Planning board adopts revised continuance rule requiring re-notice when delayed beyond next meeting

The Portsmouth Planning Board voted to revise its rules of procedure to clarify continuances and public-notice responsibilities.

Under the approved revisions, an applicant may request one continuance to the board’s next meeting without additional re-noticing; a second continuance may be granted only for cause. Board members discussed concerns that repeated continuances can prevent abutters from participating, and the board accepted two amendments: (1) require formal re-noticing when a continuance moves an item beyond the immediate next meeting, and (2) add language that withdrawn applications resubmitted later are subject to all associated fees (including application and re-noticing fees). Administrative staff had recommended the fee language to avoid ambiguity.

Members also discussed practical notification steps—posting updated agendas and considering in-room signage for postponed items—to ensure people who attend an initial hearing know whether an item has been continued. The board approved the revised rules with those edits.

The board chair said the changes aim to discourage tactical delays while giving applicants reasonable opportunities to address technical issues; the board will implement amended procedures in upcoming agendas and the master-plan outreach schedule.