Planning boards can be found in most of the municipalities in the state of New Hampshire. While you may have heard of a planning board, you may not know much about them. Well, the first thing you must know is they are regulated. Their powers are also strictly defined.
Authorities of Planning Boards
Every local ordinance has created what is known as the scope of authority for their planning boards. That scope is basically what the planning board can and cannot do.
Most planning boards are allowed to do the following:
- Prepare and change a master plan to guide the development of the municipality. This can include any maps, reports, and investigations. Changes cannot be made whenever the board wants to though. There are guidelines they must follow for any changes they want to make.
- Recommend programs for the development of the municipality. Programs can be for improvements or to create public structures.
- Recommend local legislative body amendments when it comes to zoning maps or ordinances.
- Perform specific duties, so they can fulfill the functions of the job while promoting municipal planning.
- Has the power to require preliminary reviews of subdivisions.
- Approves or disapproves plans while giving their reasons why.
- Regulates, approves, and denies subdivisions while giving their reasoning.
The planning boards in New Hampshire are regulated by local and state statutes. This allows for there to be similarities between all the planning boards, while also creating some differences at the same time.
Whenever you have questions about land use laws, or what to do with a property within a certain local area, the first thing you should do is go to your planning board. However, if you cannot find your answer there, or they are giving you a hard time, contact us today. We will help you get things straightened out, so you don’t have any more issues in the future.