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Planning board advances eight zoning amendments — three required by state law — to the March ballot
Summary
The Bedford Planning Board voted to place eight proposed 2026 zoning amendments on the town ballot, including three changes required by recent New Hampshire state law updates and other local adjustments to setbacks, retaining walls, cottage-court design, nursing-home uses and a historic-district procedural cleanup.
The Bedford Planning Board on Jan. 12 advanced a package of zoning amendments to the March 10, 2026 town ballot, voting to place amendments 1—3 (required to comply with recent New Hampshire statutory changes) and amendments 4—8 (local clarifications and housekeeping) on the ballot with the board's recommendation of support.
Planning Director Becky Hebert told the board the annual zoning amendment process included eight proposals drafted over multiple public meetings and explained that amendments 1—3 are necessary because state law changed definitions and required municipalities to permit certain housing types by right. "This year, the board met in November, twice in December, and held a public hearing in January to hear feedback from residents on the proposed zoning amendments," she said and noted amendments 1—3 respond to new state requirements so that the town does not lose local control.
Key amendments the board advanced include: - Amendments 1—3: Technical changes required to align Bedford's definitions for boarding/lodging and accessory dwelling units and to allow multifamily housing in commercial zones consistent with new state law; failure to adopt these would make current local provisions unenforceable. - Amendment 4: Reduce front setbacks in the general residential zone (35 to 25 feet) and side/rear setbacks (25 to 15 feet) to align with lot sizes and neighborhood patterns. - Amendment 5: Clarify how retaining walls are measured (base of footing to top of wall) to align with building-code practice. - Amendment 6: Remove nursing homes and assisted-living facilities as permitted uses in some commercial zones, based on fire-department capacity concerns. - Amendment 7: Tweak cottage-court housing design standards to clarify unit clustering and optional basements while retaining the 1,500 sq ft limit. - Amendment 8: Procedural cleanup of the historic district ordinance to delete a drafting error and consolidate overlapping language.
After staff presentation and a brief public comment period on individual amendments, the board voted (motion by Priscilla Malcolm; second and carried) to place amendments 1—3 and later 4—8 on the ballot with planning board support. Hebert said the town will attach brief explanatory language to each amendment on the ballot and that full amendment text and background will remain available on the town website.
The board emphasized that amendments 1—3 are particularly important for municipal compliance with state law and that the public will have the final say at the March vote.
