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Planning board begins work to implement zoning changes passed at town meeting
Summary
After town meeting votes altered multiple zoning provisions, the Waterville Valley Planning Board reviewed the amendments and agreed to a review process to integrate changes into ordinances and site-plan regulations, noting many changes were state-driven.
The Waterville Valley Planning Board spent a significant portion of its March 12 meeting reviewing zoning amendments that voters approved at the recent town meeting and discussing next steps to integrate those changes into local review and permitting.
Chair Bill Spence told members that many of the approved ordinance changes were driven by state law and therefore left limited local discretion. The board went through individual amendments — permissive zoning, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules, short-term rental regulations, residential parking and off-site parking measurements — and recorded the reported town-meeting tallies for each item.
Members agreed they must translate the new or revised warrant articles into enforceable language in the zoning ordinance and related site-plan regulations. Board members emphasized that zoning provides the legal, enforceable framework while site-plan regulations supply the detailed standards planners and applicants will follow, and they discussed deadlines for the warrant cycle (documents and public-hearing timing ahead of November were noted).
Liz, the planning consultant, was asked to republish the amended ordinance text so board members can reference the current version; members also discussed outreach and training options for new board members to ensure everyone can apply the updated code consistently.
