—and the dredge cell sale at Maglaras Park. On May 13, the Council recognized the Shaw family for 40-plus years of Riverbend Pizza and Subs and the FIRST Robotics team, approved a $25,000 change order for the dredge cell closure tied to new state permitting, and selected Cochecho River Recreation as the NEBI Park pavilion operator. The May 27 meeting featured downtown pedestrian improvements, dump truck purchases, and Dover Middle School HVAC bonding.

The Planning Board addressed a TD Bank ATM site plan amendment, a no-cut buffer compliance case on Sixth Street, a conditional use permit near Berry Brook, and a Back River Road cottage-style development. The Zoning Board reviewed four variance requests, including subdivisions and a fire-damaged two-family rebuild.

The School Board advanced a revised geothermal HVAC proposal for Dover Middle School, related bonding, and a new business administrator appointment. Graduation is Thursday at 7 p.m.

Finally, the Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Committee toured the site ahead of a July ribbon cutting, with an updated virtual tour coming soon.