10/09/2026
WAGON HILL FARM PARKING: SHARING THE COST OF A VALUED PUBLIC RESOURCE
Wagon Hill Farm’s parking program began October 1 after the Town Council approved the change on August 3, 2026, following a public hearing and feedback from the Town’s Land Stewardship Subcommittee. Vehicles displaying valid official stickers issued by Durham, Lee, or Madbury continue to park without charge. In Durham’s case, this is the same sticker that provides access to the Raymond A. LaRoche Transfer Station and Recycling Center. Other vehicles pay $1 per 30 minutes or $2 per hour through ParkMobile, plus applicable transaction fees. Under state law, vehicles displaying a qualifying disability license plate or hanging placard also park without charge, provided the person entitled to the plate or placard is being transported to or from the parking location.
The primary rationale for the program is to help offset maintenance and other costs borne by Durham taxpayers. The Town has received both support and concerns about affordability, electronic payment, and cumulative costs for frequent visitors. We recognize the strong attachment many people have to the property, including longtime visitors who help care for it. Staff at the Police Department have consequently been asked to review the suggestion of an annual parking permit for visitors from outside the three communities.
Durham’s investment in Wagon Hill Farm began with its purchase of the property in 1989 for $3.1 million. Today, the Town anticipates spending approximately $54,000 in FY2027 on building and grounds maintenance, heating, portable toilets, mowing, and other upkeep. Separately, Durham committed approximately $1.61 million in local funding to Bickford-Chesley farmhouse renovations and improvements: $437,500 financed through bonding and $1,173,425 paid from unassigned fund balance. Grants (LCHIP and Moose Plate) provided another $306,600. Principal and interest payments on the $437,500 bonded portion are additional costs, beyond the figures listed above. These acquisition, capital, and ongoing maintenance costs represent a substantial public investment by Durham taxpayers. Parking revenue will offset only a portion of the Town of Durham's continuing commitment to the property.
Paid parking is familiar across the Seacoast, including in downtown Durham, Dover, and Portsmouth, etc. and at some public parks and recreation destinations. Mount Agamenticus in York, for example, charges a seasonal fee of $2 per hour per vehicle, plus an app service fee when paying through ParkMobile. Although these destinations serve different purposes, asking visitors who do not pay Durham property taxes to contribute toward the care of a resource they value is a reasonable way to help sustain it from the perspective of members of the Town Council.
The Durham, Lee, and Madbury exemption also reflects the three communities’ longstanding connections through the Oyster River Cooperative School District and shared use of facilities, including programming by the Oyster River Youth Association and the communities’ Parks & Recreation departments. Wagon Hill Farm remains open to the public. The aim is to keep it welcoming and well maintained while sharing some of its costs with the wider community that enjoys it.
