NH State Representative Steven Smith

LCHIP provides grants for helping to maintain our treasured landmarks and historic buildings. An informational webinar will be held on April 18. Thanks to all the dedicated volunteers who maintain the treasures of New Hampshire. ~ Steve

From LCHIP:

In April we welcomed Cassie Bernyk to the LCHIP team as our Operations Coordinator.   Cassie, whose friendly voice will be answering phones at LCHIP, is tasked with keeping the entire LCHIP operation running smoothly and efficiently – quite a job!  Welcome, Cassie!

April kicks off the official start of LCHIP’s annual grant cycle. On April 18^th we’ll host our webinar for new (or repeat) grant applicants – providing an overview of our grant programs, and an introduction to LCHIP’s grant management system. To register (required) contact Cassie Bernyk at Officemgr@lchip.org or 603-224-4113. 

Those planning to seek LCHIP funding in 2022 should also note that Letters of Intent are due May 18^th.  Organizations invited to apply will be required to submit full proposals by June 22, with funding decisions announced in mid-November. More information on LCHIP’s 2022 grants can be found here. 

Best,

Paula Bellemore

Executive Director

OVERVIEW

Since 2001, LCHIP has proudly awarded $54 million dollars to 364 organizations in 179 communities across New Hampshire to conserve and preserve New Hampshire’s most important natural, cultural and historic resources. In 2022, LCHIP will be accepting applications from eligible applicants for natural resource acquisition, historic rehabilitation, and historic preservation planning grants.

Preservation Planning Grants
To support the study of eligible historic resources.

Historic Rehabilitation Grants
To support the restoration or rehabilitation of eligible historic resources.

Natural Resource Acquisition Grants
To support the permanent protection of ecologically significant lands.

2022 GRANT ROUND SCHEDULE

Grant Round Opens	May 1, 2022
Letter of Intent Due	May 18, 2022
Applications Due	June 22, 2022
Funding Decisions	Mid-November 2022

ELIGIBILITY

An organization applying for LCHIP funding must be either a municipality or other political subdivision of the state of New Hampshire, or be a publicly supported nonprofit corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (c) of the Internal Revenue code. Other interested parties may partner or work with an eligible organization or government entity but may not apply directly through LCHIP.

New in 2022! A representative from the applicant organization must attend a 2022 LCHIP Grant Orientation Workshop prior to submitting a proposal. Workshops will be delivered via Zoom webinar, and are recorded and available for viewing at your convenience. 

Webinar: Monday, April 18, 2022 at 10am.  Please email Cassie to RSVP: officemgr@lchip.org.

Program-specific eligibility requirements are described in the following guidance documents:

• Preservation Planning Grant Eligibility Self-Assessment Tool
• Historic Rehabilitation Grant Eligibility Self-Assessment Tool
• Natural Resource Grant Eligibility Self-Assessment Tool

APPLICATION PROCESS

New in 2022! Letters of Intent and Proposals must be submitted through LCHIP’s grant portal. Access to the grant portal will be available by May 1, 2022.

Prospective applicants must submit a Letter of Intent through LCHIP’s online grant management portal describing the project for which they intend to seek LCHIP funding. LCHIP staff will review the information provided for compliance with LCHIP’s eligibility criteria. All eligible projects will then be invited to submit a complete proposal.

The proposal includes the application and several required attachments which are submitted through LCHIP’s online grant management portal. Detailed instructions on how to complete the application and additional guidance materials are provided within the portal.

A Review Panel comprised of experts in various elements of natural- and historic-resource conservation will review all proposals and conduct site visits to project sites in order to gain a better understanding of each project. The Review Panels provide recommendations to the Board of Directors, which is responsible for making the final funding decisions.

Each organization receiving an LCHIP award is required to enter into a Project Agreement with LCHIP. The Project Agreement summarizes the obligations of the Grant Recipient and LCHIP, and outlines the project’s scope, structure and purpose as understood by LCHIP. To accept an LCHIP Award, an authorized representative of the recipient organization must sign and return the Project Agreement by the established deadline.

If a proposal is not funded, a representative of the applicant organization will be invited to meet with LCHIP staff to discuss the project and proposal. The goal of these meetings is to assist applicants to identify ways in which the project or proposal could be strengthened in the future. There is no prohibition against resubmitting an improved proposal for the project in future LCHIP grant rounds.

Dear Elected Officials of Charlestown, Walpole, and Claremont: 

Work to construct the soil nail wall was halted due to movement of the rail lines and excessive groundwater at the construction site.  The movement, recorded by the devices installed prior to construction beginning, caused the railroad to lower speeds to 10 mph for the Amtrak and freight trains. 

The attached photos of the soil nail wall construction depict the issues created by the excess water.  And while it may seem logical to de-water (removing the excess water by pumping), dewatering could lead to additional settlement of the rail tracks. De-watering may remove silty soil with the water, as well as creating more instability by leaving voids in the railroad embankment.

The Department has been actively working with the Railroad, the consultant, and the contractor to develop the best approach to repair Charlestown Rt. 12 with the poor soil strengths, high groundwater, and settlement experienced.  As the contractor was conducting initial tests, it was found the soil did not have the required strength. In order to stabilize the embankment without dewatering, other more extensive retaining wall options were conceptualized; however all were determined to be cost prohibitive. 

The Department is proposing a two-phased approach with a short-term and a long-term solution. The short-term solution would reopen Charlestown Rt. 12 in the interim.  This approach was discussed last week with the Railroad, which was amenable to this short-term solution.  Under the short-term plan, the current soil nail wall will be discontinued. The embankment will be stabilized.  The road will be built back up with fill and gravel and paved so that the two-lane section of Charlestown Rt 12 can be re-opened.  Although the Department considered opening a one-lane roadway, any future work to construct a second lane would require closures. Additionally, the roadway is not wide enough for construction equipment, workers, and vehicles to pass safely.  (Attached photos show the constrained space.)  It is a relatively short section of road to build back up and should proceed fairly quickly.

The re-opening of Charlestown Rt 12 is considered a temporary solution, as the conditions that caused the road closure still exist and poor soils will not be removed. The Department will install monitoring equipment to observe the conditions but cautions that the same situation could arise with another major weather event.  The short-term solution would be the route until the long-term solution can be designed and implemented.  This will likely involve full reconstruction and consideration of realignment alternatives to increase the distance between the road and the Railroad.

The long-term solution will be investigated within the comprehensive Ten-Year Plan project.  The Department has already selected a consultant and initiated the scoping to determine the alternatives available. The efforts to date will be valuable in weighing the alternatives and investigations to determine the best location for NH Route 12.

A change order will be required, and the Department and consultants are working diligently to prepare revisions and minimize the contractor’s downtime. The Project Manager will meet with Town officials and other interested parties for further discussions on schedules, cost, and other pertinent information. 

I will update you on further developments in the next 7-14 days.

My Best,

Kathy

Kathleen Mulcahey-Hampson

Legislative Liaison

Below, find the update from NHDOT. Above, find my reply.

I understand that some things are beyond our control. Nonetheless, please convey to everyone involved, every chance you get, that there is significant cost and danger racking up here. My son, a new driver, trying to navigate the muddy dirt going to school was involved in an accident, destroyed his vehicle, and sustained multiple injuries. He is not alone. The “alternate” route roads were never suited to be through routes or to carry commercial traffic. Consequently, they are deteriorating rapidly and some are actually impassable now that mud season has arrived.

Constituents are rightfully in an uproar about the damage to their local roads, vehicles, and persons. We are literally in the worst month to be using these back roads. Please explore any method of making at least one lane of Rte 12 open. I’m pretty sure they won’t care if it delays completion of the final project. One gravel lane will save a lot of doctor bills and vehicle repairs/replacements. There is also no guarantee that the back roads will last through this, leaving some with no way to get to work or school. 

This is an actual crisis now, not an inconvenience. 

Steven D. Smith Deputy Speaker, NH House of Representatives

Dear Elected Officials for Charlestown, Walpole and Claremont: 

My apologies for the delayed update.  A family matter arose and in my absence, a situation developed with the Charlestown Route 12 repairs.

We are disappointed to send this update, but need to advise you that unforeseen circumstances have developed which impact the project.  

Work to install the soil nail wall began the week of February 14, 2022.  As work was advancing, the track monitoring system registered excessive movement. This movement caused the Railroad to reduce speeds to 10 mph and to rescind the Railroad’s approval of the work to construct the soil nail wall.   High groundwater, fluctuating temperatures, and fractured underlying ledge are all contributing factors. 

Clearly, the Railroad would like to resume normal speeds and the Department would like to reopen the road as soon as safety allows.  The engineers are analyzing the situation and reevaluating design options, working towards a solution with the public’s and railroad’s safety and travel needs at the forefront.

I will keep you updated more frequently, as DOT continues to meet with the Railroad and works to develop a solution.  DOT remains committed to the end goal of safely reopening Charlestown Route 12.

My Best,

Kathy

Kathleen Mulcahey-Hampson

Legislative Liaison