This is a voter guide written by Nicolás Macri, a member of the Hanover Bike Walk Committee, the President of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and the Liaison to the Town Government of Hanover, NH for the Student Government of Dartmouth College.
As I know the legalese of zoning amendments can be difficult to understand, here is a plain-English explanation of each one and why you should support the Hanover Planning Board and vote yes on all six zoning amendments. You can read the on-the-ballot description of each of these zoning amendments here, and all six amendments are endorsed by the Hanover Planning Board.
Voting is on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at Hanover High School (41 Lebanon St) from 7 AM to 7 PM. Any US citizen who lives in Hanover can vote, and all you need to register at the polls is a Dartmouth ID or NH license.
AMENDMENT 1: Expanding Dorms on the Central Campus
This zoning amendment will encourage Dartmouth College to expand the dorms that are located in the central campus, instead of sprawling outwards. This change will allow the College to expand the floor area of dorms that are currently built by up to 35%.
I recommend voting yes on this amendment so that student housing can expand in the central campus instead of pushing students to live far away from campus. This will increase the number of beds available and help address the housing crisis.
AMENDMENT 2: Allowing Theaters to Have Electronic Signs
This zoning amendment will allow theaters to have electonic signs. Currently, only non-electronic signs (like paper placards) are allowed. The amendment contains many restrictions to ensure that signs do not flash, move, or otherwise disturb the environment, but this amendment will allow theaters like the Hopkins Center for the Arts to have electronic signs, which will allow visitors to better understand what performances are upcoming.
I recommend voting yes on this amendment so that the renovation of the Hopkins Center for the Arts can proceed in a way that allows visitors to know what events are upcoming thanks to an electronic sign.
AMENDMENT 3: Clarifying the Build-To Area Rules
This zoning amendment clarifies that if lots have more than one building on them, only the building closest to the front property line has to comply with the “build-to” rules since if one building is behind another, it would be physically impossible for them both to be at the “build-to” line.
I recommend voting yes on this amendment as it will clarify the technical requirements of building housing and will ensure that the space on lots can be used effectively to provide housing for Hanover’s residents.
AMENDMENT 4: Reducing Parking Mandates for Housing to Prevent Sprawl, Following the Conclusions of Commissioned Parking Studies
In the fall of 2022, town zoning officials requested a parking study to see if Hanover’s parking mandates were excessive and were preventing housing construction. The study found that about half of mandated parking spots at multi-family housing properties were vacant, with parking at some locations being nearly 2/3 vacant.
This zoning amendment will reduce the amonut of parking mandated for specific types of housing so that space in areas like Hanover’s walkable downtown can be more efficiently used for expanding housing opportunity. This will allow housing to be located closer to desireable destinations like shops, education, workplaces, and community gathering locations and will support the walkable nature of Hanover’s downtown.
I recommend voting yes on this amendment so that Hanover has the flexibility to build housing in the walkable locations where it makes sense, something which is not possible under current zoning law. This will increase the amount of housing options and will help address the housing shortage.
AMENDMENT 5: Allowing Mixed-Use Development in Downtown
This zoning amendment clarifies the definitions in the zoning ordinance in order to clarify that mixed-use development is allowed in Hanover’s downtown, which would allow for buildings to have businesses on the first floor and housing on the upper floors. Buildings like this already exist in our downtown, but zoning officials recommend this clarification in order to reduce confusion in our zoning ordinance.
I recommend voting yes on this amendment so that Hanover can build businesses and apartments together with confidence, as this increases housing options, boosts our economy, and creates a vibrant downtown.
AMENDMENT 6: Correcting Occupancy Rules to Comply with Fire Code
This zoning amendment updates the occupancy rules for housing to remain in compliance with national fire code recommendations for multi-family buildings that are fully sprinklered to ensure resident safety.
I recommend voting yes on this amendment as it encourages building owners to install sprinklers in housing, as doing so will allow for people to live more safely in those buildings.