§ 675:7 — Notice Requirements for Public Hearing

I. (a) Notice shall be given for the time and place of each public hearing held under RSA 675:2-4 and RSA 675:6 at least 10 calendar days before the hearing. The notice required under this section shall not include the day notice is posted or the day of the public hearing. Notice of each public hearing shall be published in a paper of general circulation in the municipality and shall be posted in at least 2 public places. Any person owning property in the municipality may request notice of all public hearings on proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance, and the municipality shall provide notice, at no cost to the person, electronically or by first class mail.
(b) In lieu of publication in a paper of general circulation pursuant to subparagraph (a), notice may be posted on the municipality's Internet website, if such exists. If notice is posted on the municipality's website in lieu of publication in a paper of general circulation, the notice shall:
(1) Appear prominently on the website's home page, or a link directly to the notice shall appear prominently on the home page;
(2) Be posted at the time stated in subparagraph (a) and shall remain on the website until the conclusion of the hearing; and
(3) Be posted in 2 other public places.
I-a. If a proposed amendment to a zoning ordinance would change a boundary of a zoning district and the change would affect 100 or fewer properties, notice of a public hearing on the amendment shall be sent by first class mail to the owners of each affected property. If a proposed amendment to a zoning ordinance would change the minimum lot sizes or the permitted uses in a zoning district that includes 100 or fewer properties, notice of a public hearing on the amendment shall be sent by first class mail to the owner of each property in the district. Notice by mail shall be sent to the address used for mailing local property tax bills, provided that a good faith effort and substantial compliance shall satisfy the notice by mail requirements of this paragraph.
I-b. In the case of a petitioned zoning amendment as authorized in RSA 675:4, the petitioners shall be responsible for the cost of notice by mail under paragraph I-a. If the full cost of notice is not paid at the time of submission, the municipality shall inform the voter whose name appears first on the petition of the cost of notice within 5 business days, and the balance shall be paid within another 5 business days. If full payment is not made and received within 5 business days, the selectmen or village district commissioners may, in their discretion, decide to accept or decline the petition for submission. Failure by the municipality to inform the responsible person of the cost of notice shall be deemed a waiver of the payment requirement.
II. The full text of the proposed master plan, zoning ordinance, building code, subdivision regulation, site plan review regulation and historic district regulation, ordinance, or amendment need not be included in the notice if an adequate statement describing the proposal and designating the place where the proposal is on file for public inspection is stated in the notice. The notice of a hearing on a proposed amendment to a zoning ordinance to be sent electronically or by first class mail shall include a statement describing, to the greatest extent practicable and in easily understood language, the proposed changes to the zoning ordinance, the areas affected, and any other information calculated to improve public understanding of the proposal.

Legislative History

1983, 447:1. 1985, 103:24. 2014, 161:8, eff. July 10, 2014. 2017, 231:1, eff. Sept. 16, 2017. 2020, 8:1, eff. Sept. 8, 2020.