What: Future land use forum and planning workshop with consultants, Jeff Taylor and Steve Whitman
(www.jhtplanning.com)
When: Saturday, November 3, 2007
8 AM: FREE home-cooked breakfast
9 AM: Workshop begins
12 noon (approximately): Workshop ends
Where: K.A. Brett School lunchroom.
FAQs
Who can attend? All Tamworth residents.Why do we need to do this? Most communities in New Hampshire can expect population growth in the next few years. The NH Office of Energy and Planning anticipates that Tamworth may increase to a population of 3400 from today’s population of some 2600 people. This is a 30% increase. Where will these people go? What new roads and other facilities will they need? What will our landscape look like when they get here?
What’s going to happen? This workshop asks citizens to look at current conditions in Tamworth: the developed lands, the steep slopes, the wetlands, the protected lands, and other elements. It then asks people to try on two separate hats, first as a conservationist, then as a developer. What other areas would people like to see protected? What views? What forest lands? What historic features, etc.? Then it asks people to become developers. 800 new people probably means several hundred new homes. Where should they go? What kinds of development model should they follow? Where should stores and services be located?
Each group of 10-12 people will work with a map of Tamworth showing existing development (residential, town and commercial buildings), protected land, steep slopes, wetlands, critical aquifers, etc — factors that affect where development can occur. The groups will be asked to identify additional land they want to protect from development. Then they will be given sticky dots representing houses, small businesses and major employers, and will work together to place the dots where they think development should occur. The groups will work on their separate maps for a couple of hours.
In the last part of the session, the consultants will work with the whole group to create a draft map that reflects a consensus of the individual groups’ choices of locations for development.How will the draft map be used? This is the first step in creating a future land use map for inclusion in the Land Use section of the master plan.
Have other towns done this? Yes, Taylor and Whitman have worked with many other New Hampshire towns, including Bethlehem, Farmington, Gorham, Littleton, Meredith, and Sunapee.
Why do we need a consultant? Taylor and Whitman have lots of experience with other towns, and they don’t have a personal stake in how the draft map comes out. As neutral moderators, they can help us find an approach that takes all views into account.
Do I have to register? No, just show up at 8 AM for breakfast, or 9 AM for the forum. If you know you’re coming, please call the Town Office so that we can estimate attendance for breakfast.
Do I have to pay for anything? No, breakfast and the workshop are free.
Are my taxes paying for this event? No, the cost of the consultants has been underwritten by a grant from the Tamworth Foundation, and the breakfast is provided by Sustainable Tamworth.