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Regional planners offer pilot to audit Springfield zoning for family-based childcare
Summary
The Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission proposed a pilot to audit local zoning and site-plan rules affecting home- and family-based childcare in Springfield, noting local limits such as a 1,000 sq ft floor-size cap and outdoor-area restrictions that may act as barriers.
Renee Theall of the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission presented a pilot project to the Springfield Planning Board on June 18, 2026 to audit local zoning ordinances and site-plan regulations that affect home-based and family-based childcare.
Theall said the pilot—funded through October—had identified multiple communities, including Springfield, where regulatory barriers limit the availability of family-based childcare. She said Springfield "was in the middle of the pack" on regulatory restrictions and cited a current 1,000-square-foot floor-size limit and outdoor-area restrictions as examples of obstacles that the audit could evaluate.
The proposal asks for planning-board and stakeholder engagement to identify conflicts between local regulations and state law and to recommend possible updates to reduce barriers to family-based providers. The Board asked staff to prepare administrative rules and suggested including a procedural time limit for public comment on future agendas so expectations are clearer to the public.
The Board took no formal vote on participation at the June 18 meeting; members indicated interest in reviewing administrative rules and the proposed zoning cleanup items at a future meeting and in bringing specific ordinance changes to Town Meeting where required.
