Welcome to the official page of the Proposed Manchester Land Use Code
Announcements
The new draft of the Manchester Zoning Ordinance is live to the public and can be downloaded here: Proposed Manchester Zoning Ordinance.
To watch a presentation about the new ordinance and learn about public meetings happening this summer, click here.
The results of the community-wide survey have been compiled into a report by the UNH Survey Center. Read the report here. The report was updated on December 13, 2024, to include a "Proposed Zone" demographic group to each table in Appendix A.
Background
In August of 2021, the Manchester Planning Board adopted a new master plan for the city – the first since 2009. The 2021 Manchester Master Plan is based on community input and describes the people of Manchester’s goals for how the city should develop for years to come. To make those goals a reality, one of the Master Plan's main recommendations is to update the Manchester Zoning Ordinance and other regulations that deal with land use and development. The City is following that recommendation by creating a land use code. The code will assemble a new zoning ordinance, new subdivision regulations, and new site-plan regulations in one document, making them as easy to use as possible. Amending these regulations will bring them more in line with what today's residents and businesses want for the Queen City.
The process for creating the new Manchester Land Use Code is well underway. The City, in partnership with a consultant, has been working since late 2021 on a new zoning ordinance. The process has included public outreach and interviews, a multi-day charette workshop, and the writing and rewriting of drafts. The first public draft of the new Manchester Zoning Ordinance will be released in the late spring or early summer of 2024. After the release of the public draft, the City will host an extensive series of information sessions and public meetings throughout the summer, with the goal of getting input from as many people as possible. After the meetings conclude, we will redraft the ordinance to incorporate comments and present it to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) for adoption.
You don’t need to attend a meeting to have your comments heard. You can tell us what you think, or just ask a question, by writing to LUC@manchesternh.gov.
A New Zoning Map
The new zoning ordinance will be accompanied by a new zoning map. A zoning map organizes different areas of the city by their distinctive characters. Each zoning district allows for different uses and types of buildings. The districts reflect how neighborhoods already look and how they might grow in the future. The goal of the new zoning map is to allow development where it makes the most sense, while keeping the distinctive look and feel of Manchester.
Click here to download the full-size proposed zoning map!
New Zoning Districts
The new zoning map has retained some existing districts while adding new zoning districts to better reflect the distinct neighborhoods in Manchester. A brief description of each zoning district is listed below:
Residential Suburban- Low Density (R-S): Low-density, rural environments at the periphery of the city with appropriate lot sizes to support single-family dwellings.
Residential One-Family- Medium Density (R1-A): Medium-density neighborhoods with detached single-family dwellings in outlying areas of the city.
Residential One-Family- High Density (R1-B): Higher-density neighborhoods with detached single-family dwellings with smaller lot sizes and setback requirements.
Residential Two-Family (R-2): Transitional areas between single-family and mixed-use districts that house a mix of single-family dwellings and duplexes.
Residential Multifamily (R-M): Neighborhoods with a mix of apartment complexes, townhouses, and houses outside of the city’s core.
Mixed-Use- Neighborhood (MX-1): Neighborhoods that allow for a range of housing types and some small commercial uses at selected corners.
Mixed-Use- General (MX-2): Urban areas that encourage a mix of small- to medium-scale building types, including neighborhood offices, retail, and services.
Downtown Center (DT-1): A district that includes a variety of compatible building types and uses, with active frontages set at, or close to, sidewalks.
Downtown Core (DT-2): An area that allows for development at the maximum densities and building heights, with active frontages set up to sidewalks.
Millyard: A special district that celebrates the history of the Millyard, but allows for new buildings that match the district's historic character.
Innovation District (ID): A special district that allows for a variety of uses to support high-tech industry, combined with higher-density residential uses, while accommodating a unique natural landscape.
Business Corridor- Neighborhood (BC-1): Districts that permit a full range of housing types along with commercial uses that are commonly found outside of neighborhood centers.
Business Corridor- Regional (BC-2): Districts that serve the region with medium- to high-intensity commercial and institutional uses that benefit from access to major highways.
Industrial (IND): Districts that set aside appropriate areas for the intensive production of goods and materials.