Town of Merrimack Master Plan Update 2002 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................I-1 CHAPTER II: POPULATION AND HOUSING............................................................................................................II-1 A. Introduction...................................................................................................................................................II-1 B. Population II-1 1. Population Growth ...............................................................................................................................II-1 2. Race ....................................................................................................................................................II-5 3. Age ....................................................................................................................................................II-6 4. Household Size/Composition...............................................................................................................II-8 C. Housing ....................................................................................................................................................II-9 1. Housing Growth...................................................................................................................................II-8 2. Housing Types...................................................................................................................................II-10 3. Housing Tenure .................................................................................................................................II-14 4. Distribution of Housing Types............................................................................................................II-15 5. Age of Housing Stock ........................................................................................................................II-16 6. Housing Cost .....................................................................................................................................II-17 a. Rental Housing .........................................................................................................................II-17 b. Home Sales ..............................................................................................................................II-18 7. Assisted Housing...............................................................................................................................II-19 8. Elderly Housing..................................................................................................................................II-20 9. Homelessness and Crisis Housing ....................................................................................................II-20 10. Future Housing Development ............................................................................................................II-21 D. Conclusions and Recommendations ..........................................................................................................II-24 1. Population..........................................................................................................................................II-24 2. Housing..............................................................................................................................................II-24 CHAPTER III: EXISTING LAND USE .......................................................................................................................III-1 A. Introduction..................................................................................................................................................III-1 B. Existing Land Use........................................................................................................................................III-1 1. General Land Use Pattern ..................................................................................................................III-1 2. Residential Land Use..........................................................................................................................III-4 3. Commercial Land Use ........................................................................................................................III-5 4. Industrial Land Use.............................................................................................................................III-6 Merrimack Master Plan Update Page i 2002 Town of Merrimack Master Plan Update 2002 Table of Contents 5. Current Use Land ...............................................................................................................................III-7 6. Agriculture...........................................................................................................................................III-9 7. Excavations ........................................................................................................................................III-9 C. Merrimack Zoning Districts ..........................................................................................................................III-9 1. Industrial Zoning Districts ...................................................................................................................III-9 2. Commercial Districts.........................................................................................................................III-10 3. Residential Zoning Districts ..............................................................................................................III-10 4. Planned Residential District (Overlay) ..............................................................................................III-11 5. Elderly Zoning District (Overlay) .......................................................................................................III-11 6. Town Center District (Overlay)..........................................................................................................III-13 CHAPTER IV: NATURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................. IV-1 A. Introduction................................................................................................................................................. IV-1 B. Town Survey and SWOT Analysis.............................................................................................................. IV-1 C. Topography................................................................................................................................................. IV-3 D. Soils .................................................................................................................................................. IV-4 1. Soils in General and Limitations for Septic Systems.......................................................................... IV-4 2. Agricultural Soils................................................................................................................................ IV-7 3. Construction Materials....................................................................................................................... IV-7 E. Forests .................................................................................................................................................. IV-8 1. States of Forests in Merrimack .......................................................................................................... IV-8 2. Forest Fragmentation and the Remaining Large Forest Blocks....................................................... IV-10 F. Wildlife ................................................................................................................................................. V-15 1. The Status of Wildlife Habitat in Merrimack..................................................................................... IV-15 2. Significant Wildlife Species and Human-Wildlife Conflicts............................................................... IV-15 G. Rare and Endangered Species and Natural Communities ....................................................................... IV-16 H. Existing and Potential Future Conservation Lands................................................................................... IV-18 1. Existing Conservation and Publicly Owned Open Space Areas ...................................................... IV-18 2. Priorities for Future Conservation Efforts......................................................................................... IV-19 3. Merrimack’s Top Local Conservation Priorities................................................................................ IV-21 4. Merrimack River Parcels Proposed for Protection ........................................................................... IV-22 5. Souhegan River Greenway Parcels................................................................................................. IV-22 I. Water Resources...................................................................................................................................... IV-24 1. Surface Water Resources...............................................................................................................