Permit applications are submitted online through the City’s online permitting site. You can reach the Inspections Department by phone at (603) 610-7243 for any questions on permitting. 

You can send an email or letter addressed to the Chair of the Board through the Planning Department email at planning@cityofportsmouth.com, or you can provide comments at the meeting as indicated on the notice.

A home occupation is permitted in most residential districts.  See Section 10.440 (19.20) of the Zoning Ordinance for the Table of Uses outlining which Zoning Districts permit home occupation 1 and home occupation 2 uses. See Article 15 – Definitions for details on specifications for each type of home occupation.  

The amount of signage you are allotted is determined by the frontage of your establishment. Each sign district permits a different amount of signage per linear foot of frontage. All signs require a sign permit and will be reviewed by staff.  A Tenant Fit-Up/New Use/Change in Use application needs to be submitted before a sign permit can be released.  

At the very minimum, you will need to submit a building permit application for a Tenant Fit-Up/New Use/Change in Use. This is to make sure that the proposed use is allowed within the proposed zone, and that there is enough parking to accommodate the use. When establishing a new business, please contact a member of the Planning & Sustainability Department early in the process to review all needed approvals and considerations. Additional considerations may include allowed uses and zoning districts, required parking spaces, potential traffic impacts, and sign requirements. 

Please see the current meeting schedule here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/planportsmouth/meetings-schedule

For a PDF of the meeting schedule click here.

The timeline will depend entirely on the project and specifics of the application. An application that requires multiple land use approvals through different Boards will take additional time versus a simpler application that may only require one land use approval and one meeting. Typically the technical review process takes 6-8 weeks including time for the applicant to make revisions before submitting for Planning Board approval. If the application requires review by the Conservation Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment or Historic District Commission, additional time will be required to submit applications to those other land use boards and to receive those additional approvals. If staff finds the application incomplete, if a Board votes to continue an application or if consultants need more time for plan revisions, these will all increase the approval process timeline. 

If you are a property owner submitting a Wetland Conditional Use Permit, the project will go before both the Conservation Commission and the Planning Board for approval. The Conservation Commission is advisory to the Planning Board and will make a recommendation on the application to them. Applicants or their representative will need to attend these meetings to give a presentation on the project. This is necessary to give Conservation Commission and Planning Board members a clear picture of what is being proposed as well as providing the ability to answer questions. If you have hired an outside party, such as an engineer, wetland scientist, landscape architect, etc., to produce your application, you may request that they present it on your behalf if they are willing. 

The Site Plan Review Technical Advisory Committee, also called the Technical Advisory Committee or TAC, is composed of city staff members from various Departments that provide technical review on applications before they are reviewed by the Planning Board. Site Plan, Subdivision, and Parking Conditional Use Permit applications all require review by TAC. For more information on the Technical Advisory Committee and to view the meeting calendar, please visit the Technical Advisory Committee webpage on the City of Portsmouth website --> https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/planportsmouth/site-plan-review-technical-advisory-committee