Planning commission approves zoning text amendment and use permit for seaplane base at Crawford Parkway

The Portsmouth Planning Commission on April 1 approved a zoning text amendment to add “seaplane base” as a use in the city’s downtown D‑1 T‑6 zoning subdistrict and simultaneously approved a use permit for an applicant to operate a seaplane base at 10 Crawford Parkway.

Principal planner Valerie Malzone told the commission the amendment (Z‑24‑02) adds a use definition for a seaplane base, permits the use in the D‑1 T‑6 subdistrict only with a use permit, exempts the use from off‑street vehicle parking requirements, and adds related glossary text to chapter 40.2 of the zoning ordinance. Malzone said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers required an environmental assessment and issued a finding of no significant impact; staff recommended approval of both the zoning text amendment and the use permit with conditions. "Seaplane activities within navigable waterway ... are heavily regulated by other federal agencies, such as the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration," Malzone said.

Sam Riggs, founder and CEO of Coastal Seaplanes, said his company is authorized by the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation to…