Master Plan Adoption
The Hanover Planning Board adopted the Sustainability Master Plan on April 2, 2024!
The Hanover community is undertaking the development of a Sustainability Master Plan in accordance with New Hampshire statutes relating to master plans (RSA 674:2). This undertaking will be community driven — with a focus on broad and inclusive public engagement, and guided by an Advisory Committee that is comprised of a diverse group of community representatives.
Whether you live, work, or play in Hanover, all are invited to participate in the planning process. The scale of this process is one which the community has not seen since its last Master Plan was adopted in 2003.
The Hanover Sustainability Master Plan will guide the Town's to a more sustainable future, serving as a policy basis for decision-making, and conveying the intentions of the community to others wishing to live, play or do business in the Town. This guidance will be driven by a Vision Statement, which will articulate the community's long-term objectives and will highlight some of the major issues and opportunities that will need to be addressed within the planning horizon (typically 10 years), along with a supporting goal and policy framework.
Through the visioning process, the Plan will identify several sustainability principles that will serve as organizational elements of the Plan. The Hanover Sustainability Master Plan will integrate the following topics into these elements, recognizing and capitalizing on their synergies in the process.
This topic documents Hanover's current land uses and development patterns. Future land use patterns will be explored and recommendations made about how Hanover could change and what could be conserved to move toward its sustainable vision.
This topic reviews the Town's existing housing stock and assesses the need to supplement that inventory with diverse housing choices. Key to addressing housing in Hanover will be an understanding of population and household characteristics, economic conditions and climate migration.
This topic summarizes the Town's economic profile and seeks to understand how the community might strengthen its economic base by looking at jobs, income, and local and regional employment opportunities.
This topic addresses the Town's significant natural, cultural, and historic resources, and explores how the community can conserve, best honor and leverage these assets. It also covers the physical characteristics, severity, frequency, and extent of any potential natural and climate-related hazards facing the community.
Referencing the Town's previous Open Space Priorities Plan, as well as the in-process update to that plan, this topic covers the open space and recreation needs of the community. An important aspect related to this topic will be weighing the trade-offs between various land uses, competing demands, environmental quality and climate resilience.
This topic analyzes Hanover's public facilities and services, such as its municipal buildings and utility infrastructure. Related goals and recommendations will look at ways the Town could reduce, maintain, or expand services that are provided to the community, depending on anticipated needs.
This topic addresses Hanover's existing traffic network and assesses the various transportation modes available now and needed in the future. Walking, biking, and transit will be explored, in addition to understanding vehicular traffic opportunities and constraints.
This topic covers Hanover's existing programs and policies that address its energy supply and demand, as well as assess energy related challenges facing the Town. The Town's energy use reduction and decarbonization plans, as well as their relationship to equity and justice will be explored.
This topic looks at how local and regional facilities, services, and other resources support and promote active living, emergency preparedness, food justice, social cohesion and mental health. It also reviews how environmental exposures can be reduced and how health and human services can be provided to support a higher quality of life for all.
View the Interactive Community Profile NEW
2010
11,260
2021
11,523
2026 (proj.)
11,615
2010
3,119
2021
3,204
2026 (proj.)
3,243
2010
2.37
2021
2.38
2026 (proj.)
2.37
2010
3,790
2021
4,047
2026 (proj.)
N/A
2010
$88,485
2021
$128,530
2026 (proj.)
$136,215
2010
24.4
2021
24.8
2026 (proj.)
25.3
2010
21.8%
2021
23.6%
2026 (proj.)
26.7%
2010
4.0%
2020
3.5%
2026
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Note: Due to the unique nature of demographics in the Town of Hanover (e.g., the presence of a large student population), the data may not accurately represent the Town's year-round residential population.
Data Sources: U.S. Census, ESRI, New Hampshire Employment Security, Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau