Jonathan Edwards, Director
Planning@HanoverNH.org

Residential Zoning Project
Rural Study Group 2007

Other Documents
Downtown Hanover Vision
Guiding Growth in Rural Hanover
'Something for Everyone' Scenic Locales Report
Class VI Roads In Hanover

Zoning
Zoning Board of Adjustment
Zoning Ordinance


Conservation
Conservation Commission
Open Space Priorities Plan
Trails
Flora and Fauna
Protected Lands

Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing Commission
Affordable Housing Study
Gile Tract Housing

Inspections
Building Code
Building Code Advisory Committee






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Residential Zoning Project

The Hanover Planning Board invites you to attend a PUBLIC WORKSHOP to hear your ideas and concerns about preserving, enhancing, and improving the character of Hanover's residential neighborhoods, in order to help the Board develop zoning changes to achieve these goals.  The Planning Board will be holding three workshops, each focusing on different sections of Hanover.  You are invited to attend one, two, or all of these workshops.  Please spread the word to your friends and neighbors:

7:30 PM, Tuesday evenings, at the Ray School Music Room:
January 13, 2009--In-Town Neighborhoods
January 20, 2009--Rural Neighborhoods
January 27, 2009--Other Residential Areas,including Route 10 North/River Road, Greensboro Rd., & Goose Pond

We hope that Hanover citizens will share with the Planning Board members their concerns and opinions about their own neighborhoods and about Hanover's residential areas in general, for instance:

• How they would define the character of their neighborhoods,
• What attracted them to their neighborhoods,
• How much choice they had when they were looking for a place to live,
• What they like now,
• What they would like to see in the future,
• What possible changes could be beneficial or detrimental and why,
• What trends they see and how these trends might affect their neighborhoods,
•  What needs Hanover¡Ùs residential areas have now or will have over the future,
• How their neighborhoods relate to the rest of the town.

In-Town Neighborhoods at present consist of the General Residence GR and Single Residence SR zoning districts.  As stated in our current Zoning Ordinance the objectives of these districts are:

General Residence GR zoning district: "Within any community that has a built-up area with organized community services such as fire and police protection and community water and sewer service, it is necessary to provide areas for high and moderate density residential dwellings in a range of dwelling units from single family to multi-family.  The location of these units depends on the readily available community services and the existing or potential servicing of these areas by Public Water and sewer systems.  Thus, these areas are found within or adjacent to the presently built-up area of the community.  Four districts in the General Residence District are provided for. These districts have similar uses and Special Exceptions, with additional residential uses permitted in the GR-3 and GR-4 Districts.  The GR districts have different lot and Planned Residential Development (PRD) regulations depending upon their accessibility, present density, and relationship to certain municipal services and facilities."

Single Residence SR zoning district: "The designation Single Residence is for a district to provide for one-family dwelling units as is typical in many New England villages. With adequate safeguards, certain other types of uses such as forestry, agricultural and governmental uses will be permitted.  These types of uses not only complement the single-family homes, but serve these homes as well.  Three districts are provided in the Single Residence designation.  In each of the districts, similar uses are allowed, but there are varying lot regulations depending on the location of the district's present land development, and its relation to surrounding districts."

Rural Neighborhoods at present consist of the Rural Residence RR and Forestry and Recreation F zoning districts.  As stated in the current Zoning Ordinance, the objectives of these districts are:

Rural Residence RR zoning district: "The Rural Residence district provides for the building of single-family homes outside of the built-up section of the community where public water and sewer service are not generally available.  Along with the rural residential use, other prime uses of the area are Forestry and Agriculture.  As a Special Exception, certain other residential uses, special types of facilities, certain commercial establishments that are desirable in a rural area, and governmental facilities are provided for."

Forestry and Recreation F zoning district:  "Much of Hanover, due to its steep slopes, remoteness, types of soils and similar limiting factors, should have a very low intensity of use in order not to permanently damage the land and not to cause undue burdens on the Town for providing municipal services.  In these areas, the primary land use will be forestry with some agricultural operations.  Another acceptable land use for such an area is recreation, mainly of the outdoor type.  Residential use, because of the inaccessibility and remoteness of much of this land, is limited to seasonal dwellings and then only as a Special Exception.  Certain other land uses in selected areas of the Forestry District will be allowed as special exceptions, including certain limited commercial, recreational pursuits, removal of earth and other limited governmental and commercial activities that will not be harmful to the area."

Other Residential Areas include the Route-10/River Road neighborhoods, currently zoned RR; the Greensboro Road neighborhood, currently zoned SR and RR; and the Goose Pond area, currently zoned F.

These zoning districts are shown on the Town-Wide zoning map:

2008 Town Wide Zoning Map

For a more detailed outline of the entire proposed Residential Zoning Project, please see:

Residential Zoning Project Outline