I. The local legislative body may further exercise the powers granted under this subdivision to regulate and control the timing of development. Any ordinance imposing such a control may be adopted only after preparation and adoption by the planning board of a master plan and a capital improvement program and shall be based upon a growth management process intended to assess and balance community development needs and consider regional development needs.
II. The local legislative body may adopt a growth management ordinance under this section only if there is a demonstrated need to regulate the timing of development, based upon the municipality’s lack of capacity to accommodate anticipated growth in the absence of such an ordinance. The need to regulate the timing of development shall be demonstrated by a study performed by or for the planning board or the governing body, or submitted with a petition of voters presented under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 675:4. The study shall be based on competent evidence and shall consider the municipality’s projected growth rate and the municipality’s need for additional services to accommodate such growth.

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Terms Used In New Hampshire Revised Statutes 674:22

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • governing body: shall mean the board of selectmen in a town, the board of aldermen or council in a city or town with a town council, the school board in a school district or the village district commissioners in a village district, or when used to refer to unincorporated towns or unorganized places, or both, the county commissioners. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:48
  • legislative body: shall mean a town meeting, school district meeting, village district meeting, city or town council, mayor and council, mayor and board of aldermen, or, when used to refer to unincorporated towns or unorganized places, or both, the county convention. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:47
  • petition: when used in connection with the equity jurisdiction of the superior court, and referring to a document filed with the court, shall mean complaint, and "petitioner" shall mean plaintiff. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:51

III. An ordinance adopted under this section shall include a termination date and shall restrict projected normal growth no more than is necessary to allow for orderly and good-faith development of municipal services. The planning board in a municipality that adopts such an ordinance shall promptly undertake development of a plan for the orderly and rational development of municipal services needed to accommodate anticipated normal growth; provided, however, that in a town that has established a capital improvement program committee under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 674:5, the plan shall be developed by that committee. The ordinance and the plan shall be evaluated by the planning board at least annually, to confirm that reasonable progress is being made to carry out the plan. The planning board shall report its findings to the legislative body in the municipality’s annual report.