City Council adopts architectural and solar zoning changes

posted on: 9/19/2019

At a recent meeting, the City Council voted to adopt the latest zoning amendments. These amendments include housekeeping revisions, along with changes to the zoning tables and text for architectural design standards and guidelines, including solar power in the Central Business District. These amendments were adopted after a yearlong project led by a steering committee appointed by the Planning Board, the Planning Department and their consultant, Resilience Planning and Design, LLC of Plymouth, New Hampshire. Public feedback was sought last fall through a visual preference survey, booths at Apple Harvest Day, stakeholder interviews, a citywide mailing, media releases, and public hearings. The Planning Board adopted the site review regulation amendments in March. Amendments to the City’s Zoning Code also requires adoption by the City Council.

City Planner Donna Benton thanks all of those who participated and contributed to the new amendments.

“It was nice to see over 900 respondents to the visual preference survey,” Benton said. “Thousands stopped by the Apple Harvest Day booth and satellite office. Staff also visited and interviewed high school classes to gain their feedback on how the Central Business District should look and feel. Walking around the Central Business District, one will quickly notice there is a lot of in-fill development going on with all the building taking place. It is important to review the City’s regulations from time to time and gain public feedback on Dover’s direction.”

The amendments can be viewed on the City’s website and the full revised chapters of the code will be available soon. Any questions can be directed to the Planning Department at 603-516-6008 or by visiting www.dover.nh.gov for more information. You can also find Dover Planning on Facebook and Twitter.

One of the next projects in the Planning Department is updating the Recreation Chapter of the Master Plan. Anyone interested in volunteering can reach out to the Dover Planning Department.