Plymouth planning board moves forward on HOP grant work and a housing chapter as master-plan update begins

The Plymouth Planning Board on Feb. 6 heard staff reports that the town had received housing-related grant funding and has obtained a proposed contract from Barrett Planning Group to support creation of a housing chapter and community engagement for a master-plan update.

Town planner Joseph Perez said the town signed the grant agreement and requested a contract from Barrett Planning Group, which has since provided one; staff said they would confirm whether the town signature on that consultant contract was complete. Perez described the work as focused on a housing chapter for the town’s master plan and on outreach activities similar to the earlier HOP work.

Why it matters: The housing chapter and master-plan work will shape long-term land-use guidance, zoning considerations and public engagement around housing and downtown priorities. The board said it wants broader public input and to avoid an overly technical or narrowly prescriptive plan.

Key points from the meeting - Grant and consultant: Joseph Perez reported the town received the HOP award and has a draft contract from Barrett Planning Group. Perez said the contract was in process and he would confirm signatures; he also described the planned scope as housing chapter writing and engagement work. - Scope and sequencing: Board members said the housing chapter is a logical starting point, given immediate funding and consultant availability. The board discussed a larger master-plan refresh (the current master plan dates from 2018) and whether to add chapters on downtown, Tenney Mountain Highway, and economic development. Members described these as possible additional chapters to consider as part of a multi-year update. - Public outreach and staffing: The board discussed forming a subcommittee or steering group for engagement, limiting planning-board members on that committee so as not to form a quorum, and recruiting residents and community organizations to participate. Several members suggested outreach to service providers and shelters to capture diverse perspectives. - Timing and events: The board agreed to use its March 6 work session as an informational session on zoning amendments and to introduce the HOP/ housing chapter process to the public. Perez and others noted in-person Housing Academy sessions on Feb. 12 and Feb. 26 (in Concord) and a larger online Spring Planning & Zoning Conference on May 11 as resources. Staff said recordings of prior zoning-amendment videos are available on PBTV/YouTube and that the board could produce new informational videos for the current articles.

Quotes and attribution Joseph Perez, the town planner, on the grant and consultant: "We did get the award ... the town did sign the grant agreement ... we did request a contract from Barrett Planning Group, and they did provide us with that." Perez said he would check whether the town had signed the consultant contract.

Board members emphasized that any master-plan chapter should be driven by public engagement rather than written solely by staff or a consultant: "To understand the community's vision ... there's a good amount of engagement and outreach again," one member said.

Process notes and next steps - Staff will confirm the signed status of the Barrett Planning Group contract and provide a work plan to the board; members expected a fuller work plan for discussion at the March work session. - The board will consider forming a small public-facing steering committee for outreach; any committee should avoid containing a quorum of planning-board members to stay in compliance with RSA 91-A. - The board asked for PBTV/communications support to create short informational videos explaining the zoning amendments; two members volunteered to help produce them and staff offered to coordinate studio scheduling.

Ending: With grant funds in hand and a consultant draft contract in place, the planning board moved to use its March work session to brief the public and shape a public-engagement plan; members said the housing chapter will be the starting point for a broader, phased update to the town’s 2018 master plan.