Council tables Housing Redevelopment Overlay amendment until after Oct. 6 master-plan workshop

The Laconia City Council voted to table consideration of an amendment to the Housing Redevelopment Overlay District (HROD) until after a planned master-plan workshop on Oct. 6, saying the proposed expansion and performance criteria merit further review with the planning and zoning boards and the public.

Why it matters: The proposed amendment would allow higher residential density in targeted areas near the urban commercial core, increasing the conditional-use-permit density cap from the underlying 6 units per acre up to 20 units per acre for qualifying workforce/affordable housing projects, subject to performance criteria and deed restrictions.

Planning staff explained the proposal’s goals as preventing sprawl, increasing housing affordability in areas already served by infrastructure, and reducing regulatory barriers for property owners and small developers. The staff presentation described the “bright yellow” areas on a map as RG districts just outside the urban commercial core where the overlay is proposed to be expanded. The planning director said the original HROD adopted in 1997 has not been used since adoption and that the amendment is intended to target small property owners and smaller-scale developers.

Councilors raised concerns about compatibility with existing neighborhood character, parking adequacy, and building height. Councilor Bogart asked whether workforce-designated units would be deed-restricted; staff said qualifying units would carry a deed restriction (the transcript records a 25-year deed restriction) tied to the workforce designation. Councilor Hoffman and others emphasized the need to preserve neighborhood character and to involve the planning and zoning boards in a workshop where the master-plan update will be discussed.

The planning director reiterated that the overlay does not change the underlying zoning; instead it provides an option for property owners to pursue a conditional-use permit to reach higher density if they meet the ordinance’s performance standards. Councilors noted practical constraints such as small lot sizes and parking limits that may effectively cap potential density increases.

Outcome: Councilor Bush moved to table the ordinance to the council meeting after the Oct. 6 workshop (time certain to the meeting on Oct. 14); the motion was seconded and the table motion was adopted.

Next steps: The Belknap Mill workshop on Oct. 6 will bring the council, planning board, zoning board of adjustment, heritage and conservation commissions together to review the master-plan work and provide public input. The council asked staff to bring the HROD amendment back after that workshop for further discussion and a decision.

Ending: The council’s time-certain tabling aims to ensure broader board and public input before any change to density rules is adopted.