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Welcome to the Bow Master Plan website. This site is for the residents of Bow and others interested in participating in the development of the update to the Town’s 2004 Master Plan. The Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission is partnering with the Town of Bow on this effort and is providing support and technical assistance in the preparation of the Plan.

Whats New?
Take the Master Plan Survey!
As one of the first steps in the Bow Master Plan process, we are asking residents to participate in a survey to collect community input that will help inform the Plan’s vision of where Bow is today, where it should be in the future and what is required to get there. The survey asks specific questions not only about transportation, housing choices, natural resource functions and quality, community and economic vitality but more general questions on what residents like best about where they live and what could be improved.

Please note that the online version of the survey is the preferred method for completing the survey. If completing a paper version, please contact Bow Community Development (see contact page).  Please complete only one survey per person. It will only take a few minutes to complete and your responses will be kept confidential. Results of the survey will be presented at a public forum in the Spring of 2016.

What is a Master Plan?
A Master Plan is a planning document that covers a wide range of topics including current demographics and trends, housing, economic development, land use, natural resource conservation and protection, and transportation. A typical Master Plan not only describes present trends, but also provides the opportunity to establish new visions and directions, set goals, and map out a blueprint for the future. New Hampshire RSA 674:1 is the statute that authorizes planning boards to prepare Master Plans. The primary purpose of a Master Plan is:

  • to envision the best and most appropriate future development of a community;
  • to provide the framework for a planning board to pursue the Plan’s vision and recommendations;
  • to guide the planning board in performing its duties in such areas as capital improvement programming, resource protection and land use development;
  • to establish priorities for  land use and development;and
  • to establish legal standing for amending ordinances and other regulatory measures.

For additional information on what is a master Plan, please refer to the references listed under the Resources tab.

Bow Master Plan
The Plan will describe what Bow looks like today and what challenges need to be addressed for Bow to continue to be a place to live, work, play and do business for many decades to come. The Plan will focus on what residents value and where efforts, resources and policies should be focused in the future. One of the Plan’s functions is to serve as the foundation for any new initiatives or revisions to zoning and subdivision regulations. The 2016 plan is designed to give Bow the tools to accommodate growth and emerging trends in ways that is consistent with maintaining the rural character of the Town.

Development of the master plan is in the early stages of development. Activities currently underway include:

  • Establishing Master Plan subcommittees;
  • Beginning the public outreach process through a community survey;
  • Planning for an early spring public forum;
  • Mapping and data collection/analysis that will form the foundation for Master Plan chapters.

For further information, see the Master Plan Chapters tab.