2023 Land Use Law Conference Workshop (Planning Board)
Program Agenda
9:00 am – Introduction
9:05 am – 10:20 am - Planning Board Roles & Responsibilities
A comprehensive overview of the roles and responsibilities of Planning Boards to include: the Right-to-Know Law, Duty to Assist, Conflicts of Interest, master plan, CIP, zoning amendments, subdivision and site plan review, excavation regulation, driveway regulation, Workforce Housing Statute, Innovative Land Use Controls, proposed street approvals, merged lots, off-site exactions, acceptance vesting, Developments of Regional Impact, grandfathering and RSA 674:39, and appellate review.
Stephen Buckley, Legal Services Counsel, NH Municipal Association
10:20 am – 10:30 am - Morning Break
10:30am – 12:00 pm - Planning Board Procedures & Policies
This session will look at planning board operations and policies including application completeness and acceptance, site walks, purpose and need for checklists, waiver requests and how to address them, drafting and adopting board’s rules of procedure, member responsibilities and more. This session is geared for board members old and new for general refresher training and to help board members navigate the planning board responsibilities and application processes.
Stephanie N. Verdile, Principal Planner, Office of Planning and Development, BEA
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm - Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm - Legislative Update
This session will review recently enacted legislation that affects the responsibilities and authority of municipal planning and zoning boards. Additionally, it will review what happened in the 2023 legislative session and provide a preview of what might happen in 2024. Recent New Hampshire Supreme Court and Housing Appeals Board decisions involving land use issues and the impact they have on municipal planning and zoning will also be discussed. Participant questions are strongly encouraged!
Benjamin Frost, AICP, Esquire, Deputy Executive Director/Chief Legal Officer, New Hampshire Housing
2:00 pm – 2:10 pm - Afternoon Break
2:10 pm – 3:30 pm - The Planner Is In
A panel discussion by municipal planners on all matters related to managing the operations of the Planning Board; subdivision and site plan applications, conditional use permitting, master planning, zoning amendments. Do you need to update your master plan but do not know where to start? Does a project need approval from multiple boards, and you need to decide who goes first? Has it been a few years since you updated your zoning and you are trying to catch up on the latest topics? This session is for new and experienced board members alike and will focus on attendee questions.
Benjamin Frost, AICP, Esquire, Deputy Executive Director/Chief Legal Officer, New Hampshire Housing
Mark Fougere, AICP, Fougere Planning & Development
Stephanie N. Verdile, Principal Planner, Office of Planning and Development, BEA
