New scenic byway to celebrate mill towns along the Seacoast
By JOHN QUINN
Union Leader Correspondent
DURHAM — While some hope to capitalize on a new scenic byway that stretches 12 miles in four communities, others are wary of the impact of regional influence.
During a biannual meeting May 8, members of the New Hampshire Scenic and Cultural Byway Council unanimously approved the Mills Scenic Byway and included it into the state’s Scenic and Cultural Byway Program.
The Mills Scenic Byway travels through downtown Newmarket, Durham, and Madbury along Route 108. As Dover declined to participate in the process, the byway continues along Route 4, Roberts Road, Main Street and Front Street in Rollinsford.
The byway will help highlight the historical mills — which are being converted into housing, business and local centers — in the communities, according to Kyle Pimental, senior regional planner with Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC).
Pimental said some Dover residents expressed concerns that the designation would bring about a loss of local control.