CITY OF PORTSMOUTH

 

Planning Board to Hold Public Hearings on Draft Revised Zoning Ordinance and Site Plan Review Regulations

 

 

July 1, 2009    

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Rick Taintor, Planning Director (610-7290)

 

 

PORTSMOUTH –  The City of Portsmouth invites the public to attend a series of public hearings to provide feedback on the draft revised Zoning Ordinance and draft Site Review Regulations.  The first public hearing will be held on Thursday, July 9th at 7:00 p.m. in the Eileen Dondero Foley Council Chambers at Portsmouth City Hall.  The draft revised Zoning Ordinance was presented to the Planning Board at their work session on June 11th and the July 9th public hearing is the first in a series of public hearings the Board will hold to obtain public input on these revised land use regulations.  The draft Zoning Ordinance and Site Review Regulations are available on the City’s website at www.cityofportsmouth.com as listed under the What’s New section on the homepage.  On-site review copies are also available at the Public Library and the City Clerk’s Office and Planning Department at Portsmouth City Hall.

The revised Zoning Ordinance is the product of three years of work by the Planning Board, the Planning Department and consultants, and is now being released for public review.  The Zoning Ordinance revision effort began in April 2006 and has involved extensive consultation with Portsmouth’s elected and appointed officials, including approximately forty-five Planning Board work sessions and meetings, eight City Council work sessions and meetings and at least a dozen meetings with other City boards such as the Conservation Commission, Historic District Commission, Sustainability Committee, Blue Ribbon Commission on Housing, and Economic Development Commission.  The process has also included numerous meetings with City staff to review specific issues with the existing ordinance and discuss proposed changes and new provisions.

 

The Zoning Ordinance revision effort has also included a complete revision of the Planning Board’s Site Review Regulations which were completed in April 2008.  Because the Zoning Ordinance and Site Review Regulations are so interrelated, adoption of the Site Review Regulations by the Planning Board has been deferred until the revised Zoning Ordinance is finalized and adopted by the City Council. 

 

Additional public hearings on the draft Zoning Ordinance and Site Review Regulations are scheduled for July 23rd, August 6th, and September 10th.  All of these hearings will be televised and take place at 7:00 p.m. at Portsmouth City Hall.  Following these hearings, the Planning Board would then recommend the draft Zoning Ordinance to the City Council for their consideration and adoption.  At that time, the public would then have opportunities for additional comment through the Council’s public hearing process.  The Site Plan Review Regulations will ultimately be adopted by the Planning Board.  While the public review of the draft land use regulations is occurring, Planning Department staff will be continuing to review the zoning districts with the intent of presenting a revised Zoning Map early this fall. 

 

For more information on the July 9th public hearing, please contact Planning Director Rick Taintor at 610-7290.