Planning department looks to add staff, update master plan in next year's budget

LACONIA — City councilors will hear about increased staffing and an update to the master plan during a review of the planning department’s proposed budget at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20, at City Hall downtown. 

The last master plan update was in 2018, and city leaders have long discussed the need for another iteration of the document meant to guide development in the city long-term. Planners are looking to update a chapter on land use and their vision statement, and add five chapters on housing, economic development, energy, transportation and natural hazards and add an implementation plan. The cost of this work is included in the proposed budget at $100,000.

Commensurate with a steep rate of development experienced by the city in recent years, and looking forward to the development of the former State School property, the planning department may add three additional employees: one project manager, an additional land use technician and a part-time secretary. In the current budget proposal, they’ve included a project manager position funded for six months at $40,583.

The increase in the rate of development is not just conjecture — in 2022, the department approved 123 units of housing. That figure dipped in 2023, to 73 total units, but exploded in 2024 when planners approved an additional 250 units of housing.

Major projects which were approved before 2022 but did not start work until recently include 291 units at Langley Cove, 92 units at Governor’s Crossing and another 87 units at The Gardens. Mountain Lake Village, where 33 units are planned, was previously approved but work there hasn’t started. So far in 2025, planners approved 64 new units of housing.

The city’s planning department comprises five full-time employees and is led by Director Rob Mora. They’ve got three main priorities, according to materials included in the meeting packet. 

The first primary responsibility of the planning department is, appropriately, planning. They prepare, revise and implement new zoning ordinances, zoning tables and regulations. Planners work to investigate, study and report on all matters relating to land use in the city and they prepare and oversee the updates of all long-range planning documents including a master plan, capital improvement plans and the city’s official map.

Their second primary responsibility is enforcement. The department interprets and enforces the provisions of the zoning ordinance, subdivision and site plan regulations. They’ve got to review building permit applications to make sure they meet criteria established in the zoning ordinance, land use regulations and approvals granted by land use boards. Planners also work with city lawyers to ensure the enforcement process is carried out according to state law. 

The third primary responsibility of the planning department is community development, working to improve, foster and maintain the housing economic and physical development of the city. They work to enhance the quality of life for low- and moderate-income residents and for all citizens, and they administer the Weirs, Downtown and Lakeport tax increment financing districts. They also provide technical and staff support to the TIF district advisory boards. 

In addition to those three responsibilities, the department is also charged with managing special events and performing administrative functions like helping the general public navigate the city’s land use processes and maintaining property files, subdivision plats, site plans, meeting minutes, notices of action and other archival records related to land use. 

At present, city planners are working on a number of important ordinance updates. They’re looking at impact fees, development of a chicken-related ordinance, regulations related to casinos and short-term lodging, rezoning a parcel on Blueberry Lane, combining the heritage commission and the historic district, site plan and subdivision regulations, performance zoning and unregistered and recreational vehicle registration.