The Master Plan is a powerful tool that allows local residents to have a say in determining the community’s future. The City’s Zoning Ordinance and land use regulations rely the master plan for their legitimacy and legal authority. Courts in New Hampshire and elsewhere have ruled that a current and comprehensive plan is a prerequisite for a zoning ordinance. NH RSA 674:3 recommends that the plan be updated every 5 to 10 years. The plan can also be very useful in obtaining grants from federal agencies and private foundations for a wide variety of purposes.

NH RSA 674:2 provides helpful guidance on the contents of a master plan, both components that are required and those that are optional. NH’s former Office of Energy & Planning published a helpful summary that explains the purpose of a municipal plan and identifies those who are responsible for the plan’s preparation and adoption.

Rochester’s Planning and Development Department and the committees and commissions involved in the update are committed to engaging Rochester residents and business owners in the process of creating new Master Plan chapters. 

The Master Plan takes stock of Rochester’s past and present and address two questions: Where does the community wish to go? And how do we get there?