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Residents, master-plan committee urge Laconia council to fund zoning rewrite
Summary
Multiple residents and master-plan steering-committee members urged the Laconia City Council to allocate $150,000 to update the city’s zoning ordinance so it aligns with the recently drafted master plan and addresses housing, historical preservation and loopholes in RR2 zoning.
Public commenters at the Laconia City Council meeting urged the council to allocate funds for a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s zoning ordinance, arguing the current rules do not match the goals in the new master plan and hinder housing and preservation goals.
Doreen Richards (Ward 1) told the council she has reviewed public-event leaders’ social media and urged the city to adopt written behavioral standards for event leaders, then pressed the council to support clear zoning language tied to the master plan. “I’m just asking the mayor and council to work with Parks and Recs to ensure there are clear written standards for the conduct of people who lead city-supported events,” Richards said.
Several speakers who identified themselves as members of the master-plan steering committee and local boards recommended a budget allocation specifically for zoning work. Dean Inger requested that the council appropriate “as much as $150,000 to enhance the current zoning regulations,” citing loopholes in RR2 (rural/residential) permitting that allow uses inconsistent with low-density intent. Jennifer Ullrich, who said she served on the master-plan steering committee, cited data from the existing-conditions report and said an updated ordinance would help the city accommodate more diverse housing types: “Single-family homes make up 52% of the housing units in the city,” she said, and housing prices and incomes have shifted since 2015.
Heritage Commission chair Marjorie Wilkinson urged the council to protect historic areas through zoning tools such as neighborhood heritage districts, and several residents asked the council to put a zoning-review line in the next budget to avoid continued ad hoc losses of historic structures.
Why it matters: speakers said an updated zoning ordinance is the logical next step to implement the master plan and to address affordability, preservation, and clear criteria for special exceptions. Multiple commenters asked the council to include specific budget language so staff can begin a full zoning review.
What’s next: councilors acknowledged the need to address zoning; the planning director said funding options will be discussed in July, and some council members said they expect a more detailed budget request in the coming weeks.
