North Hampton/LBH Coastal Adaptation Master Plan Chapters
North Hampton/LBH Coastal Adaptation Master Plan Chapters
The Town of North Hampton (Town) and the Little Boar’s Head Village District (LBH) in recent years have experienced multiple storm and flooding events along the coast that have had direct impacts on roadways, infrastructure, public and private structures, recreational facilities and natural resources. The awareness of the current and future impacts has become more apparent to many of the Town and LBH officials, staff and residents, however, specific coordinated efforts to deal with impacts have been largely reactive instead of proactive. The unique planning and zoning authority of the LBH coupled with the Town’s authority and responsibilities means that any efforts to implement most coastal hazard mitigation and adaptation efforts must be done through a joint effort. This project will bridge the jurisdictional gap by having officials, staff and residents from both the Town and LBH participate together throughout the master planning process.
Background: In 2020, Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC) was awarded grant funds from the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Coastal Resiliency Municipal Planning Grant on behalf of the Town of North Hampton and Little Boar’s Head (LBH) Village District. The grant also included funds for staff from UNH Cooperative Extension and NH Sea Grant to work on the public outreach components of the project. The grant award will enable North Hampton and Little Boar’s Head to develop a robust strategy for addressing coastal hazards across both jurisdictions through the development of joint Master Plan chapters (as allowed under RSA 674:2). The project is intended to increase awareness of coastal hazards through outreach and engagement from elected officials, staff and residents of both jurisdictions to result in greater support for implementation efforts. This project received letters of support from the Select Board, Village District Commissioners, Town and Village Planning Boards, Conservation Commission, Heritage Commission, and Emergency Management Director. All agreed to fully participate in this project. The two Master Plan chapters produced in this project will require independent approvals from the North Hampton Planning Board and the LBH Village District’s Planning Board.
Project Goal: Increase knowledge, coordination and implementation of coastal hazards adaptation actions in North Hampton and the Little Boar’s Head Village District by developing master plan chapters for both jurisdictions concurrently using a process that focuses on understanding and capacity building between the Town and Village.
UPCOMING PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITIES
The complete draft chapters for the Town and Little Boar's Head are available on the two tabs that say "Town Master Plan Chapter" and "LBH Village Master Plan Chapter." The two chapters are largely similar but with some differences in the recommended actions. Public input received from two public input sessions and an online comment period in January 2022 will be compiled and incorporated into the drafts presented to both the Town and LBH Planning Boards for adoption consideration later this spring. If Town and LBH Planning Boards choose to move the chapters to a public hearing the hearing will be formally noticed and the public will be able to submit comments prior to or during the hearings.
PAST PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITIES
Two virtual public input sessions were held in January 2022 to provide opportunities for feedback on the draft goals and actions for the coastal hazards master plan chapters for North Hampton and Little Boar's Head. Over 25 people attended, including a mix of town staff, volunteer board and committee members, and interested residents. Recordings of the overview presentation are available below. The remainder of the sessions was spent in breakout groups.
A kickoff public information session was held on January 28, 2021, to provide an overview of the project, a summary of the latest science on coastal flood risks for NH, and an overview of the impacts North Hampton and Little Boar's Head can expect and actions the town has taken so far to plan for and address these challenges. This information was followed by breakout group discussions to gather initial input about key issues and concerns.
A total of 37 people participated in the session, including municipal staff, volunteer board members from both North Hampton and Little Boar's head, and other interested residents (seasonal and year-round). Check out the videos from the session below.
VIDEOS
Overview of the climate adaptation master plan chapters project by Jennifer Rowden (Rockingham Planning Commission) and Michael Tully (Town of North Hampton) [14 minutes]
A summary of the NH Coastal Flood Risk Summary, Part I: Science (2019) - the latest scientific information on sea-level rise, groundwater rise, storm surge, precipitation, and freshwater flooding in coastal NH, narrated by Kirsten Howard (NHDES Coastal Program) [6 minutes]
An overview of climate impacts on North Hampton and Little Boar's Head, and what the town has done to prepare, narrated by Lisa Wise (NH Sea Grant Extension) [6 minutes]
You can find the resources mentioned in these videos and more information in the "Resources" Tab.
A summary of the breakout group discussions from the public information session is available [here].
2/17/2022 Steering Committee Meeting
1/28/2022 Deadline for input via online questions
Visit the "Town Master Plan Chapter" and "LBH Village Master Plan Chapter" tabs to submit comments via the online questions.
1/13/2022 and 1/20/2022 Public Input Opportunities
Two virtual public input sessions were held: January 13, 8:30-10:00am, and January 20, 4:30-6:00pm. The overview presentation recordings are available on the 'public input' tab of this website. The remainder of the sessions consisted of small breakout group discussion. All input will be compiled and incorporated into the revised draft chapters for the Planning Boards to consider.
12/16/2021 Steering Committee Meeting
11/17/2021 Steering Committee Meeting
1/28/2021 Public Information Session
Agenda:
- Project Overview
- Current Science
- Overview of North Hampton and Little Boar's Head Impacts and Actions
- Breakout Discussion
Meeting Presentations - recordings are available on the 'Public Input' tab
The purpose of this session was to:
- Review the current state of knowledge and science regarding coastal hazards and adaptation strategies
- Discuss how developing a master plan chapter can help coordinate the Town’s and LBH’s plans and actions to address rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms in the short-, mid-, and long-term.