Ch 1 - A Vision and Future Land Use Plan For Conway

Since the initiation of the master plan update process in late 2001, the Planning Board has been grappling with a wide variety of transportation, community design, infrastructure, recreation and development related issues. The planning process provided a variety of opportunities for the residents of Conway, and other individuals, to offer direction, input and suggestions about updating this master plan.

This chapter of the master plan addresses the collective vision of the residents of Conway about how land should be preserved or developed in the community. The issues discussed in this chapter are based in part on RSA 674:2; the enabling legislation that outlines master plan requirements in New Hampshire. The statute requires that municipal master plans include, at a minimum, “a vision section that serves to direct the other sections of the plan,” and “a land use section upon which [other] sections shall be based.” The statute also suggests a more comprehensive approach by recommending that other sections (such as population, economic activity, transportation, housing, implementation etc.) be included in master plans. These recommended sections are included in this master plan.

This chapter presents goals, objectives, policies and direction for guiding development and maintaining the intrinsic character and quality of life in Conway. The methods used to encourage public involvement, which played a significant role in the preparation of these policy statements, are also highlighted.

It is understood that Conway will continue to change and that the town needs to manage growth in a fashion suited to Conway’s unique economic, environmental and political features. The policy statements presented in this master plan reflect the values of Conway residents and other interested individuals about their future vision of Conway and how they would like to manage growth.

In order to prepare a master plan that reflects the issues, desires and visions of the community, it is important to involve the public throughout the planning process. The Planning Board determined that the best procedure for public involvement would require a variety of different approaches. Rather than holding a series of meetings at the beginning and end of the planning process, it was decided that various public outreach efforts (including issue identification sessions, visioning workshops and a charrette) would be used to solicit input, discussion, review and feedback from the public. Additionally, due to the village-centered community identity of Conway, it was determined that holding public meetings in each of the villages would attract a more diverse group of residents to participate in discussions about the future of Conway. It was also felt that varied locations for meetings would encourage a discussion of specific development and planning issues relating to the different villages of Conway. The approaches used to involve the residents of Conway in the process of preparing this master plan update are outlined below:

The Town of Conway has changed significantly over the past twenty to thirty years. As an outdoor, recreation and retail destination the character of each village and therefore, the town as a whole, especially in terms of land use, will continue to change in the future.

During the master plan update process, public discussions about the future of Conway involved a variety of residents and stakeholders (business people, municipal officials, environmental advocates and others). While residents and stakeholders in Conway have experienced differences of opinion on many issues (most notably the proposed bypass issue)[1], the participants demonstrated some consensus regarding goals for Conway’s future. These goals and policies, which are discussed on the next several pages, should not be regarded as an inflexible blueprint for the future development of Conway, but rather as a framework or guide for directing and managing future land use changes within the community.

During the preparation of this master plan update, it was determined that an overall vision for the future of Conway should be articulated. The Planning Board created the following statement as an overall vision or guideline for Conway’s future:

As outlined on the next several pages, a general goal was established for various planning-related issues (e.g. housing, economic development, recreation, etc). Each issue area’s goal is supported by primary objectives and recommendations for attaining these goals. It should be noted that the goals and objectives are based upon comments and suggestions received during the different public meetings highlighted earlier, and were then refined by the members of the Planning Board to reflect their  understanding of specific planning-related issues.

Due to increasing demand for housing caused by the centralized location and recreation aspects associated with Conway, coupled with a lack of housing units within lower price ranges, the Town of Conway should support the development of a range of housing choices for all ages and income levels.

1. The town should encourage the development of affordable housing. Ideally, the town should participate in a regional housing initiative with other communities and agencies in the Mount Washington Valley to produce an equitable, coordinated approach to encourage affordable housing.
2. Encourage the development of residential units above existing and new commercial business establishments within the villages.
3. Consider the development of a limited number of higher-density residential developments in close proximity to commercial business establishments along Route 16.
4. Consider the development of housing for elderly residents due to the changing demographic patterns.

B. Economic Development Goal

Primary Objectives

1. As Conway’s economy is focused across such a narrow group of sectors, the town should support economic development incentives which encourage diversification of the local employment and business establishment base.
2. The town should work with the North Conway Water Precinct (NCWP) and the Conway Village Fire District (CVFD) to ensure that water and sewer infrastructure are in place within the Conway’s industrial zones in order to improve the potential for light industrial, distribution and/or office establishments.

C. Municipal Services and Infrastructure Goal

Primary Objectives

1. The Conway School District should prepare a comprehensive capital improvements plan that addresses the town’s future educational infrastructure needs.
2. The Conway School District should work with the town to identify potential sites for any new facilities, especially a high school. Facilities should be designed in a flexible fashion to serve as an educational facility and as a multi-purpose community center that can accommodate performing arts, cultural activities and public gatherings.
3. The town should continue to support water and sewer interconnections between the Conway Village Fire District (CVFD) and the North Conway Water Precinct (NCWP). The Board of Selectmen should work with both the CVFD and the NCWP by informing residents and property owners in both service areas about the advantages of inter-connected water and wastewater systems in terms of resource protection and future economic opportunities; developing funding solutions that recognize the difference in tax bases and financing capabilities between the two service areas; and applying for state and federal financial support that is accessible only through the town (i.e. CDBG and CDAG grants).
4. The Board of Selectmen should work with both the CVFD and NCWP to plan, coordinate and establish water and sewer improvements on a town-wide scale. Priorities for water and sewer improvements include improved treatment capacity for Conway Village and then line extensions to land designated for industrial use along East Conway Road.
5. Explore opportunities for enhancing coordination and cooperation between Conway’s current fire and emergency service providers.
6. Consider the changing demographic characteristics of the town’s population such as the shifts in age groups, decreasing household size, the reductions in the number of young singles and families, and the growing number of near seniors and seniors when broadening and/or altering municipal services and infrastructure.

F. Sense of Community Goal

Primary Objectives

1. Design and construct identifiable gateways that signify the entrance to Conway and each of its villages along major roadways.
2. Recognize and address the issues and concerns of both year-round and seasonal residents.
3. Examine the feasibility and potential for the development of a centralized community gathering area and/or facility to be used as the primary location for major public events by all members of the community.

G. Land Use Goal

1. Existing land use patterns in Conway have been created by a multitude of decisions by individuals and various governing bodies over the last two centuries. Changes concerning how land can be developed in the future should, to the extent possible, seek to balance community needs and impacts with the rights of private property owners, while protecting the environment and natural resources.
2. Revise the zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations and site plan review regulations to achieve the objectives outlined in the master plan. The revised land use regulations should consider environmental, social, fiscal and economic impacts in evaluating development proposals.
3. Zoning districts for North Conway Village and Conway Village should contain a higher density mix of residential, commercial and institutional uses. Incentives should be provided for incorporating residential units above existing or proposed commercial establishments. Performance standards for these areas should be developed that define the limits of possible development related impacts such as noise and parking. These zoning areas should incorporate the main corridor through each village as well as the adjacent streets and neighborhood.
4. Center Conway Village should be designated as a residential growth area. Although residential development would be the primary use, there should be opportunities for limited neighborhood commercial and institutional development.
5. Areas to the south of Center Conway Village and Conway Village (Eaton Road area) and west of the Saco River (West Side Road area) should be designated for low density residential development. Cluster development should be encouraged.
6. Water and sewer infrastructure should be extended to the industrial zone along East Conway Road. Performance standards that define the limits of possible development related impacts such as noise, traffic, air pollution, etc., should be incorporated as part of revised land use regulations.
7. Development in the Green Hills area north of East Conway Road and east of the Route 16 should be limited to protect farmlands, woodlands, open space, wildlife habitat and scenic areas.
8. Encourage the permanent protection of environmentally significant lands to avoid incremental deterioration of qualities which make Conway a desirable community.
9. The Route 16 “Strip area” should contain commercial and retail uses based on development standards that address building size and design features that are comparable with the character of Conway. A limited number of high density residential developments should also be considered for this area.
10. A local area plan should be prepared for the Route 113/302/16 bypass intersection prior to amending any development provisions affecting that area. This will help protect the area from inappropriate developments and commercial uses that may gravitate to the area.
11. An area along Route 302, beginning on the east side of Route 16 and extending into Redstone, should be designated for large commercial, retail, automotive and complementary commercial and service uses.
12. The Board of Selectmen should open a dialogue and establish a memorandum of understanding that involves the town, the CVFD and the NCWP in order to coordinate water and sewer infrastructure and municipal planning efforts among all parties.
13. Develop a plan for the redevelopment and eventual reuse of the Kearsarge Metallurgical Brownfield site for passive recreational uses that provide connections to the surrounding neighborhoods.
14. The town should encourage new commercial development to be constructed on existing sites (infill/redevelopment) rather than on raw undeveloped land.
15. Review land use regulations to ensure that wetlands are appropriately protected. This may include a requirement for comprehensive wetland surveys of potential residential and non-residential sites over three acres in size as a part of development reviews.
16. Review existing policies for aquifer protection and water conservation.

The goals and objectives identified in this master plan provide a framework for managing the future development of the town. It is important to recognize that Conway is a community that contains a variety of distinct villages. Therefore, any land use plan for Conway should strive to protect and enhance the unique characteristics of each village while prescribing land use patterns that enhance the entire town and unify the community.

This section presents a plan that illustrates future land uses within Conway. The land use plan should not be regarded as a rigid blueprint for future development in Conway. Rather, it provides guidance for the orderly development of the community. It should be noted that the elements contained within the land use plan were derived from information, suggestions and comments provided by Conway residents during the meetings and forums held throughout the master plan update process. Future land use patterns are identified on Map 1-1 entitled Future Land Use Conditions.

• The high density mixed use category applies to North Conway Village and Conway Village. Development in these areas should complement the already established dense mixture of land uses and encourage additional residential and commercial opportunities. The mix should include residential units above existing or proposed commercial establishments, small commercial and business service operations, single and multi-family dwellings, and other compatible uses.
• The commercial and retail zone extends from the intersection of Route 302 and Route 16 and then north along Route 16 to the southern edge of the North Conway Village (“The Strip”). The recommended uses are essentially unchanged from the existing Conway Zoning Ordinance (Highway Commercial Zone). Under the Future Land Use Plan this area would continue to accommodate commercial, retail, service, and hospitality establishments. It should be emphasized that these types of land uses should be concentrated within this area (through infill, redevelopment of existing underutilized properties and finally through the development of vacant land) in order to reduce the potential homogenization of non-residential land uses elsewhere in Conway. In addition to nonresidential uses within the area, limited high-density multi-family residential land uses should also be encouraged.
• The large scale commercial area generally extends from the East side of Route 16 south along Route 302 into Redstone. This area includes the Mountain Valley Mall, Shaw’s, Wal*Mart and Crest Motors. The purpose of this area is to accommodate larger commercial, retail, automotive and service establishments.
• Assuming water and sewer infrastructure are eventually made available to the industrial area along East Conway Road, the boundaries of this area would essentially remain unchanged from the existing Conway Zoning Ordinance. The existing industrial area along Hobbs Street (zoned Industrial 1 under the April 9, 2002 Zoning Ordinance) could be considered a performance based zoning overlay (which defines the limits of possible development related impacts such as noise, traffic, air pollution, etc.) and generally be targeted for assembly, warehousing and other non-noxious industrial uses. While development proposals in the industrial area along East Conway Road would be evaluated based on specific performance standards, a broad range of light manufacturing and industrial uses would be encouraged in contrast to just the assembly and warehousing uses in the Hobbs Street industrial area.
• The neighborhood residential category applies to Center Conway Village. Residential uses should be predominant in this area. Some limited commercial or institutional uses should be encouraged to serve the neighborhood. Limitations relative to water and sewer infrastructure dictate lower development densities than the high density mixed use areas.
• Medium density residential zones should be located to the north and south of Conway Village, as well as to the north of the North Conway Village. The medium density zone would be limited to residential uses.

• Low-density residential development generally involves areas south of Route 113, Center Conway Village and the proposed bypass.
• The final land use identified on the map is the limited development area which is generally located north of East Conway Road (and the industrial area) and east of Route 16 and North Conway Village. This area would limit, but not entirely restrict, development in order to protect farmlands, woodlands, open space, wildlife habitat and scenic areas. Rigorous performance standards should be established for these areas which would permit certain types of development that would not place undue strain on natural resources.

This section examines current land use conditions within selected areas of Conway. This analysis is based on parcel data from the town’s assessment database and the use of a geographic information system (GIS) for mapping and analysis purposes. The purpose of this analysis is to compare existing land use conditions with proposed future land uses. Information within this section is provided for both non-residential and residential parcels. However, due to the abundance of residential properties throughout Conway, most of the analysis focuses on the average and median size of residential parcels in the community[3]. It should be noted that an extensive analysis of the existing use of land in Conway is provided in Chapter 9, entitled Land Use and Community Design Features.

• Residential Planned Unit Development (West Side)

In this area, along both sides of West Side Road, there are approximately 5,780 acres located on 1,349 parcels of land. It was determined that 701 of these parcels, under 5 acres, were classified for single family residential uses. These parcels contain about 665 acres. The average parcel size is 0.9 of an acre and the median parcel size is 0.8 of an acre. About 321 of the residential acres are considered undeveloped. As previously noted, it is recommended that this area primarily be devoted to single family residential land uses. It is also recommended that residential uses should be permitted at a density level of about one (1) acre per unit. However, this area could also include some options and/or requirements for cluster types of residential development (density bonuses) which could decrease lot sizes to between 0.5 acres and 0.8 acres per parcel.

• Neighborhood Residential (Center Conway)

This portion of the town, which includes Center Conway, currently contains about 283 acres of land that are located on 111 parcels. Approximately 70 acres have been developed as single-family houses with the average lot size being 1.1 acres and the median lot size being 0.7 of an acre. It is recommended that this area be primarily used for residential purposes with some limited neighborhood commercial uses. In order to retain and complement the existing residential village character of the area, lots should remain at least one acre in size.

• Low-Density Residential (South Conway)

The portion of the town, identified as South Conway, contains approximately 11,435 acres on 756 parcels of land. About 7,726 acres are classified as undeveloped. Residential properties, smaller than five (5) acres, have an average parcel size of 1.5 acres and a median parcel size of 1.2 acres. The primary use of this portion of town, as outlined on Map 1-1, would remain single family residential (2+ acre minimums). There may be opportunities to incorporate cluster type development (similar to the West Side area) that could reduce lot sizes to between 0.5 to 0.8 of an acre. However, since a municipal sewer infrastructure is currently not available in this area, independent sewage disposal systems (ISDS) would typically be needed for a high density or cluster development.