Minutes are posted after they have been adopted by the public body. If you do not see the set of minutes you need on the website, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Project Overview: Comprehensive Master Plan Update
What is a Master Plan?
A Master Plan is a long-range plan for a community that provides guidance for city-wide growth and development patterns, investments, and initiatives. It provides the foundation for determining effective public policy, master planning, and land use decisions for the future. In addition, it serves as the guiding policy document for many of the City’s most critical decisions, such as redevelopment decisions, zoning changes, and capital investments. A Master Plan should reflect the needs, values, and priorities of the community while safeguarding the City’s sense of place, history, and natural resources.
Why is the Master Plan Important?
While the Master Plan is not a legal document, it does provide the legal basis for zoning and other land use regulations. In New Hampshire, a Master Plan with a Vision Section and a Future Land Use Section is required in order for a local community to enact zoning, establish a capital improvement program, or adopt a historic district. The Master Plan also establishes the legal standing for implementation of ordinances and other planning board regulations. State statute recommends that communities update their master plans every 5-10 years. It has now been 13 years since Keene’s Master Plan was last updated.
Where can I learn more about the current Master Plan?
The current Comprehensive Master Plan was adopted in 2010 and covers 21 different topic areas. The plan is available online to view and download at keenenh.gov/community-development/comprehensive-master-plan.
What is the anticipated project schedule?
The Master Plan update project will start in January of 2024 and last approximately 18 months. The goal is to have a final draft ready to start the adoption process by July or August of 2025.
The tentative project schedule is as follows:
2023 July – December: Pre-project preparation – Form a Steering Committee and hire a consultant or team of consultants.
2024 January – September: Conduct a community-wide visioning process and update the community snapshot. This phase will involve robust community outreach.
2024 October – 2025 July: Develop plan language including Executive Summary and Implementation Plan, reorganize sections, finalize the graphic layout of the plan, and develop a future land use map.
2025 August – December: Adoption process – including a joint public hearing before the Planning Board and City Council and separate votes by each to endorse (City Council) and adopt (Planning Board) the revised plan.
Further Information
2025 Meeting Schedule: All meetings are scheduled for the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM in the 2nd Floor Council Chambers of City Hall unless otherwise noted with an asterisk (*). Meeting dates, times and locations are subject to change.
January 7, 2025
February 4, 2025
March 4, 2025
April 1, 2025
May 6, 2025
June 3, 2025
Rules of Procedure: The Committee adopted Rules of Procedure on February 6, 2024. View the Rules of Procedure.
Project Website: www.KeeneMasterPlan.com
Active Members
| Name | Type | |
| 1 | Harold Farrington, Chair | Regular |
| 2 | Councilor Catt Workman | Regular |
| 3 | Councilor Mike Remy | Regular |
| 4 | Joe Walier | Regular |
| 5 | Cody Morrison | Regular |
| 6 | Leatrice Oram | Regular |
| 7 | Josh Meehan | Regular |
| 8 | Elizabeth Wood | Regular |
| 9 | Alex Henkel, Vice Chair | Regular |
| 10 | Emily Lavigne-Bernier | Regular |
| 11 | Joe Perras | Regular |
| 12 | Sparky Von Plinsky | Regular |
| 13 | Juliana Bergeron | Regular |
| 14 | Mayor Jay Kahn | Alternate |
| 15 | Ken Kost | Alternate |
| 16 | Councilor Phil Jones | Alternate |
Minutes
Agendas
