Planning board backs removing annual ADU certificate requirement and forwards change to council; home-based childcare amendments tabled for legal review

The Somersworth Planning Board voted to support a staff- and attorney-reviewed revision to the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance that removes a proposed annual certificate-of-use and renewal fee requirement, and to forward the change to City Council for consideration.

Director Michelle Mears told the board that New Hampshire legal guidance found the annual certificate requirement was not lawful under the relevant RSA provisions and that the mayor’s housing task force supported removing it. The board unanimously moved the change to council.

Separately, staff presented two alternative approaches to regulating group-family home-based childcare, including whether such operations should require a planning-board conditional-use permit and what kinds of conditions the board might attach. The city consulted the New Hampshire Municipal Association and received informal guidance that attaching conditions to a conditional-use permit for home-based childcare is not recommended. Board members voted to table the childcare amendments and requested the city attorney’s memo and additional legal review before proceeding; the motion to table was made by David Witham and seconded by Robert Bellmore.

No ordinance change was enacted at the meeting; the ADU revision will be forwarded to City Council and the childcare proposal was deferred to the next planning-board meeting after legal review and staff follow-up.