By Chris Frost
EAGLE TIMES NEWS EDITOR
CLAREMONT, N.H. — The Claremont City Council wants the city’s Planning Board to keep working on zoning rules for duplexes.
City Planner deForest Bearse presented the change to the city’s zoning, which seeks to provide for maximum possibilities for much-needed new housing in Claremont.
“At the present time, in the R1 and R2 districts, you are allowed to have a duplex, but the only way you can do it is to convert a single-family home,” Bearse said. “This amendment will allow you to build a new duplex, subject to conditional use permits. The new building must be compatible with the architectural flavor of the neighborhood it’s going into.”
Bearse recommends parking on the side or rear of the duplex to preserve a neighborhood’s character.
Councilor James Contois introduced the ordinance.
However, the ordinance as presented may have been getting ahead of itself, addressing cottage developments that don’t yet exist in Claremont, Mayor Dale Girard said.
Councilor Nicholas Koloski noted the section Girard was suggesting be amended refers to a section of the code that doesn’t exist yet.
“Why wouldn’t it be able to stay as a placeholder instead of going back through legal and spending more money,” he asked.
Councilor Jonathan Stone asked about fire suppression requirements and Bearse replied that would be a building code issue, not zoning.
Bearse said it is not a substantive change that would require a lot of legal maneuvering to fix it.
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