Municipal and Regional Planning Assistance staff provide information and assistance for municipal master planning, planning board and zoning board of adjustment procedures, zoning ordinances, building codes, subdivision regulations, smart growth techniques, site plan review regulations, capital improvement plans, impact fees, innovative land use controls, excavation and other local land use regulations.

Services include:

• Reference Library, a collection of information alphabetized by subject area and available electronically or by hard copy.
• Publications/Videos/Handbooks/Technical Bulletins for sale or free distribution.
• Plan-link, a free e-mail forum for planners to share information and ideas.
• Smart Growth and the report Achieving Smart Growth in New Hampshire, documenting how New Hampshire is changing and highlighting some positive examples of development and conservation throughout the state.
• Planning Board FAQ’s
• Zoning Board of Adjustment FAQ's.
• Planning Links to many other planning related organizations.
• Training, as per RSA 673:3-a.
• Conference page containing links to agendas and session handouts from past spring and fall planning and zoning conferences.

The MRPA section carries out the following duties:

• Coordinates State funding for regional planning agencies;
• Responds to inquiries from regional and local planners and officials, and from the public;
• Prepares and updates guidebooks, technical bulletins and videos on municipal planning, zoning and related topics of interest;
• Maintains a central file of local land use regulations as required by RSA 675:9;
• Maintains and updates annually a database on the status of municipal planning and land use regulations in New Hampshire;
• Develops and presents training programs for local land use boards and Regional Planning Commissions in accordance with State statutes; and
• Provides technical assistance to communities in special areas such as water resource protection planning, wetlands protection, floodplain management and smart growth.

Contact Information:

Chris Northrop
Office of Energy and Planning
4 Chenell Drive
Concord, NH 03301-8501
Voice: (603) 271-6651
FAX (603) 271-2615

Joanne Cassulo
Office of Energy and Planning
4 Chenell Drive
Concord, NH 03301-8501
Voice: (603) 271-1755
FAX (603) 271-2615

Farzana Alamgir
Office of Energy and Planning
4 Chenell Drive
Concord, NH 03301-8501
Voice: (603) 271-1768
FAX (603) 271-2615