Advisory commission looks to broaden region’s appeal amid aging population

Feb. 21-- Feb. 21--Amid projections that Cheshire and Hillsborough counties will become even grayer in coming decades than they already are, the Southwest Region Planning Commission is looking for ways to help communities in the region become more welcoming to people of all ages.

The Keene-based advisory commission is in the midst of a two-year study targeting four themes -- transportation, housing, social engagement and employment -- and is seeking the public's input in a series of focus groups and an online survey.

The commission is interested in everything from the way residents get around and their perceptions of the job and housing markets in the region to suggestions about how to make life better locally.

People in most of the communities in the Monadnock Region are older on average than the rest of the state, and many communities have fewer younger residents, said Lisa Murphy, senior planner at the commission, who said this trend is expected to continue.

The graying is particularly pronounced given that New Hampshire's population is among the oldest in the country.

At 43, the Granite State's median age is the second highest in the nation, topped only by Maine's 46, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Vermont's 42.7 median age is a close third.

By 2040, the proportion of people over 65 in the Monadnock Region is expected increase to 26 percent, compared to 15 percent in 2010, the commission said in a news release. Among other demographic effects, fewer children in the area has led to declining enrollment in local schools.

At the end of the study, the organization will create a document with suggestions for each of the 33 municipalities in Cheshire and western Hillsborough counties -- ranging in size from the city of Keene to tiny towns like Roxbury -- to better accommodate their residents, Murphy said.

"It could be policy changes, it could be infrastructure needs, maybe it's broadband or public transportation or activities for different age groups, or it could be something more like zoning changes," she said.

The solutions may address larger systems, but the implications of improving the region can affect people on a personal level, Murphy said. Those pertaining to transportation, for instance, may touch on the condition of roads in the more rural parts of New Hampshire, enabling people to get where they're going faster or without owning a car. Some of the suggestions may also entail making better use of existing resources, such as finding creative ways to connect volunteer-driver networks with people who need them, she added. And the commission's recommendations will all take into account the size of each community and the resources available to it, according to Murphy.

Roxbury Selectman James A. Rousmaniere Jr. said he welcomes the type of suggestions the commission is seeking to make. Though Roxbury is small, he said there are ample opportunities to enjoy the outdoors thanks to Otter Brook State Park and other green areas. But because of its size, he noted, there aren't many ways to improve the town's housing stock or add amenities, such as a library. He said he is particularly interested in suggestions for how to increase social engagement within town, perhaps through the addition of activities.

A couple years ago, he said, volunteers organized a Halloween party at town hall that was so successful it has become a yearly event. He said he hopes the commission will have recommendations on how to create similar social opportunities. "Any suggestion, however it arrives, could be useful," he said.

The project, which began in the fall, is funded by an $80,000-grant from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation, a Watertown, Mass.-based organization that supports initiatives to help communities in New England adapt to the needs of people as they age.

Though the region's population is graying, Murphy stressed that the commission is seeking input from people of all ages. Many of the suggestions the commission has received thus far indicate the region has unmet transportation and housing needs, which are issues the commission was already aware of. The focus groups give staff a chance to delve into the exact nature of these needs in greater detail, she said.

Once the recommendation document has been created, she said, the commission hopes to guide municipalities to implement its suggestions, perhaps by helping them identify possible funding sources.

"Hopefully through suggestions, through the focus groups or responses on the surveys, we'll be able to come up with some solutions," she said. "The biggest part is identifying the problem."

The commission will hold a focus group on transportation on March 7, at Cheshire Medical Center's Auditorium A and B from 3 to 4:30 p.m. To participate in the online survey, visit https://bit.ly/2tkF3VB.

Liora Engel-Smith can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1439, or lsmith@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @LEngelSmithKS.

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