Harrisville Community Conversations

May 25, 2016

Summary of points from separate groups

Gym

  • Yoga, treadmill, weights
  • For adults & kids
  • Need Harrisville, not Keene – functional fitness
  • Feel better, get better
  • Mill is to harness energy
  • Ages 5-85
  • Insurance? Everyone signs a waiver. Liability?
  • Fitness stations
  • $10-65/month
  • Health focus
  • Dance, exercises
  • Kids, esp in winter; get people out of the house in winter
  • No employees
  • Donated equipment
  • Private – key for owners, or code for entry
  • Cardio equipment as opposed to free weights
  • Community center facility
  • Not bound to gym activities: movies, classes, lectures, music, town theater, scouts
  • Volunteer options
  • St. Denis use? Small space might be good as a start-up
  • What is the business model? Co-op? Who would run it?
  • Climbing wall/opening present facilities at HWES
  • Keene State student as instructors?
  • Surrounding towns may also come
  • Incentives between Town & HHI to help
  • Wellness studio, including dance
  • Sliding scale fees – accessible for anyone
  • Classes for elderly and kids, and teens, too.
  • Personal trainer/martial arts classes
  • Survey wants and exercise needs
  • Way to connect clients & those who offer personal training, yoga, massage
  • Need floor mats
  • Exercise to videos
  • Local people do classes
  • Tae Kwan Do
  • Walking clubs, biking clubs, swimming clubs
  • Peterborough Unitarian Church did similar things
  • Don’t really need a lot of equipment – people have unused stuff they can donate
  • Issues with parking/septic at mill
  • Allocation of time?
  • Stations around town/Cross fitness

Walkability/bikability

  • Two areas: safety and recreation
  • Speed bumps, traffic calming, formal cross walks painted, esp on crossing by store, cones & flashers, road tabletop to slow traffic on Hancock Rd, Nelson Rd, by Library,
  • Lights for walking at night – better visibility
  • Trail behind HGS
  • Trail from Hancock Rd. to mill
  • Creating different routes into town
  • Way to continue around Skatutakee
  • Maps of trails available at store
  • Walkers’ sign w map “You are here”
  • Pedestrian bridge
  • Need town departments to buy into idea
  • Inn has found that guests are frightened by walking on roads
  • Flashing light for bus stop
  • Sentinel reported upcoming paving of Chesham Rd. this summer – check on it now!
  • Get rid of some of the ledge by Twitchell House for visibility
  • Police presence periodically
  • One way enter/exit by store; improve left turn at end of Church St.
  • Paint speed on road, vs. lots of signs
  • Reduce speed to 25
  • Signs that show actual speed
  • If not a sidewalk, use painted lines on side of road to mark walking/biking space
  • Get recreational trails connected through town – need loops
  • Need community work in maintaining/fixing trails
  • Signs at most dangerous spots – “DO NOT CROSS HERE”
  • If people walked more, cars would slow down
  • Where can put sidewalks, it’s important to have the sidewalk raised above road
  • Bike lane all along Nelson Road – make a nice loop
  • Take our “permissions” to the point where maps can be put on line

Pub

  • Socializing, friendship, food? Drinking? Music, one day a week, Fri/Sat only,
  • Insurance, parking, noise
  • Grab a drink, bite to eat – after store is closed
  • American Legion or VFW economic model but not exclusivity; Pelto’s, Mole Hill, Nelson Town Hall
  • Outlet of existing caterers
  • Rent space
  • Do pop-ups for a while BYOB
  • Strictly regulated in NH – Licensing easier for wine & beer only
  • Pub would have to be private
  • Pub can be a cultural hub
  • Cheshire County – have to serve entrees to serve liquor
  • Important to be in the village; at local inns?
  • Brewery or distillery?
  • Where to go from 5-9 p.m.
  • Sites: Old Harrisville Depots, Old Highway garage, St. Denis Church, Brick Church, Old Fire House, Picking Sorting House
  • Sewer infrastructure is non-existent in town. Use porta-potties.
  • Rotate the “chairperson” for the pop-up pubs

Additional notes/ideas:

  • Community center & events. Events Committee?
  • Portable woodburning smoker – create events/contests
  • Town beach – water, food
  • Toastmaster Chapter – practice public speaking.
  • Art classes; music; cheese-making classes;
  • Frisbee gold course – already one at Otter Brook Beach
  • Cooperative gym/pub
  • Website hub for ideas
  • No real teen activities – obstacle courses, ping pong, pool, etc
  • Earth oven for pizza
  • Seasonal events: Octoberfest, beer competition w. trophy, chili cook-off
  • Unstructured social events
  • Swimming competition
  • Harrisville have a regular day when everyone knew an event would happen, like Nelson dances
  • These events would encourage young people to come
  • People do NOT want to drive 15 miles. Do stuff here!
  • Outdoor adventure programs: Zip line; climbing wall; water skiing classes; cross-country ski rental; mountain biking course.
  • Continuing education programs (non-credit): art classes; music lessons; yoga; business & marketing; cheese making
  • Competitions: Swimming; canoeing; kayaking; trophy to pass on
  • Sheep fest – wool, shearing, weaving. Sheep to mow lawns.