Planning Board opens public hearing on 2026 zoning amendments; citizen petition to shrink historic district draws debate

The Bedford Planning Board opened a two‑meeting public hearing on proposed 2026 zoning amendments on Jan. 5, including eight board‑sponsored amendments and one citizen petition seeking to remove two properties from the historic district.

Planning Director Becky Hebert outlined changes prompted in part by recent New Hampshire state law: revisions to definitions for boarding/lodging and a new ‘single housekeeping unit’ definition; by‑right allowance and clarification of accessory dwelling units (ADUs); requirements for multifamily housing in commercial zones (including public water/sewer and floor‑level limits); and a suite of local edits to setbacks, retaining‑wall measurement, nursing home uses, and cottage‑court specifications. Hebert said the text and full maps are posted on the town website and that the second public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12, when the board may decide which items to put on the March 10 ballot.

Most proposed amendments drew little on‑record public opposition during the Jan. 5 session, but a citizen petition to remove 320 and 324 Wallace Road from the Bedford Historic District prompted substantive debate. Pat McMonagle, the petitioner and resident at 320 Wallace Road, argued the two houses (built in 2019 and 2022) are not historic and impose regulatory and cost burdens on their owners. “We absolutely support the goals and objectives... but these properties were built in 2019 and 2022 — they are very young properties,” McMonagle told the board.

Speakers opposing the petition, including a local historian and other residents, urged preserving the broader district boundary, citing maps from 1900 and noting that the historic district has successfully conserved many older homes. Richard Moore, involved with the historical society’s walking‑tour work, said the district’s density and surviving older structures justify the existing boundaries. “It’s a real treasure,” Moore said.

The board explained it cannot alter the wording of a citizen petition; the petition will appear on the ballot as submitted, with the planning board later voting whether to recommend or oppose it. The board will continue the public hearing on Jan. 12 and may vote that night on which proposed amendments to place on the ballot and whether to endorse the citizen petition.

Why it matters: Several amendments respond to state law changes that otherwise would leave Bedford’s code inconsistent and unenforceable in places. The citizen petition raises tradeoffs between homeowner burdens and the integrity of a long‑standing historic district.

What’s next: The planning board will reconvene on Jan. 12 to continue testimony and vote on what to place on the March 10 ballot and whether to support the citizen petition.