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Issue · Andover, NH

Land Use Office Fee Increases

Proposed fee adjustments will increase costs for permits, solar arrays, and cell towers, affecting developers and property owners.

Overview

The Select Board initiated a review of Land Use Office fees in April 2026 to match regional standards, held a public hearing, and unanimously adopted a new schedule with no objections. Planning Board discussions later highlighted needs for updated solar and cell-tower fees.

Background

The Land Use Office fee increases originated in a routine review at the Select Board's April 2, 2026 meeting, where members examined proposed updates intended to align local fees with those in surrounding towns and scheduled a public hearing.

At the April 16, 2026 Select Board meeting, the board held the advertised public hearing on the Land Use Office fee schedule; after reviewing a spreadsheet comparing old and new fees, the hearing closed with no objections recorded.

The same meeting produced a unanimous vote accepting the new fee schedule, with the motion made by Stewart and seconded by Fenton.

Subsequent Planning Board meetings on April 14 and May 26, 2026 noted the need for more specific fee structures for solar arrays and cell towers, directing the Land Use Office to research neighboring towns' approaches while an application from Vertex remained in progress.

No public comments or split votes opposed the fee changes in any of the documented meetings.

How it unfolded
Board reviewed proposed land use fee updates to align with surrounding towns and scheduled a public hearing.
2026-04-02Select Board
Planning Board discussed land use ordinance updates, the Master Plan timeline, and proposed land use fee schedules.
2026-04-11Select Board
Board discussed potential fee adjustments for building applications including cell towers and directed reconstruction of prior minutes.
2026-04-14Planning Board
Public hearing on Land Use Office fees closed with no objections; board unanimously accepted the new fee schedule.
2026-04-16Select Board
Board reviewed permit applications involving solar arrays and recommended Land Use Office research neighboring towns' fee structures for such projects.
2026-05-26Planning Board
Arguments in favor
Proposed updates align fees with surrounding towns
select-board 2026-04-02
For
New schedule reviewed via spreadsheet comparison of old and new fees
select-board 2026-04-16
For
No public objections recorded after hearing discussion
select-board 2026-04-16
For
land use feesfee schedulepermitssolarcell tower