land use

land use

Old Closed Landfills – What Towns Need to Know

Closed landfills are a long-term liability for municipalities because they can create environmental and other problems that negatively impact residents and visitors. Landfill property owners, including municipalities, are responsible for the costs of cleanup up environmental contamination. Many New Hampshire towns have more than one closed landfill – one that long-time residents remember using (often located near the current transfer station) and one or more that was used before that. Municipal officials need to know about and maintain all of them.

2022 Municipal Land Use Law Virtual Conference

9:00 – 9:10 Introduction (NHMA)

9:10 – 10:20

Housing Appeals Board Update

Established in 2020, the Housing Appeals Board is tasked by statue with hearing appeals from local land use board decisions concerning questions of housing and housing development. This session will provide a practical overview of the Board and its operations and will discuss several recent decisions.

2022 Municipal Land Use Law Virtual Conference

9:00 – 9:10 Introduction (NHMA)

9:10 – 10:20

Housing Appeals Board Update

Established in 2020, the Housing Appeals Board is tasked by statue with hearing appeals from local land use board decisions concerning questions of housing and housing development. This session will provide a practical overview of the Board and its operations and will discuss several recent decisions.

Michael Klass, NH Housing Appeals Board Member

https://youtu.be/xar-nRqEvIo

HB 1661: What Local Land Use Boards Need to Know!

There were several bills introduced last session that sought to address issues regarding affordable housing development. House Bill 1661 was the omnibus bill to survive and contains new provisions that will encourage affordable housing and require land use boards to improve transparency and speed up the local approval process.

Timber Harvesting and Local Government

The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA's legal services or your municipal attorney.

2021 A Guide to Effective Code Enforcement Virtual Workshop

Building inspectors, code enforcement officers, fire chiefs, health inspectors, and various other municipal officials are responsible for the enforcement of a variety of codes, regulations, and ordinances related to the use of land. These include both local regulations, such as zoning ordinances, site plan and subdivision regulations, health regulations, and the conditions of approval that accompany many land use board approvals, as well as state law, such as the State Building and Fire Code and statutes governing junkyards.

2020 Land Use Law Conference

Full day virtual conference for municipal land use officials including members of planning and zoning boards, planners, land use administrators, select boards, town and city councilors, building inspectors, code enforcement officers and public works personnel. Presentations will focus on the legal authority and procedures these land use boards must understand with content structured to be beneficial to both novice and experienced municipal officials.

Current Use Refresher Course for Municipal Officials

New Hampshire’s current use law (RSA 79-a) was enacted in 1973 as a property tax strategy designed to help landowners keep their open land undeveloped.  Instead of being taxed at its highest potential use, land is assessed at its present use.  This refresher course will cover the role municipal officials play in the administration of the State’s current use program.