Community Development Director
John C. Edgar, AICP
Office Location: Town Hall Annex, 5 Highland Street
Mailing Address: 41 Main Street,
Meredith, NH 03253
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays
Telephone (603) 677- 4215
Fax (603) 556-8823
The Mission of the Community Development Department is to facilitate courses of action leading to positive outcomes in land use, natural resource conservation, transportation, housing, public health and economic development. The department strives to be comprehensive in its approach while promoting public participation, collaboration and informed decision making.
The Community Development Department provides professional and administrative services in eight functional areas. These functions are both regulatory and non-regulatory in nature.
- Master Plan
- Geographic Information System (GIS)
- Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
- Zoning Administration
- Development Review
- Building Permits and Inspection
- Public Health
- Code Enforcement
It is the duty of the Planning Board to prepare and amend from time to time a master plan to guide the development of the community. The master plan is a non-regulatory document that articulates a future vision for the community and includes goals, objectives and recommendations intended to help the community achieve its goals. Recommendations may be both regulatory and non-regulatory in nature. Considerable effort is applied to implementation activities that help advance the goals of the master plan. The most recent master plan (aka Community Plan) was adopted in 2002. The Planning Board is in the process of updating the Community Plan and click here to follow their progress.
Geographic Information System (GIS):
The Community Development operates and maintains a planning-level Geographic Information System know as GIS. This system integrates geographic features that have a specific location on the ground with data about that feature for mapping and analytical purposes. Our GIS function supports the needs of many internal customers including the Assessing Department, Conservation Commission, Water and Sewer Department, Public Works, Community Development and several volunteer committees.
Capital Improvement Program (CIP):
The Planning Board has been authorized by Town Meeting to develop and amend a recommended program of capital improvement projects. The primary purpose of the CIP is to aid the Selectmen in their consideration of the annual budget by providing them with priority-based recommendations for capital improvements. The CIP recommends improvements over a 10 year period and includes projects such as major road reconstruction, sewer and/or water utility replacements, new public facilities, land acquisition, major equipment replacements, etc. Capital Improvement Programming has been in effect since 1998. In many instances, implementing capital improvements serves to advance facility, infrastructure and conservation goals of the adopted master plan.
The broadly stated statutory purpose of zoning is to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the community. This is accomplished by guiding the location, type and nature of development in the community via a locally adopted regulatory document known as the zoning ordinance. The zoning ordinance includes a number of zoning districts and provisions which govern building heights, lot line setbacks, lot sizes, population density, land uses, the protection of natural resources, etc., etc. Zoning has existed in Meredith since 1971. The zoning ordinance is administered by the Zoning Administrator. Appeals regarding the zoning ordinance are made to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
The Planning Board reviews proposals seeking to: (1) subdivide land, or (2) develop or use land for non-residential purposes. This is accomplished thru local regulatory authority enabled in state law. Public hearings are conducted by the Planning Board on each application. The Board strives to balance its public duty with applicants’ property rights and the interests of those that are impacted by development. When all conditions imposed by the Planning Board are met, a project is then allowed to proceed to construction.
Building Permits and Inspection:
The Town of Meredith has adopted the International Residential Code governing residential construction. Commercial and industrial buildings are subject to the International Building Code (2006 edition). Building Permits are required prior to construction in order to determine compliance with the applicable codes. The Building Official is designated as the local authority to administer the provisions of the building codes.
Responsibility for public health at the local level lies with the Health Officer. The Health Officer is state-appointed upon the recommendation of the Board of Selectmen. The Health Officer works closely with the NH Department of Health and Human Services on a variety of matters including pandemic planning, public health advisories, complaint resolution, day care licensing, and other public health related issues.
Code Enforcement is the compliance side of land use regulation. The Code Enforcement Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with land use decisions, the zoning ordinance, building codes and health codes. Compliance measures may range from verbal directives to formal cease and desist orders. The Code Enforcement Officer position encompasses the duties of the Building Official, Zoning Administrator and Health Officer.
Community Development Department
Mary Lee Harvey
Code Enforcement Officer, Building Official
Zoning Administrator & Health Officer
John C. Edgar, AICP
Community Development Director
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