Amherst Snags $10,000 Community Planning Grant

The town of Amherst will be conducting a review of its planning and zoning after receiving funding from the state.

Planning director Sarah Marchant said that the town recently received a $10,000 Community Planning Grant from the NH Housing Finance Authority. The money is part of the $1 million awarded to the state to implement planning and master plan improvements in its communities.

Marchant said that the money will be used to hire a consultant to review the town’s ordinances and regulations in relation to the master plan, which was updated in 2010. This will determine which policies are in line with the plan, and which can be changed.

A consultant will also be utilized to review ordinances and regulations related to water resources. Marchant said that there are many policies in place for the town’s water, but some overlap and can be combined to improve efficiency.

No changes will be made during the consultation, but Amherst has priority for an implementation grant that offers up to $30,000 to put the improvements in place.

The new planning director has focused her efforts on streamlining planning and zoning in order to save time and money for the department.

“This is the first step in a long process,” said Marchant.  “I am really excited to have an outside set of eyes look at these comprehensively.”