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Exeter train station committee readies Aug. 7–8 charrette, seeks volunteers and broader outreach
Summary
The committee finalized logistics for a Plan New Hampshire design charrette on Aug. 7–8, set public session times, asked members to recruit volunteers and pledged outreach including flyers, a press release and website updates; members also discussed a community-driven rail-safety education push.
The Exeter Train Station Committee on July 16 finalized logistics for a Plan New Hampshire design charrette set for Aug. 7–8 and urged members to recruit volunteers, finalize publicity and plan a community-driven rail-safety outreach effort.
Chair Jonathan Brink said the charrette will include a stakeholder tour and an invitation-only stakeholder session followed by two public input sessions on Friday and a public presentation Saturday, and urged the committee to “get 200 people at this” across the weekend. He asked members to focus on volunteer roles — table hosts, greeters and food coordination — and to distribute flyers and online notices in the coming week.
Committee members discussed outreach mechanics: a vertical flyer distributed to downtown business windows, a press release drafted by Jennifer (Chamber) that needs final approval, and a QR code on promotional materials linking to a web questionnaire. A cafe owner on the committee said the phrase “listening session” was confusing to the public and recommended labeling events “public input sessions” to make expectations clearer.
The committee confirmed Lincoln Street School as the venue, described AV and Wi‑Fi checks for the design team, and agreed to a setup day the day before the event. Members also reviewed a small fund of $2,000 available for event costs that requires receipts and discussed whether the committee or a department would submit future budget lines.
Rail safety became a recurring theme, with members proposing a community-driven education campaign tied to national rail safety outreach in September. Participants discussed materials such as stickers and posters, coordination with Amtrak and CSX, and the operational and liability limits of physical measures like fencing. Several members recommended beginning with locally driven messaging and Operation Lifesaver/RailSafe materials rather than attempting large structural changes.
The committee set additional near-term steps: finalize and post the press release and website updates promptly, produce and distribute flyers to target neighborhoods and downtown windows, recruit volunteers for setup and food, and prepare a debrief of the charrette at an Aug. 20 meeting. The committee also flagged a parking working group to refine post‑charrette recommendations that could be coordinated with police and planning staff.
