Master Plan committee, taxpayers appeal to council for zoning rewrite

LACONIA — Members of the city's Master Plan Steering Committee, along with other residents, asked councilors to fund a review of city zoning ordinances, during the council meeting June 22. Taxpayers said there has not been a proper review of regulations for over 30 years.

Zoning board member Marcia Hayward spoke, during time reserved for matters not on the agenda, to thank councilors for allocating funds for the new master plan, and asked about the lack of money in the budget for zoning this year.

“It just seems to me the next logical step is to put money in the budget for next year, do a zoning review, so then your zoning will complement the new master plan,” Hayward said.

Jennifer Ulrich, member of the Master Plan Steering Committee and Ward 1 representative to the Laconia School Board, requested the council approve $150,000 for a zoning ordinance rewrite. Ulrich thinks the review and ordinance revision need to happen as soon as possible.

“An updated zoning ordinance will ensure Laconia has defined zones to meet the different types of housing that’s needed. It will allow Laconia to protect property values, and clearly define how the city’s zoned to support existing infrastructure, and infrastructure demands as our city grows,” Ulrich said.

Patrick Wood, also a member of the Master Plan Steering Committee and resident of Ward 1, pushed the council on the importance of updating zoning ordinances.

“The last time I think we looked at it entirely was in 1995. In 1995, I wouldn’t be able to look things up on my iPad at home, because they weren’t invented until 2010. And I wouldn’t be able to drive here in my Prius, because they didn’t come into place until 1997,” Wood said. “There’s been a lot of changes since 1995. This is the opportunity that we have as a city to bring our zoning ordinance into the 21st century.”

Ulrich talked about the work the Master Planning Steering Committee has been doing, looking closely at data presented in the existing conditions report. Consultants at their meetings stated Laconia needs more options for renters and smaller households.

Ulrich reported single-family homes make up 52% of housing units in the city, and single-family homes are the largest inventory.

“Since 2015, there has been a 154% increase in homes in the area, from $178,000 to $452,000. The median household income is $68,000,” Ulrich said. “The income levels in our city aren’t high enough to afford the current inventory of homes that are available.”

Ulrich said demographic changes across the Lakes Region have increased demand for different housing types in the city.

Ethan Wood, an attorney for Normandin, Cheney & O'Neil, also advocated for allocating funds for a zoning rewrite.

Wood represents numerous developers in Laconia, and has seen firsthand the city’s outdated zoning ordinance. A client of his on Old Prescott Hill Road was part of the residential rural corridor district, designed to preserve agricultural and historic areas. Residents must have at least 2 acres, and road frontage must be no less than 250 feet. Wood said his client was the only one in the entire zone who complied with this designation; all surrounding properties were significantly smaller.

“This is an opportunity for you all to look at whether or not the zones that you have makes sense,” Wood said to the council.

Dean Ingram and his wife live in a rural residential zone on White Oaks Road at The Weirs, and supported the request for the council to set aside $150,000 to update zoning regulations. Ingram called on councilors to “close the loopholes” on these zones across the city. There are currently permitted uses he thinks do not align with this scenic, agricultural area and its preservation.

Ingram said there is nothing stopping a developer, for example, from building a campground within a rural residential zone. There is no clearly defined criteria that must be met, and such a project is entirely possible through a special exception.

“There are other loopholes as well, but the bottom line is that the zoning regulations are badly in need of being updated,” Ingram said.

Councilor Eric Hoffman (Ward 3), who also serves as council liaison on the Master Plan Steering Committee, said the need for a zoning rewrite has become evident.

“I’d like to thank everybody that came out to support and advocate for that being on the budget. I think that’s really important.”

City Manager Kirk Beattie said the zoning update is not in the budget, and was not intended to be. In July, Beattie, along with Planning Director Rob Mora, will recommend to council that money goes toward this project.