Town of Grantham Master Plan Photography provided by Martha Norris & Jacqueline Guillette Adopted by the Planning Board September 7, 2017 Prepared by: Town of Grantham Master Plan Committee with assistance from: Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission Town of Grantham, New Hampshire 2017 Master Plan Acknowledgements & Forward i Town of Grantham, New Hampshire 2017 Master Plan ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Grantham Master Plan Committee was formed in mid 2015 and generally met monthly. The committee was created as an ad hoc group to prepare and present a Draft Master Plan to the Grantham Planning Board. The Planning Board has the authority to revise the draft, to present a proposed Master Plan to the citizens of Grantham at a public hearing, to receive and consider public comment, and lastly to adopt the final Master Plan by vote of the board. The Master Plan Committee presented a Draft Master Plan to the Planning Board and to the citizens of Grantham on September 7, 2017. The draft was made available both in hardcopy printed form and as a downloadable file on the Town of Grantham web site. On September 7, 2017 at a public hearing on the draft, numerous constructive comments were offered to the Planning Board by the many citizens attending. At its regularly scheduled meeting on September 7, 2017 the Planning Board adopted the Draft Master Plan. As a result, this document represents the adopted Master Plan for the Town of Grantham, currently operative and in force until revised or replaced at some future time, generally anticipated to be no more than ten years hence. Grantham Planning Board: Grantham Master Plan Committee: Carl Hanson, Chair Thain Allan Peter Guillette, Vice Chair Robert MacNeil Thain Allan Gene Martin Mary Hutchins Mary Hutchins Warren Kimball, Selectboard Rep. Additional Contributors: Town of Grantham Staff Members and Department Heads Michael McCrory, Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission Adam Ricker, Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission ii Town of Grantham, New Hampshire 2017 Master Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... 1 Forward ......................................................................................................................................... 3 GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ........................................................ 3 THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS .............................................................................................. 4 Community Vision ........................................................................................................................ 8 Demographics .............................................................................................................................. 13 Population ................................................................................................................................. 13 Population Growth .................................................................................................................... 15 Factors Affecting Population Growth ....................................................................................... 17 Local Economy ......................................................................................................................... 18 Education and Income Levels ................................................................................................... 18 Natural Resources ....................................................................................................................... 22 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 22 Community Values ................................................................................................................... 22 Relevant Master Plan Maps ...................................................................................................... 23 Existing Natural Resources ....................................................................................................... 23 Managing and Protecting Natural Resources ............................................................................ 28 Wildlife Resources .................................................................................................................... 31 Goals ......................................................................................................................................... 33 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 33 Land Use ...................................................................................................................................... 35 Existing Land Use ..................................................................................................................... 35 Community Values ................................................................................................................... 36 Land Use Regulation Policies ................................................................................................... 36 Land Use Principles and Proposals ........................................................................................... 37 Goals ......................................................................................................................................... 40 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 40 Transportation ............................................................................................................................ 43 Transportation Mode Overview ................................................................................................ 43 Demographic Impacts on Transportation ................................................................................. 46 Transportation Goals.................................................................................................................. 48 Transportation Recommendations ............................................................................................ 48 Utilities & Public Services .......................................................................................................... 51 Water ......................................................................................................................................... 51 Sewer ........................................................................................................................................ 51 Electricity .................................................................................................................................. 51 1 Town of Grantham, New Hampshire 2017 Master Plan Telephone .................................................................................................................................. 52 Goals ......................................................................................................................................... 54 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 55 Municipal Facilities & Services ................................................................................................. 57 Town Offices ............................................................................................................................ 57 Police Department ..................................................................................................................... 58 Fire Department ........................................................................................................................ 59 Emergency Medical Services .................................................................................................... 62 Joint Communication ................................................................................................................ 63 Homeland Security ................................................................................................................... 64 Public Works ............................................................................................................................. 64 Dunbar Free Library ................................................................................................................. 65 Planning for Capital Improvements .......................................................................................... 66 Goals ......................................................................................................................................... 67 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 67 School Facilities & Services ........................................................................................................ 69 Grantham School District ......................................................................................................... 69 Goals ........................................................................................................................................