Planning Board Public Hearing

To:  Interested and Concerned Residents, Property Owners, and the Business Community

From:  Dick Lewis, Director or Planning and Zoning

Re:  Public Hearing on the 2017 Master Plan Update;  7:00 PM                    Wednesday, October 11, 2017;  City Hall, Council Chambers

In late 2013, work began on the update to the 2005 Master Plan.  Public hearings were held on the required Vision Section and the section on public infrastructure and utilities.  A lot has happened since then;  the City hosted the successful “Franklin for a Lifetime” programs in 2015 and 2016;  grants were received which have allowed for significant progress with the revitalization of the downtown;  and new and fresh ideas such as the white water park on the Winnipesaukee River have come forward.  All of these events have contributed to the thinking behind a Master Plan and the City has benefitted from all of these efforts.

To move the Master Plan forward, the Planning Board has been reviewing new drafts of the plan, and it is now time for the public hearing to consider this final draft.

A quick word about a Master Plan.  Per state statutes, the plan is intended to guide the Planning Board as they consider land use goals for the development of the City, and amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and other regulations that impact how land can be developed.  Following a public hearing, and any appropriate revisions, the Master Plan is adopted by the Planning Board.

This final draft focuses on the two required components of a plan – the Vision Section and the Land Use Section.  Since every community has many moving parts, some of the discussion points cross over into areas that are beyond the jurisdiction of the Planning Board;  the Board feels strongly though that all of the comments are relevant to helping to build a revitalized, strong, and vibrant City.

Please note that the attached draft Master Plan is the main text of what will be in the final adopted plan.  Photos and other graphics will be added following the public hearing and after any revisions are made.

We hope you can attend this public hearing.  If you cannot attend, please feel free to send any comments to the email address above.

Thank you and we hope to see you on Wednesday, October 11th at 7:00 PM