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Resident tells Londonderry commission draft bylaws lack key definitions, cites Act 121 and new slope rules
Summary
Visitor Heather Stephenson told the commission the draft zoning bylaws omit definitions such as "light industry" and "multi unit dwelling," may not align with Act 121 and recent steep-slopes regulations, and questioned whether the zoning administrator is qualified to interpret the draft.
At the Dec. 22 meeting a visitor told the Londonderry Planning Commission the draft zoning bylaws contain missing definitions and do not align with recent state law changes.
Heather Stephenson told commissioners the draft lacked definitions for "light industry," "camping unit," "emergency shelter," and "multi unit dwelling," and said the document was not aligning with state statutes, the recently adopted regional municipal plan and the town plan. She referenced Act 121 and new state steep-slopes regulations adopted in July 2025 as examples of recent legislation that the draft must reflect.
Stephenson also questioned Zoning Administrator Will Goodwin's qualifications to make interpretive decisions about the draft, raising procedural and credibility concerns for the commission to address. "[T]he zoning map needs to be included," she said, and warned that the draft contained regulatory issues that "cannot be enforced."
Commission members responded by agreeing to pause and conduct a more thorough review to align definitions with state law and regional planning requirements; they set a follow-up meeting for Jan. 12 to continue that work.
The commission did not take a vote on the substance of the bylaw definitions at the Dec. 22 meeting.
