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Planning director updates board on HB 1588; Farmington may need zoning changes if law takes effect
Summary
Planning Director Kyle Pimental told the board that House Bill 1588 would require municipalities to allow multifamily uses by right in commercial districts if enacted; the board will monitor the bill and plan potential ordinance changes if the law takes effect.
Planning Director Kyle Pimental updated the Farmington Planning Board on House Bill 1588 and its potential implications for town zoning.
Pimental said HB 1588 had, to his understanding, passed both chambers of the New Hampshire Legislature and been sent to the governor. He described the bill as mandating that municipalities allow multifamily housing by right in commercial districts while still permitting local regulation of frontage, setback and height. Pimental told the board the New Hampshire Municipal Association had opposed the bill and that municipalities statewide were pushing back on the measure.
Pimental said that under New Hampshire law a bill may become law even if the governor does not sign it because the state lacks a pocket‑veto mechanism. He advised the board that Farmington would need to amend its zoning ordinance to allow multifamily by right in its commercial district if the bill is enacted or goes into effect without the governor's signature, and he committed to keeping the board informed of developments and next steps.
