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Tamworth Planning Board to launch broader Master Plan update with townwide survey and outreach
Summary
The Tamworth Planning Board agreed May 13 to expand its Master Plan update, asking the Lakes Region Planning Commission to lead a community survey, poster sessions and demographic analysis; the board set a June 10 work session and flagged housing, schools and ADUs as priorities.
The Tamworth Planning Board on May 13 agreed to broaden its Master Plan update, directing the Lakes Region Planning Commission (LRPC) to help design a townwide survey, run poster-session outreach and complete a demographics chapter, board members said.
Elsa Weintraub, chair of the Planning Board, said the board has "shifted gears" and will take a step back to ask the community what priorities should drive the update so the Capital Improvement Program aligns with Master Plan recommendations. Danielle Scadova-Vose, the LRPC representative, presented a prepared outreach roadmap and said the original contract will need to be reworked so LRPC staff can write or assist with chapters, perform formatting and provide demographic analysis.
Board members discussed sequencing outreach tools. Danielle described using a broad survey as a prioritization tool followed by in-person poster sessions to refine chapter-level questions; the board noted that Holderness used mailings to alert residents before a survey. The Planning Board also reviewed sample survey questions LRPC provided and discussed whether to use Census 2020 data or the American Community Survey (most recent 2024) for technical chapters.
Members identified several content priorities: updating the demographics and School chapters, conducting a buildout analysis, and asking the public about housing issues — including short-term rentals and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The board agreed to change its comparable-communities list to include Sandwich rather than Ossipee.
Danielle outlined outreach venues and partners, naming Family Day, the Farmers Market and the Transfer Station as in-person sites, and several online groups (Tamworth Exchange, Tamworth Taxpayers, the Recreation Department Facebook page and the Police Department Facebook page) for digital outreach. She said she will send the Planning Board a list of outreach organizations and contacts for prioritization.
On budget and scheduling, Lianne Prentice, the board's Selectboard representative, reminded members that the LRPC annual meeting ticket is $75 and said the town will cover the cost for members who lack the means. Lianne will discuss the Master Plan budget with Shanna and the board will form a more detailed timeline once funding is clarified. The board scheduled a work session on June 10 at 5:30 p.m. to continue planning.
Lianne Prentice moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:33 p.m.; Matt Dunn seconded and the meeting was adjourned. Minutes were submitted by Melissa Donaldson, Planning Board Clerk.
The board's next steps are to finalize a revised contract with LRPC, distribute the outreach contact list, begin demographic work and confirm a public-survey timeline once the budget is settled.
