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Plaistow planning board reviews master‑plan research, discusses RPC circuit‑rider support and sends rules to legal review
Summary
At the May 21 meeting the Plaistow Planning Board reviewed compiled master‑plan materials from neighboring towns, discussed engaging the regional planning commission (RPC) for circuit‑rider support and agreed to send planning board rules and procedures to town council/legal for review.
May 21, 2025 — Members of the Plaistow Planning Board reviewed research on master plans from neighboring towns, discussed options for continued technical support from the Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC) and agreed to send the board’s rules and procedures to the town for legal review.
Board member Karen Robinson presented packets of material she compiled from Windham and Kingston to illustrate committee structures and how those towns approached master‑plan and economic‑development work. Robinson said she focused on the economic development sections and that Windham’s master plan (completed February 2023) provided examples the board could downsize and adapt for Plaistow.
Separately, board members reviewed a working document from the RPC that outlines a ‘‘circuit‑rider’’ arrangement — hourly contracted planning support to supplement town staff. Board members recommended further discussion about budgeting for circuit‑rider services and whether to invite RPC staff to a workshop or to sit in on the board’s review of particular applications. The transcript records that RPC staff (a Mr. Roche and an associate) met earlier the same day with board representatives and the town manager to discuss options and possible costs.
On procedural matters the board discussed its rules and procedures. A member said the draft is ready to go to town council and legal for review; the board agreed to forward the document for legal review and to obtain the final draft for distribution. The chair said the board’s actionable step will be to approve rules following a public hearing if legal review recommends changes.
Board members also discussed forming a zoning subcommittee to narrow topics for future ordinance updates and set a schedule for that subcommittee to meet in the coming weeks. Members noted a wave of state legislation may require omnibus zoning and site‑regulation amendments; the board discussed handling mandated items as a single omnibus package to make the changes easier to digest.
Clarifying details mentioned in the meeting: Robinson gathered master‑plan materials from Windham (population cited in the discussion as about 17,000) and Kingston for board review; RPC provided a working document describing circuit‑rider scope and hourly costs; the board intends to send the rules and procedures to legal and to town council for review before scheduling a public hearing for adoption.
