Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT)

Strengths

Energy

Utility responsiveness – problems solved quickly

Offshore wind mills

Future of nuclear plant

Electric vehicles

Open Space Preservation

To keep Town’s parks, ponds, trails, and beach/dunes.

East Coast Greenway – rail trail

Harbor

Estuary

Marsh

Bike path

Public Sewer, Water, and Roadways

Public water

Public sewer

Plowing

Quality Of Life Issues

Beach

Rail trail (Salisbury)

Route 1 retail stores

Route 95/495 infrastructure

Community center

Power plant reduces taxes

Police and fire

Safe community

DPW

Sand dunes

Library

Old South Meeting House

Housing – Meeting the Challenge

Strong desirable housing market

Public safety

Good infrastructure

Good schools

Winnacunnet

A Changing Climate

Catch basins

Pump stations

Dunes

Evacuation plan exists

Power plant elevations good?

The Estuary

Wildlife

Dunes are healthy and deep

Salt marsh

Bay area

Recreation – boating, fishing, hunting

Beach

Winter berms

Grassy dunes

Municipal Facilities, Services, and Schools

Rec Center

Library – meeting facilities

Water facilities and wells

Sewer

Town Hall

Weaknesses

Energy

NextEra power doesn’t benefit Seabrook

Overhead lines during high winds

Cost of gas & diesel – commuters

Fishing community opposes

How will this effect Seabrook? Will property be usable of contaminated?

Not enough station? Does Seabrook have the power to support?

Open Space Preservation

No taxes

Maintain

Controlling motorized vehicles

No enforcement re litter and dog poop

No easy access for residents – parking

There’s a disconnect on rail trail where old railroad bridge was taken down.

Public Sewer, Water, and Roadways

Water/sewer department

No connection fee for new development

Age of equipment water/sewer

Infrastructure of water/sewer aged 20 to 30 years

Beach road drainage

New rotaries on Rt 286

Hampton bridge construction

Driveway enforcement

Mostly collection tanks at Beach for rain and groundwater

Tanks and leach fields need cleaning

Reset manholes at Beach on main roads

Replace water main on South Main Street, frequent breaks, no water to beach.

Quality Of Life Issues

Housing costs

Real estate tax

Power plant

Maintenance of beach boardwalks

Beach parking

Sanitation – consider outsourcing

Seasonal traffic on route 1, route 286 & beach

Public transportation

Public school issues – test scores

Traffic due to tax-free shopping

Big box stores need to fund their own security – hire detail officers

Fireworks at beach close to homes. No fireworks on beach. Stores selling fireworks need to let buyers know this.

Housing – Meeting the Challenge

Not enough housing (affordable)

Too expensive

Seasonal workforce needs

Lots of renters affects the tax base and schools

Workforce housing

Tax high

Currently no impact fees on new development

A Changing Climate

Flooding of roads

Flooding of homes

Inadequate catch basins and sewer outlets

286 floods – beach becomes and island

Black water bridge vulnerability (strengthen bridge to protect sewer and water)

Extreme weather

Rain freshwater being pumped to the west of 1A causes flooding to private property on west side of 1A which is having a change on the ecosystem, turning a salt water estuary to brackish water at outfall #1 at Cross Beach Road.

The Estuary

Large tax base on vulnerable area

Flooding of 286

Poor management of runoff – sediment distribution

Navigation

Planning need for critical facilities

Municipal Facilities, Services, and Schools

Rec center aging

Outside courts are in poor condition

No swimming pool or swim lessons

Sewer aging needs upgrades

Children graduating from SES unprepared.

Opportunities

Energy

Energy saving measures

Potential solar roof tops?

Solar residential panels

Wind?

Savings to Town residents

Could there be another energy source that would be cleaner

Bring money to the Town

Energy aggregate programs/savings

Purchase street lights

Convert all lighting to LED

Mini-split heat pumps in municipal buildings

Long term savings

Sporting parks LED lighting

Funding by grants

Solar and heat pumps for Town buildings.

Open Space Preservation

Not to get congested

Place for people to use for recreation

People to use all year long for recreation

Community places for people to gather

Green space grants

Outdoor basketball courts?

Convert baseball to soccer/lacrosse

Pickleball courts

Re-do rec center

Old tennis courts behind 99

Add more – South Main Street?

Purchase private property for resident parking and outdoor enjoyment

Public Sewer, Water, and Roadways

Route 1A roadway 35 mph

Less auto lanes to curb speed

Possible bike lanes

Possible parking parallel

Sidewalks

System upgrades

Water/sewer opportunity for enterprise

Connection fee for new development

Sewer dept. reduce liquids from waste/ waste dryer

Connect sewer storm drains to holding tanks

Quality Of Life Issues

Empty retail space to redevelop

Further development Route 107 near track: housing, commercial & industrial, retail.

Bike paths

Senior center

Transportation for seniors

Community engagement with schools

Playground for kids

Housing – Meeting the Challenge

Low income housing

ADU usage to an advantage

Workforce housing mandate

Senior (housing) services

? opportunity to build in open spaces

Redevelop old retail (Ames) to housing

Village concept Route 107 near the Brook

A Changing Climate

Emergency equipment to get access through flood waters.

Elevate 286

The Estuary

Dune maintenance

Strong zoning ordinances to protect and not make worse

Parking on Cross Beach Road so residents get cars out of flooding events. That could also be used for residents and birdwatchers.

Walkways

Municipal Facilities, Services, and Schools

Upgrade courts

Update facility

Use of school gym for recreational activities

Library use for seniors

Expand rec center facility

Threats

Energy

Rising costs

Potential of killing sea life and birds

Bigger traffic problems than we have now

Open Space Preservation

Development pressure

Homelessness

Liability

Danger to disturbing sand dunes

Public Sewer, Water, and Roadways

Budget

Warrant articles

Major water break

Seasonal overuse of water & sewer system

Flooding big storms

Commercial development needs planning approval for road widening, infrastructure, water, sewer

Purchasing land and repurposing a threat to density and infrastructure

Quality Of Life Issues

Power plant

Vape shops

Tax

Non-medicinal marijuana

Housing – Meeting the Challenge

Taxes increasing

Donor town

Overloading the school system

Lack of buildable land

If too much housing, will outsize Winnacunnet

A Changing Climate

Rising tides

Barricades for beach entrances to prevent flooding

Lack of emergency services

Ground water rise

Evaluate sewer processing plant for water rise

Potential contamination of water system

New bridge to Hampton – sewer, water and evacuation routes

Beach erosion

The Estuary

Climate

Climate impact on tax base if disaster

Sediments

Building on or too close to the marsh

Pollution

Outfall #1 dunes

Will the bridge on route 286 withstand without additional widening??

Municipal Facilities, Services, and Schools

Cost of upkeep

Wells – enough water