City leaders launch Master Plan forums, photo contest

LACONIA — City residents are asked to help with the creation of an updated Master Plan, and for the next three weeks, the planning department is holding forums seeking public input.

The forums are part of the Laconia Forward Together Master Plan, and the first takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, at Laconia Public Library. The subsequent forums take place also from 4 to 6 p.m., on Thursday, May 7, at the Weirs Beach Community Center, and Thursday, May 14, at the Leavitt Parkhouse, in Lakeport.

“We wanted to make sure we had one in each of the village areas, to get the populous of the areas to come out and speak on vision of the city,” said Assistant Planning Director Tyler Carmichael.

The Master Plan is a long-term guide for growth investment and decision-making for the city. It is intended for guiding aspects like land use policy, housing, transportation, economic development, and community investment over the next 10-15 years.

“This is to get an idea of what people want Laconia to look like in 2040,” Carmichael said. “What are the challenges and opportunities, and how do we work together to achieve that mission?”

Carmichael said the city started the project in October 2025, and there has been ample work done on the existing conditions section.

Residents, business owners, and other community members are invited to participate, and planning department leaders say input gathered will directly assist in the development of the updated Master Plan.

According to information provided by the city’s planning department, the forums will include interactive portions and opportunities for feedback on key topics.

“The purpose is to gather as much public input as we possibly can,” Carmichael said.

Carmichael said there are now eight proposed chapters for the Master Plan, including three which were recently added. The chapters include Vision, Land Use, Housing, Economic Development, Transportation, Community Facilities, Parks and Recreation, and Natural Resources.

The Master Plan Steering Committee will meet at the end of June, and consultants take the comments from the forums to create a summary.

“They will run that by the Steering Committee, and then that will start the meat and potatoes of drafting the document that incorporates the vision,” Carmichael said.

In August, the city selected Resilience Planning & Design, of Plymouth, to help develop the new plan. The Master Plan was last updated in 2018, and 18 pages long, much shorter than the 128 pages in 2007. Council appropriated $100,000 toward the competition of a new plan in the fiscal year 2025-26 budget.

The goal is to have it completed in September.

The committee is also hosting a Laconia Forward Together photo contest, where residents can submit photos highlighting Laconia. This can be places and people, and selected photos will be featured in the Master Plan.

There are three photo categories. “Natural Landscape” pertains to the natural beauty of the city, including shots of its lakes, streams, forests, trails, wildlife, sunsets, and seasonal scenery.

“Built Environment” highlights buildings, neighborhoods, parks, streetscapes, historic sites, infrastructure, and the city's three villages.

The “Community/People” category shows residents enjoying life in Laconia at community events, recreating, spending time with family, volunteering, at work, or just involved in everyday life.

Participants in the contest are asked to choose a category when submitting photos, and may submit more than one.

Photographers can enter online, and will be asked where the photo was taken, the category, and can provide an optional short description.

Photographs must be taken in Laconia and taken by the photographer, must be high quality, and preferred to be in JPG or PNG file format. By submitting, the photographer is giving the city permission to use the photograph in the Master Plan and related publications, and will be credited.

One winner will be selected for each category to receive a $50 gift card to a local restaurant.

For those who can’t make it to the forums in person, or who have additional input, there will a way to submit that online. Carmichael said the online version will mirror the forums.

To enter the photo contest, or access the online forum component, visit laconianh.gov/341/Master-Plan.