Manchester planning releases second draft of zoning ordinance after yearlong public engagement

Jeff Belanger, director of Manchester’s Planning and Community Development Department, unveiled the second draft of the proposed Manchester Zoning Ordinance at a public presentation, saying the document incorporates feedback gathered from more than 1,000 in‑person meeting attendees and 1,499 survey respondents.

Belanger said the draft was built from two UNH reports and the city’s master plan and is intended to advance housing affordability, preserve natural and historic features, allow small‑scale neighborhood businesses in selected places, and improve building design. “We heard you, we took your comments seriously, and the proposed zoning ordinance reflects them,” Belanger said.

Why it matters: The zoning ordinance shapes where housing, businesses and other development can occur across the city. Changes in lot sizes, new mixed‑use districts, updated wetland protections and design standards could alter the kinds of homes and commercial spaces that are built, who can build them and where — and the draft sets a timeline that could bring the ordinance to a vote of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen this year.

Key public engagement and process

Belanger told the audience the planning staff conducted an extensive public outreach program after the first draft (published June 21, 2024). Outreach included 12 ward meetings facilitated by UNH Cooperative Extension, mailed notices to more than 56,000 households, radio spots, Nixle alerts and printed materials. More than 1,000 people attended the ward meetings (average about 90 per meeting), and the UNH Survey Center recorded 1,499 survey responses between July 8 and Sept. 8, 2024. UNH produced two reports — a community‑meeting summary and a 200‑page survey analysis — that the staff used to write the second draft.

What the public told planners

Survey and meeting results that recur throughout the draft: 74% of survey respondents said housing prices in Manchester were “not reasonable,” and 87% said having a range of housing types is important. Respondents favored smaller single‑family homes on smaller lots, townhouses, duplexes and small multifamily buildings; they were less supportive of large apartment towers in neighborhoods that do not already have them. Other strong themes were protection of natural areas (94% agreement), preservation of historic character (90% agreement), improved design (windows, landscaping), and cautious support for allowing small neighborhood businesses in select residential areas (80% supported limited expansion).

Housing and land‑use changes

- Single‑family lot changes: The draft would retain a…