Brookfield Planning Board holds public hearing on draft 2035 master plan, members press for clearer growth projections

The Brookfield Planning Board held a public hearing July 13, 2026, to review a draft update of the town master plan toward 2035, hear resident feedback and collect edits before circulating a revised draft for a future vote.

Chair opened the hearing and read the posted notice, citing RSA 674:2, and noted the draft and an executive summary have been posted on the town website. The chair read the draft vision aloud: "The town of Brookfield seeks to preserve and maintain the rural and scenic character of our town by managing development and balancing density while controlling costs, sustaining our natural resources, and providing a small town community oriented lifestyle to improve the quality of life for present and future generations." The chair described the update as an evolution of the 2006 plan with broader goals and more implementation detail.

Board members and residents focused much of the discussion on the document's population projections. The chair summarized SRPC data showing Brookfield's population rising into the 830–840 range by 2040 and projected "about 25 additional residents by 2035 and 30–40 additional homes." A resident who identified himself as Ed challenged those numbers, saying "Those projections just seem incredibly low," and urged providing a range rather than a single figure. Other participants noted anecdotal signals—families moving in after the pandemic—and recommended the plan note the uncertainty and include a range in the population section.

Housing emerged as a linked topic. Members discussed workforce and cluster housing options and the limited places where overlay rules allow closer development (state roads such as Route 109 and Blythe Road). Participants noted that few large parcels are likely to come to market and that developer economics would determine feasibility. The chair and speakers also cautioned that implementation steps could carry administrative or budget implications depending on future ordinances.

The draft expands the historic resources section—work subcontracted to the heritage commission—to add town history, the Hackett Farmstead, preservation programming and detailed implementation steps. Members flagged an incorrect scenic‑roads map and asked staff to update the map on page 37. The draft also softens earlier "will/shall" language (from the 2006 plan) to recommended terms such as "consider" and "encourage," following counsel's guidance; members said that change reduces the risk of creating binding commitments in the master plan.

Public commenters asked the board to broaden recreation language and explore coordinated programming with neighboring Wakefield; Jan Ledbetter urged adding outreach to Wakefield and considering equal access to organized public sports fields. The chair said the board would add related implementation notes.

Before closing the hearing at 06:36, the chair said edits and tracked changes will be accepted and a revised draft circulated; the board intends to vote on the revised plan at a future meeting. The board then moved into regular business and approved routine items including the June 8 minutes and a $44 invoice for the newspaper notice.

The board identified follow‑up tasks: correct the scenic‑roads map, circulate tracked edits with dated revisions, consider presenting population projections as a range, and add implementation language about outreach and recreation. The public hearing record will remain open to written comments posted before the next meeting, and the chair said the board will bring a revised draft back for a vote at an upcoming session.