Plans and Regulations regarding Growth

The Growth Management Report, while currently unfinished, was adopted by the town on April 12th, 2001. That report and the Exeter Growth Management study conducted by professional consultants in 1996 suggested Exeter draft a Growth Rate Control Ordinance in order to legally include the Growth Management Plan and establish a Committee on growth management for the town of Exeter. It is the legal establishment of such policies that is necessary to create binding management of long-term development.

The Growth Management Report is planned to establish an acceptable rate of growth based on either a percentage increase of housing units or a static cap on the number of residential units approved each year. They are waiting to obtain recent building data and once obtained, the report will be finished within a month.

Growth Management Options (1996) Implemented by Exeter:

New Zoning Districts- An Open Space/Public Lands District and a Groundwater Protection Overlay District have been implemented into the Exeter's zoning ordinances.

Site Plan Review- The town has established the Development Plan Review to use in their site plan review process for all major developments and subdivision proposals. The development plan review is carried out by the developer for the town planning board and must address: Water Resources, Wetlands and Wildlife, Economic Development, Fiscal Impacts, Zoning and Planning, Wastewater Treatment, Storm Water Management, Traffic Impacts, Archaeological Findings, and Secondary Impact Analysis.

Impact Fee Ordinance- Presently, an impact fee is being researched by a professional consultant.

Growth Rate Control Ordinance- Currently being researched by the consultant mentioned above.

Cluster Development-The town has implemented Planned Districts into their zoning districts which include Village Center Districts, Business and Light Industrial Development Districts and Rural Residential Compounds. These are intended to encourage open space planning that promotes "greenbelts," or corridors of open space surrounding and within the clustered development.

Open Space Acquisition- Exeter has an Open Space Bond Fund, but no local Land Trust or municipal real estate transfer tax has been established. The new Open Space district is a step in the right direction towards acquiring more land so that more can be added to the new district.

For more information about what is being done to regulate and control growth in other parts of the county, look to the Washington County Regional Planning Council, a nonprofit organization involved in growth management.