Riverwalk Committee

ROCHESTER RIVERWALK COMMITTEE MINUTES February 26, 2026 City Hall Annex, ROCHESTER, NH 03867 MEMBERS PRESENT – Jon Batson, Peter Bruckner, Barbara Murphy, Stacey Purslow, Esther Thompson, David Walker OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE –Renée McIsaac of Rochester Planning & Development ABSENT – Jeffrey Bisson, Maggie McConaghy, A. CALL TO ORDER — Peter called the meeting to order at 5:35. Note: Upon David’s arrival, David took over management of the meeting. B. PUBLIC INPUT — None. C. APPROVAL — No motion was made to accept the minutes of the regular meeting of April 24, 2025. No motion was made to accept the minutes of the regular meeting of October 23, 2025. A motion was made by Jon, seconded by Barbara, and unanimously approved to accept the minutes of the special meeting of November 14th as written. D. Proposed 2026 Meeting Schedule Renée presented a calendar of monthly meetings for 2026 for the Riverwalk Committee. This is consistent with the practice of other committees. The start time for the monthly meetings is 5:30pm. Meetings may be cancelled or rescheduled. Any such change is posted on the city’s webpage where the 2026 Riverwalk Committee Meeting Dates are posted. The dates are the 4 th Thursday of each month through October—01/28 (cancelled), 02/26, 03/26, 04/23, 05/28, 06/25, 07/23, 08/27, 09/24, 10, 22— and the 3rd Thursday of the last two months—11/19 and 12/17—to avoid conflict with the holidays. The dates are consistent with the meeting schedules of previous years, and posting the calendar publicly allows the community a longer and better view of when the committee meets. A motion to accept the 2026 meeting schedule with a start time of 5:30 for all meetings was made by Barb, seconded by Peter, and unanimously approved. E. Discussion—Upcoming 2026 Events a. Rochester Cares Clean-up Saturday, 04/18/26 9:00am-noon Committee member participation will be considered at the next meeting. b. Wings and Wheels Saturday, 06/13/26 This event currently conflicts with River Day. If River Day is pulled in one week, the committee will consider setting up a booth. c. River Day Saturday, 06/13/26 9:00am-3:00pm Although Renée had cleared this date with organizers of the Wings and Wheels event last year, this event has been scheduled for the second weekend of June which is the same date planned for River Day. She is now reviewing the possibility of moving the River Day event to the first weekend of June and will provide confirmation once a decision is made. River Day is a coordinated effort of the Great Bay Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the Rochester Conservation Commission, and the Recreation Department, which would like to see this become an annual event. Barbara mentioned the potential of interest and support from the state’s agency. 1  Trout Unlimited is providing funds to cover some expenses such as porta-potties. Trout Unlimited will set up activities of interest, such as fly tying, in the afternoon. Parking is in the lot by Hanson Pines. d. Lilac Family Fun Festival Saturday, 07/11/2026 4:00pm-9:00pm Dave reported that the little aquatic creatures were very popular, especially the turtles. Renée will check the inventory to assure that there are enough turtles, ducks, and frogs for this year. F. Discussion—Review Webpage The city is doing an upgrade. Once completed, the committee may work on enhancing the Riverwalk page. Renée has a large set of landscape images ready for use. Stacey volunteered to bring in images. It was suggested that Riverwalk add photographs of the projects from beginning (before), phases (during), and completion (after). Images of historical value, e.g., the intervale, add interest to the webpage. The website is ideal for information about projects and for encouraging participation of community members. G. Discussion—Update on Current Initiatives Bridge Street (Elizabeth Seton). Site work that includes driving the pilings for the walkway along the Cocheco is expected to begin within a couple weeks. Discussion continues about the pedestrian bridge across the river to Wyandotte and a side walk up to Main Street. David is exploring the interest of local businesses in providing funding. Overlook. The city is cutting costs by reducing the investment in the entry area. Fuss & O’Neill is working on a new rendering. It will be a couple months before work begins. Stacey suggested having local organizations engage in the hardscaping and landscaping to enhance the project. Communication. With regard to images, Jon recommended that the project be photographed during its development and that the committee use actual photographs rather than renderings for public display. River Lights. The committee is asking for status on this proposal. Hillsdale Launch. The launch is installed after the critical nesting period of the bald eagles in mid-May. Money has been budgeted for maintenance, including replacement parts as needed. H. Other Intervale. The committee reviewed the intervale area and the William Allen School property. This region is wetter than it once was. Surface water drains into it. The pastureland and picnicking spot, so popular in years past, are grown up to shrubs and trees. Its history, natural setting, and proximity to the fairgrounds set it up for additional trails and for a pedestrian walkway across the river to the fairgrounds. I. Adjourn — Motion to adjourn was made at 6:23 by Jon, seconded by Stacey and accepted unanimously. Next meeting will be Thursday, March 26, 2025, 5:30pm at City Hall Annex. —Respectfully submitted by Esther Thompson 2