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Join Us! Discuss Recreation on April 2, and the Town Hall, Community Center, and Transfer Station on April 10

Community Discussions on April 2 & 10

Please join us on Tuesday April 2 at 6 PM at the Northwood School Library as we discuss public recreation. On Wednesday April 10 at 6:30 PM, we hope that you will join the conversation at Northwood Town Hall as we discuss the Town Hall, Community Center, and Transfer Station. Hope to see you then!

Community Facilities, Natural & Water Resources, and Recreation

The 2024 Survey Results Are In!

We conducted a survey of Northwood residents and stakeholders between January 3, 2024 and February 16. We heard from 169 respondents. Have a look at the results: 1) Community Facilities, 2) Water & Natural Resources, and 3) Recreation.

They Had Lots to Say

Gathering Input at Beanhole Bash

We staffed a tent at the Beanhole Bash on July 29, 2023. The occasion marked Northwood’s 250th anniversary.

Some 18 Northwood residents took the time to respond to our Housing Survey via paper survey forms. Many more preferred the electronic version. Survey response has been robust. Lots of opinions on how to proceed with the housing chapter.

Our Where In Northwood? exhibit was a crowd pleaser. The exhibit was of comprised of eight low-altitude aerial photographs. The challenge was to identify the locations. Many identified seven of the eight. Only one person identified all eight.

Great comments and discussions

Public Workshop in August 2022

We had a very public work session on August 29, 2022 at the Northwood School. If you missed it and wish to catch up, the session was recorded, and may be viewed here. Here are some links to the work session agenda, the slides we presented, and the Existing Land Use Map that is based on data from 2015.

The primary purpose of the session was to solicit resident and stakeholder input for the Vision chapter of the Master Plan. The comments and suggestions were many and varied. The verbatim (written) comments from participants may be viewed here.

We reached out to residents and business owners

The 2022 & 2023 Survey Results

Northwood’s Master Plan Steering Committee sought to engage as many residents and business owners as possible during the month of July 2022. We did so because we want this Master Plan update to be driven and shaped by community members. The results of the Community Vision Survey may be viewed here, and that of the 2023 Housing Survey may be viewed here.

Short Answer: So Local residents can determine the town's future

Why Have a Master Plan?

The Master Plan is a powerful tool that allows local residents to have a say in determining the community’s future. The town’s zoning ordinance and land use regulations rely the master plan for their legitimacy and legal authority. In fact, courts in New Hampshire and elsewhere have ruled that a current and comprehensive plan is a prerequisite for a zoning ordinance. NH RSA 674:3 recommends that the plan be updated every 5 to 10 years.

NH RSA 674:2 provides helpful guidance on the contents of a master plan, both components that are required and those that are optional. NH’s former Office of Energy & Planning published a helpful summary that explains the purpose of a municipal plan and identifies those who are responsible for the plan’s preparation and adoption. NH RSA 674:3 III requires the master plan update to be a public process.

Northwood’s Master Plan Steering Committee is committed to engaging Northwood residents and business owners to the maximum extent possible. The committee’s next steps are outlined in outlined in the Master Plan Introduction.

An Engaged Citizenry

Public Participation

Northwood’s Master Plan Steering Committee strives to engage residents (both year round and seasonal) and local business owners in a dialog on the town’s future. The committee drafted a Master Plan vision chapter, based on the input of those who joined us in this important discussion that describes the community to which we aspire in the coming years.

The committee engaged Northwood residents by several means. The results of those efforts are documented here.

Northwood by the Numbers

28.1

Land Area (Sq Miles)

4,641

Population in 2020

$ 94,141

Median Household Income

44.2

Median Age

The Community We Aspire To

A Vision for Northwood

Every master plan in New Hampshire is required by RSA 674:2 II (a) to have a vision section that:

“direct(s) the other sections of the plan. This section shall contain a set of statements which articulate the desires of the citizens affected by the master plan, not only for their locality but for the region and the whole state. It shall contain a set of guiding principles and priorities to implement that vision.”

On January 5, 2023, the Planning Board held a public hearing, and subsequently adopted the Master Plan’s Vision chapter.

A townwide summary of land use in 2022

Existing Land Use

The existing land use chapter of the Master Plan is a document that analyzes and summarizes existing conditions and the various uses of the land. As required by NH RSA 674:2, this chapter utilizes “maps, diagrams, charts” to convey such information in formats that are designed to enable a ready understanding of this complex topic. We utilize a Geographic Information System (GIS) to assist with the analyses.

On January 5, 2023, the Planning Board held a public hearing, and subsequently adopted the Existing Land Use chapter, along with the plan’s Introduction. Comments, questions and preferences expressed by Northwood residents are captured in a Public Input Document.

Supporting Materials

Project Resources

Maps

Connecting People to Nature NALMC Resource Map; Guptill-Lamprey Pasture Conservation Area Trails; Northwood Meadows Area Trail Map; Existing Land Use 2021 – Strafford Regional Planning; Figure 6 Topography Figure 7 …