LOCAL PLANNING
UVLSRPC assists municipalities in the region with the development and implementation of local plans in many different forms. Effective planning allows communities to manage growth, anticipate challenges, allocate resources, and unlock funding opportunities for projects.
Zoning ordinances
A municipality’s zoning ordinance is the primary tool for implementing the master plan. The Commission’s professional planning staff is available to help member communities with zoning ordinances whether the planning board is considering zoning for the first time, considering a comprehensive overhaul, or just a few minor revisions. Guidance and examples are always provided free to member communities. A contract can also include provisions for assistance with public participation, development of the required public hearing notices, development of the wording for the town meeting ballot, and creation of a zoning map. Examples include zoning ordinance provisions addressing special land uses such as telecommunications towers, wind towers or outdoor furnaces; particular aspects of development such as lighting, noise, or signs; or development in special areas of the community such as aquifers, floodplains or ridge lines.
Subdivision and site plan regulations review
Regulations review can include office hours for meetings with applicants and concerned citizens, site plan and subdivision application review, preparation of staff summaries and recommendations, and attendance at planning board meetings.
Circuit Rider Contracts
Communities, who would like to have the services of a professional planner on a regular basis, can contract with the Commission to provide assistance generally through a year-long contract. We find the communities have varying needs, from maintaining office hours (as much as two days a week) within the municipality to simply meeting with the Planning Board once a month. The circuit rider approach enables review of subdivision and site plan applications by a professional planner for completeness and for compliance with the town’s regulations and ensures that the process is consistent with ever-changing state laws.
Master Planning
The community’s master plan is the policy document which drives land use regulations, capital budgets, and other municipal programs. Although not a regulatory document itself, at a minimum the municipality must have the vision and land use sections of the master plan in place as a basis for land use regulations and capital improvement programs. Other elements may include transportation, community facilities, economic development, natural resources, natural hazards, recreation, utilities and public services, cultural and historic resources, regional concerns, neighborhood plans, community design, housing and implementation.
Commission assistance typically includes facilitation of the process, guidance and input at planning board (or master plan committee) meetings, assistance with the development of policies and recommendations, drafting maps and background narrative. The level of assistance varies depending on the planning board’s budget for the process and the ability of the committee members to devote time to the project outside of meetings.
Depending on the needs of the municipality, The Commission can provide data on housing, transportation, or environmental trends, and can assist directly in writing sections of the plan. The Commission can also create supplemental materials such as GIS maps, charts, and summaries.
Regulatory audit comparison with Master Plan
Often municipal regulations do not allow a community to arrive at its vision. A regulatory audit will assist municipalities to assess whether existing land use and development policies such as zoning, site plan review etc. align with a municipalities existing Master Plan that outlines a vision for the future. Recommendations will be provided that suggest changes in policy to achieve what it is that they want to accomplish.
Emergency Planning
Natural and human-made hazards plague every town, but adequate preparation can reduce or prevent damage. UVLSRPC has staff educated and trained in the latest hazard and emergency planning techniques, and aids municipalities in developing these plans by leading the planning process, assembling a committee, writing plans, and more. UVLSRPC will ensure that the plan that is developed meets the most recent State and Federal planning requirements, while also being tailored to a municipality’s needs.
Emergency Management consists of a number of stages; mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission mainly assists communities in the mitigation and preparedness stages of Emergency Management. Emergency Management deals with strategic organizational processes which are used to protect critical municipal assets from hazard risks that can cause disasters or catastrophes and to strategize ways to mitigate for natural disasters.
Hazard Mitigation Planning
Mitigation efforts are intended to reduce the effects and cost of the disasters. The mitigation phase differs from the other phases in that it focuses on long-term measures for reducing or eliminating risk. The Commission has assisted several municipalities in developing and updating their hazard mitigation plans.
Emergency Operations Planning
Preparedness is a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluation and improvement activities to ensure effective coordination and the enhancement of capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. In this area, the Commission has assisted communities in creating their Emergency Operations Plans and developing community communication plans meant to be implemented in the event of a disaster.
Climate Change Adaptation Planning
The Upper Valley has experienced greater damage to property and land from more intense storms and rainfall due to extreme weather events. Climate scientists in the region predict more intense storms, heavy rainfall, and damaging drought for our region in the coming years. One way to save money, lives, and property from these extreme events is to find ways to adapt to these changes within your community. The Commission has assisted the region in development adaptation plans.
Disaster Response and Recovery Support
The Commission has played an important role in the community through supporting and participating in disaster response and recovery efforts through planning, services, and community outreach. The Commission partners with local efforts around the region to best serve our member municipalities.