New Hampshire state law prescribes the requirements for the creation and organization of local land use boards, including planning boards. These laws are mandatory regarding the establishment of a planning board. This chapter is based on RSA 673, which provides the statutory framework for the workings of a planning board.
ESTABLISHING THE BOARD
Planning boards are established by vote of the local legislative body, i.e., town meeting in towns and the city or town council in municipalities with that form of government. Board members must be residents of the municipality. Generally, the role of the planning board is to provide for the orderly growth and development of the municipality; their only mandated duty is to prepare and, from time to time, amend a master plan. All other regulatory and non-regulatory functions are conveyed to the board by the legislative body (see Chapters II and III).