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Planning board reviews zoning edits to comply with new state laws on housing and parking
Summary
Planning staff presented a consolidated draft of zoning changes intended to comply with multiple 2025 New Hampshire law changes, prompting discussion about ADU parking, multifamily rules in commercial zones and facade standards for street-level residential units; no formal vote was taken.
The Planning Board on Wednesday discussed a set of draft zoning amendments intended to bring the town ordinance into compliance with multiple recent state law changes, including a new limit on municipal residential parking requirements and other 2025 land-use bills.
Planning staff summarized a consolidated draft of edits that would (1) modify accessory dwelling unit (ADU) parking references to follow the town's parking section, (2) change multifamily housing in Highway Commercial from a special exception to a permitted use where state law requires it, and (3) remove ordinance language that differentiates occupants by family relationship where the state law now forbids doing so.
Board members and staff said the packet was intended as a minimalist, compliance-first approach to the multiple legislative changes summarized by the New Hampshire Municipal Association.
Joseph, a staff member who presented the draft, told the board the packet included a red-line summary and a proposed single amendment that would capture most state-law changes in one place. "This is a starting point," Joseph said, adding that the draft keeps changes minimal while flagging areas that may need more policy discussion.
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