2026 Zoning Proposed Amendments

Proposed Zoning Amendments for 2026 Town Warrant

Planning Board Recommendations

Town of Pelham, New Hampshire

After duly noticed public hearings (December 15, 2025 & January 5, 2026), the Pelham Planning Board voted unanimously (7-0-0) to recommend placing the following proposed zoning amendments on the March 2026 Town Meeting Warrant:

Proposed Zoning Amendments for 2026 Town Warrant

Amendment No. 1: Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment No. 1 as proposed by the Planning Board for the Town of Pelham to amend Pelham Zoning Article II – Definitions and Article V – Permitted Uses to update the Town’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) regulations in a manner consistent with RSA 674:71–73, as amended by 2025 House Bill 577. The amendment removes ADUs from Article XII – Special Exceptions & Conditional Use Permits and establishes ADUs as a permitted use in all zoning districts that allow single-family dwellings. The amendment updates and adds definitions related to ADUs in Section 307-6; updates 307-9 regarding number of building for dwellings per lot; creates a new Section 307-19(B) governing ADUs; incorporates changes consistent with 2025 House Bill 577, including allowing attached and detached ADUs, amending size and bedroom number limits, parking requirements, water and septic standards, and the treatment of lawfully established nonconforming structures.
RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING BOARD (7-0-0)

 Zoning Amendment No 1 - ADUs for Town Warrant 03102026

Amendment No. 2: Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment No. 2 as proposed by the Planning Board for the Town of Pelham to amend Pelham Zoning Article III – General Provisions, Section 307-10 Off-Street Parking and Driveways, to comply with SB 284 (2025) by reducing the required number of parking spaces for residential uses to no more than one off-street parking space per dwelling unit. 
RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING BOARD (7-0-0)

Zoning Amendment No 2 - Parking Requirements for Town Warrant 03102026

Amendment No. 3: Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment No. 3 as proposed by the Planning Board for the Town of Pelham to amend Pelham Zoning Article III – General Provision, Section 307-13 (A)(7), to increase the minimum required depth of pre-existing, naturally-occurring, non-wetland soils over ledge or bedrock from two (2) feet to four (4) feet. 
RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING BOARD (7-0-0)

Zoning Amendment No 3 - Min Lot Coverage for Town Warrant 03102026

Amendment No. 4: Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment No. 4 as proposed by the Planning Board for the Town of Pelham to amend Pelham Zoning Article II – Definitions and Article III – General Provisions, Section 307-14 Frontage to clarify frontage and access requirements and to incorporate the process set forth in RSA 674:41 I(c) for the issuance of building permits on Class VI roads. The amendment continues to require a minimum of 200 feet of frontage but adds that lots with frontage on a Class VI Road may be eligible for a building permit upon the recording of a liability waiver and proof of insurability, consistent with SB 281 (2025). The amendment also updates the definition of frontage in Section 307-6.
RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING BOARD (7-0-0)

Zoning Amendment No 4 - Frontage for Town Warrant 03102026

Amendment No. 5: Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment No. 5 as proposed by the Planning Board for the Town of Pelham to amend Pelham Zoning Article XII Section 307-76, III General Home Occupations to limit general home occupations that are located in an accessory structure to utilize no more than 49% of the primary dwelling’s total square footage or 1000sf in size, whichever is less. 
RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING BOARD (7-0-0)

Zoning Amendment No 5 - General Home Occupations for Town Warrant 03102026

Amendment No. 6: BY PETITION:  Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment No. 6 as proposed by a petition submitted by 25 or more voters of the Town of Pelham for the Town of Pelham Zoning Ordinance as follows: “Citizens Petition to Repeal WCD (Wetland Conservation District) in Pelham, NH”?
NOT APPROVED BY THE PLANNING BOARD (7-0-0)

 Zoning Amendment No 6 - CITIZEN PETITION for Town Warrant 03102026
 

The full text of all proposed amendments is available from the Planning Department at Town Hall, 6 Village Green, during normal business hours and from the Town of Pelham website at www.pelhamweb.com on the Planning Department and Planning Board pages.