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WEST PETERBOROUGH, a prime example of "Smart" community development!
In 2003 the Town of Peterborough undertook a comprehensive update of its Master Plan. Part of the Vision of this plan was that Peterborough should preserve and enhance its villages. West Peterborough is a small, densely developed mill village whose form was essentially intact since the 1800s but which had evolved from a functioning village to a strictly residential area - with a few exceptions, one of them being Union Mill. The message from the Master Plan was clear, but the zoning ordinance (adopted in 1970) did not support any sort of village preservation or development; in fact, the area that encompassed what was known as West Peterborough was comprised of no less than four separate zoning districts. Therefore, following the adoption of the Master Plan in the Fall of 2003, the Planning Board immediately drafted a zoning amendment that created the West Peterborough District.
This proposed District allowed for a mix of uses that included residential, commercial, light industry, lodging, restaurants, and public/semi-public uses. It also provided for reduced side and rear setbacks, consistent with existing development, and required no minimum lot sizes or frontages – in order to accommodate the existing lots that were created when West Peterborough was a village. The zoning amendment passed in March of 2004 and West Peterborough is now seeing the kind of development envisioned by the Town and the Planning Board when the District was created.
The three projects described below are located within the West Peterborough Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district, which was adopted in March 2004. The main purpose of the district "… is to fund public improvements to roads, intersections, sidewalks, sewer, water, drainage, lighting, signage, utility poles and lines, landscaping or other associated improvements that will help create and support development of mixed land uses …"
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Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm |
Once built, Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm will be the first Cohousing Eco-Village development in New Hampshire. Located one mile from downtown Peterborough, this community will offer a variety of 29 energy efficient housing units coupled with community amenities such as a common house that will be a gathering place for residents as well as a working farm that will provide them with fresh fruits and vegetables.
The neighborhood will have both an "in-town" feel and a rural character. The homes will be clustered on a small portion of the land, closer to the road and adjacent to the farm fields and woodlands. The residential area will be designed with kids in mind, keeping the development car free. All "walkways" will be only wide enough to allow for emergency vehicles access. Residents will not drive up to their homes but will rather park their cars on the periphery of the development in designated parking areas, and either walk or use a golf cart to get to their house.
The Farm will include a small dairy,an apiary, chickens for eggs and meat, orchards, berry patches, vegetable and herb gardens. Horses for pleasure and/or work are likely to join the farm, as are a variety of other farm animals. Pastures and hayfields round the landscape.
For more information on Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm, visit http://www.peterboroughcohousing.org/index.htm.
Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm meets the following six Smart Growth Principles:
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Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm site plan
A field at Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm
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| Union Mill |
If there are great examples of mixed use "green building" developments in New Hampshire, one of them is certainly Union Mill in West Peterborough. The restoration of this old mill building includes a number of sustainable/energy efficient building practices and "smart" planning. Reuse of existing buildings in our villages helps maintain our compact settlements patterns and fosters environmental quality as well as increasing the social viability of our villages.
The Union Mill building includes a residential portion with 10 units, varying in size from 960 to 1,590 square feet. Each unit was restored with environmentally conscious building materials, a fossil fuel free energy efficient heating system, and a super-insulated shell resulting in minimal heat loss and very low heating bills for residents.At this point, physical health practitioners, artists and educational organizations occupy the first floor commercial area. A café and organic food market with locally grown produce is set to open early April.
All of the residents and businesses enjoy hydro powered electricity from the river that runs through the property. This spring, the redevelopment will be "garnished" with organic edible landscaping using permaculture techniques and solar panels will be installed to heat hot water to supplement the central pellet boiler plantcurrently in use. A bike share program is also planned to give residents complimentary use of bicycles to connect with downtown Peterborough.
For more information on Union Mill visit http://unionmill.net
Union Mill meets the following five Smart Growth Principles:
Principle #1 - Maintain traditional compact settlement patterns 
Principle #2 - Foster the traditional character of New Hampshire
Principle #3 - Incorporate a mix of uses
Principle #5 - Provide choices and safety in transportation
Principle #6 - Protect environmental quality
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Union Mill living space
Union Mill living space
Union Mill yoga studio
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Robbe Farm Road |
The Robbe Farm Road neighborhood, known as "Legacy Woods," is open space development at its best. Clustered together on a 42-acre parcel, the 39 single-family units on 10,000 sq ft lots have preserved 74% of the land as non-fractured open space. The developer took advantage of the natural terrain, stone walls, aged boulders, and the existing vegetation wherever possible giving the development the appearance of a mature, older neighborhood. Working together with the local land use boards, the development has a 20-foot wide road and a closed drainage system allowing for grass shoulders so the front lawns extend from porch to pavement.
Robbe Farm Road provides a balance of housing types, from single floor homes targeting retired buyers to two-story units for families.
Robbe Farm Road neighborhood is in a Tax Increment Finance District (TIF) for the village of West Peterborough and has funded the district to date with over $272,000, which will be used for capital improvements in the village.
Robbe Farm Road Neighborhood meets the following four Smart Growth Principles:
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Robbe Farm Road neighborhood
Robbe Farm Road neighborhood
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