Planning board discusses revisiting 2021 land‑use plan for State Highway 87 corridor

Members of the Rockingham County Planning Board spent part of their June 9 meeting discussing whether to revisit the county’s 2021 land‑use plan to address development pressure along State Highway 87 between Reedsville and Wentworth.

A planning board member raised the corridor because of recent business and housing development requests along Highway 87, asking whether the corridor’s O‑2 land class should be reclassified to a growth designation such as G‑2. Planning staff said they can prepare relevant sections of the comprehensive plan and maps for a future meeting and suggested the board compile written concerns for the Board of County Commissioners, who have authority to direct a formal review.

Board members said building‑permit and zoning‑request data would help identify areas where an update is needed. One board member noted the county’s land‑use plan was adopted about four years ago and that “we're rounding the corner to five,” arguing it may be time for a review. Staff recommended submitting a formal request to the commissioners rather than acting unilaterally and suggested scheduling a dedicated workshop or an agenda item at a meeting when the case load is light so members can examine data and maps in more depth.

No formal motion or vote to initiate a plan amendment was recorded on the transcript. The board discussed next steps informally: collecting permit data, assembling comp‑plan excerpts, and potentially holding an afternoon workshop to consider corridor designations and whether specific stretches should be reclassified for more commercial or mixed uses. Staff reiterated that any formal change to the comprehensive plan would require action by the Board of County Commissioners.