14th Spring Planning and Zoning Conference, Radisson Hotel/Center of NH, Manchester - April 28, 2007

Welcome/Invitation from OEP Director Amy Ignatius
Conference Agenda
Speaker List

8:45 - 9:30 General Session

Community Planning: its Impact on our Future Well Being

• Peter Francese, Director of Demographic Forecasts - New England Economic Partnerships

• Community Planning: its Impact on our Future Well Being

Basics For The Zoning Board of Adjustment
• Christopher L. Boldt, Esquire - Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella, PLLC, Exeter
      Here’s your opportunity to get some excellent assistance if you are a new board member. Christopher will share his expertise on how to keep your board’s affairs in order including rules of procedure, the do’s and don’ts for conducting meetings and hearings, and the issuing of decisions and rehearing procedures.

• The Zoning Board of Adjustment in New Hampshire

Legal Update/The Planner Is In (double-length session from 9:30 to 12:15)
• Tim Bates, Esquire - Mitchell and Bates, Laconia
Another busy time in the courts and legislature! Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Tim about what’s been happening in our Supreme Court on planning and zoning issues and the impact of these rulings on local land use regulations. Tim will also provide a heads-up on some of the legislative changes that have occurred which affect the responsibilities of both the planning board and zoning board of adjustment.  Following Tim’s two-hour presentation, join local, regional and state planners for “The Planner Is In,” an opportunity to obtain answers to any questions you may have.

• 2007 Land Use Law Update

Meeting Your Housing Obligation
• Ben Frost, Housing Awareness Coordinator - NH Housing Finance Authority, Bedford
Before you dig that moat and pull up the drawbridge, consider this: providing opportunities for the development of affordable housing isn’t just the law—it’s also a good idea. Ben Frost of New Hampshire Housing will discuss municipalities’ legal standards for affordable housing and the benefits of a diverse housing supply. He’ll present various options available to you, such as inclusionary zoning, mixed use development, and accessory apartments. Ben will also provide information on how to keep housing affordable after the developer is gone.

• Land Use Tools for Mixed-Income Housing
• RSA 79-E, Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive: Fact Sheet
• Meeting Your Housing Obligation (PowerPoint presentation)
• Model Ordinance Provision For a Homeownership Affordability Retention Lien

Innovative Techniques To Protect Groundwater and Manage Stormwater
• Pierce Rigrod, Principal Planner - Drinking Water Source Protection Program, NH DES
• Jillian McCarthy, Non-Point Pollution Specialist - Watershed Bureau, NH DES
Update your community’s approach to protecting groundwater and reducing stormwater pollutants. DES will present key aspects of the updated 2006 Model Groundwater Protection Ordinance, review new guidance concerning Low Impact Development (LID), and discuss current state policies and rules that help protect water resources.

• Making Community Groundwater Protection Efforts More Effective
• Managing Stormwater: Guiding Development to Protect Water Quality (PowerPoint presentation)

Is Your Hometown Ag Friendly?
• Members of the NH Coalition for Sustaining Agriculture
• Members of the Lee Agricultural Commission
Introducing Agricultural Commissions, a new municipal board that towns and cities can create to balance growth and maintenance of their rural character by becoming more farm friendly. Because farming and rural character go hand-in-hand, agriculture commissions are formed by municipalities to bring attention to agricultural needs and concerns in order to assure that existing farms thrive and new ones are encouraged. Commission activities can include; identifying barriers to farming; inventorying agricultural resources; helping resolve farm-related conflicts; protecting farmland and historic agricultural structures; offering advice to other government boards; supporting agricultural business development; and much more.

• Creating an Agricultural Commission in Your Hometown

11:00 - 12:15 Concurrent Sessions

Roles of the Zoning Board of Adjustment
• Paul Sanderson, Esquire - Local Government Center
Variances, setbacks, nonconforming uses - learning the nuts and bolts of your duties on the ZBA is no easy assignment! Your struggle may be over if you participate in this session with Paul. The session will cover in detail the three major roles of a ZBA - administrative appeals, special exceptions, and variances. Some highlights include understanding the distinctions between the different types of appeals and guidelines to follow in decision making.

• Roles and Responsibilities of the ZBA
• Zoning Board of Adjustment Roles and Responsibilities

Small Town Economic Development
• Pat Garvin, Senior Economic Development Planner - North Country Council
• Jason Hoch, Town Manager - Town of Plaistow
• Mark Scarano, Executive Director - Grafton County Economic Development Council
Is big box retail your only option? How can your master plan and regulations make your community ready to be economically successful?  What funding options are available to you? The panel will address these questions and talk about what it takes for small towns in New Hampshire to be attractive to businesses that will be assets to your communities.

• Using Tax Increment Financing for Brownfields Redevelopment
• Small Town Economic Development
• New Hampshire Regional Development Corporations (contact information)
• USDA Rural Development Invests $67 Million in Rural New Hampshire
• New Hampshire Regional Development Corporations

Building Green in New Hampshire
• Paul Leveille, High Performance Building Coordinator - The Jordan Institute, Concord
• Luc Monzies, Owner - Union Mill and Company
• Joe Byk, Selectman - Town of Peterborough
Have you ever wondered what "green building" is all about? In this session Paul will discuss the environmental, economic and health impact of our built environment and introduce ways to build green instead of brown. Luc and Joe will follow-up with a presentation of Union Mill in West Peterborough, what makes it green, and how they worked with the town to achieve success.

• Muni Goes Green The Green Eco-System

A Tale of Two Hardships
• Susan Slack, Esquire - Local Government Center
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...” Does this sound like your ZBA struggling to understand the latest opinions from the NH Supreme Court? You’re not alone! Join Susan to try to unravel what the Court meant when it created new standards differentiating “use” and “area” variances, and what this means for the hardship test.

• Understanding Zoning Variances - Factors for ZBA Consideration
• Variance Criteria

Tear-Downs and Other Demolition Trends: What You Can Do
• Adrian Scott Fine - National Trust for Historic Preservation, Northeast Field Office
• Roger Larochelle, Executive Director - Squam Lakes Conservation Society
Our towns are losing irreplaceable farms, in-town homes, seasonal camps, and community landmarks. Learn more about the underlying causes of this trend and planning strategies that may successfully address these problems. Topics will include heritage commissions, demolition delay ordinances, neighborhood conservation districts, and a new “campstead easement” tool being pioneered by the Squam Lakes Conservation Society in Holderness to protect historic lakefront cottages.

• New Tools to Fight Teardowns
• Kirk Campstead Easement Deed
• Squam Lakes Conservation Society - Campstead Easement Design Standards
• Campstead Easements

Zoning Board Of Adjustment Role Playing Workshop
• Chris Northrop, AICP, Principal Planner - NH Office of Energy and Planning
Join OEP staff and assorted other characters as we explore the ever-changing and often-confusing world of variances. What was the Boccia decision and how is that different from Simplex? Are there still 5 variance criteria? How do we vote on this thing? Put all that you learned earlier in the day to the test and be prepared to take an active role in determining the outcome for your "board!"

• Session materials
• ROBERT L. GARRISON & a. v. TOWN OF HENNIKER

Reducing Oil Consumption – What Municipalities Can Do
• Barbara Bernstein, Granite State Clean Cities Coordinator - NH Department of Environmental Services
Save money, reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil, and, reduce pollution! Granite State Clean Cities Coordinator, Barbara Bernstein will present alternative fuel projects that have proven successful, focusing on biodiesel, electric vehicles, compressed natural gas, and propane. Conservation can also provide enormous savings! Other speakers to be announced.

• Reducing Oil Consumption –What Municipalities Can Do

Promoting Floodplain Management: What Communities Can Do
• Jennifer Gilbert, CFM, Principal Planner - NH Office of Energy and Planning
Interested in learning how your community can better protect its floodplain areas and be rewarded for doing so? This session will review regulations and activities that communities can implement that go beyond the minimum National Flood Insurance Program requirements.  Also learn how communities and their residents can be rewarded through FEMA’s Community Rating System, a voluntary incentive program that can reduce flood insurance premiums based on a community’s effort to further prevent and reduce flood losses.

• Promoting Floodplain Management - What Your Community Can Do (PowerPoint presentation)
• Reducing Damage from Localized Flooding
• No Adverse Impact Toolkit
• Additional Regulatory Measures
• FEMA’s Community Rating System

The Top Ten Myths About Historic District Commissions
• Emily Paulus, Preservation Planner - NH Division of Historical Resources
• Carolyn Baldwin, Attorney
Historic District Commissions in NH towns operate under their own set of rules and ordinances, and their volunteer members are largely trained “on the job,” conditions that sometimes result in inconsistency and misconceptions. Two experts who work with Historic District Commissions throughout the state have compiled their list of the top ten myths that they’ve seen among New Hampshire HDC’s, and they’re ready for some de-bunking. Come and hear the real story about how HDC’s affect property values, what’s actually required for review, how HDC’s can affect the use of buildings within a district, and more. An open discussion session will allow participants to share their own challenges and successes. Suitable for those considering designation as well as long-time commissioners.

• A Letter to George:  How to Keep the Preservation Commission Out of Court and Avoid Being Sued
• Local Historic Districts: Frequently Asked Questions
• Who’s In control Here?
• Top Ten List of Historic District Commission No-No’s

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