Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Board reviews draft economic-development plan, urges quick steps on Henniker Street, website and trails
Summary
On July 16, 2025, the Hillsborough Planning Board heard a first-draft Economic Development Plan from CNHRPC staff that highlights Henniker Street improvements, a dedicated economic-development website, downtown wayfinding and parking analysis, trails development, sewer capacity fixes, and use of tax-incentive tools.
The Hillsborough Planning Board on July 16 heard a first-draft Economic Development Plan presented by Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission staffers Mike Tardiff and Matt Monahan, who outlined data findings and preliminary recommendations aimed at supporting downtown growth and diversifying the local economy.
Tardiff and Monahan walked the board through a technical appendix that included location quotient analysis, county employment projections, a SWOT analysis and a set of draft recommendations. “There is room for improved signage,” Tardiff said, and he described Henniker Street as “a top priority” even though the project has not yet been included in the state Department of Transportation’s 10-year plan.
Why it matters: the plan compiles local economic data and identifies near-term, mid-term and longer-term actions the town could take — from marketing and wayfinding to infrastructure upgrades — to attract business and better capture regional travel from US-202/NH-9 into the downtown.
Plan highlights and next steps
Tardiff and Monahan emphasized both data and implementation. The technical appendix shows several industry concentrations in Hillsborough (notably agriculture, wholesale, retail and food services) and points to county-level growth prospects in professional services and health care. The consultants recommended a combination of marketing, regulatory tools and small public investments to capitalize on those strengths.
On marketing, Tardiff suggested a single online hub to centralize information for prospective businesses and residents, noting that publicity such as a recent Chronicle story has helped momentum. “I can see the momentum and how businesses coming into the downtown snowballed,” Monahan said. Tardiff explicitly proposed the domain chooschillsborough.org as a potential destination for that content.
On infrastructure and access, presenters and board members discussed downtown parking and wayfinding. The packet included a parking-utilization study that largely matched a study from roughly 10 years earlier; attendees noted obstacles such as difficulty getting DOT “blue business” signs that might steer traffic off the main route and into the Central Business District.
The handout and discussion also flagged sewer infiltration and capacity as a constraint for some development sites and recommended continued coordination with the Hillsborough Water and Sewer Commission. Other recommendations included pursuing Economic Revitalization Zone (ERZ) designation and promoting existing tax tools such as the Community Revitalization Tax Incentive (RSA 79-E) and the Commercial/Industrial Tax Exemption (RSA 72:81), plus use of the North Branch Gateway Zone TIF.
Local reaction
Town Administrator Laura Buono, speaking during the meeting, praised the report’s outlook: “there is SO much to do,” she said, but added that the plan offered “such a wonderful outlook for our town.” Riche' Colcombe of the Economic Development Commission urged focusing promotion on the downtown so that motorists leaving US-202/NH-9 are more likely to stop in Hillsborough’s core rather than pass through.
Tardiff urged the board to set priorities that could advance concurrently: for example, he proposed creating a trails committee this fall and noted CNHRPC staff would support such volunteer efforts while work on infrastructure projects continues.
Votes at a glance
The board approved the June 4, 2025 minutes on a motion by Steve Livingston, seconded by Bryant Wheeler; the motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned on a motion by Jim Bailey, seconded by Steve Livingston.
What happens next
CNHRPC staff recommended the Economic Development Committee and Planning Board identify a short list of priorities to act on in the coming months and to consider creating a centralized web presence to market the town and list available incentives, sites, and contacts. The planning director submitted the meeting minutes for the record and the board adjourned at 6:54 p.m.
