Existing zoning laws in Peterborough do little to address changing needs in the community, according to a steering committee looking to increase housing options in town.
“We’re looking to expand the choices in living for the people of Peterborough,” said Sue Chollet, a member of the steering committee for Peterborough’s New Villages project. “The goal is to write new zoning to help create new housing options.” The group met with community members in a forum at ConVal high school Thursday.
“People have different housing needs at different stages of their life,” said Carol Ogilvie, who is also a member of the steering committee. “And unfortunately, standard, traditional zoning has not done a very good job of creating those various opportunities for people. They certainly are very good at giving the suburban lifestyle opportunities in Peterborough, and the surrounding regions, but [after that] the options become very limited, very quickly.”
The steering committee was formed after the town was awarded a Municipal Technical Assistance Grant aimed at creating zoning that will allow for varying housing options.
Current zoning ordinances allow for single or half-acre lots in the family and general residence districts, and three-acre lots in the rural district. This has lead to a surplus of large, detached, single-family homes.
What new zoning could do is make housing for people looking for smaller homes within walking distance of amenities.
Abby Meyer, a resident, said, “That’s what this is about really … especially in a town like Peterborough that has such a walkable downtown area.”
“Current zoning does not give you smaller homes with a neighborhood feel,” said Ogilvie.
She said that representatives from the town’s four biggest employers – ConVal schools, Monadnock Community Hospital, New Hampshire Ball Bearings and RiverMead Lifecare – have representatives on the steering committee. The mean wage at these companies is $36,210 per year, and Peterborough is looking to make housing affordable for those workers.