How to Advance Conservation and Housing Goals? Seacoast Housing Conversations Bring Leaders Together to Discuss
On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, the third session of Seacoast Housing Conversations was held by the Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast at Portsmouth Public Library, organized in partnership with UNH Cooperative Extension. With the focus of bringing the right people to the table to discuss the region's greatest issues related to housing, Seacoast Housing Conversations is an opportunity for municipal officials and professionals to come together, think through common barriers, and share recent successes.
The session's theme was Advancing Conservation and Housing Goals, a topic that arose from community feedback and is often at the forefront of municipal land use decisions. The intent of this program was to explore ways in which goals for both approaches to land use can coexist and even bolster one another.
With nearly 50 people in attendance from over 25 communities across the NH and Maine Seacoast, the event coalesced many different experiences and perspectives that made for a lively and thoughtful discussion.
The first half of the program was devoted to highlighting how different organizations and roles approach the topic of conservation and housing.
Maeve Nolan of the Workforce Housing Coalition spoke first to set the scene. WHC's mission is to advance diverse housing opportunity so that everyone who works in the region can also call it home. However, responsible housing development cannot be considered in a vacuum; considering smart growth principles and environmental feasibility is crucial.
The key point explored in the presentation was planning for and implementing density, developing more where infrastructure is available. Density is framed as the opposite of sprawl, which has been shown to have negative environmental consequences as well as fail to provide the affordability (natural or incentivized) that this region requires. Continuing to build large houses on large, manicured lots does very little for conservation or workforce housing goals.
With the arguments outlined, the audience then welcomed three expert presenters to share their perspectives: Noah Hodgetts, Principal Planner at NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs' Office of Planning and Development; Sara Callaghan, Extension Field Specialist, Community Conservation at UNH Cooperative Extension; and Jason Bachand, Town Planner of Hampton.
Up first, Hodgetts shared the tools that are outlined and enabled by the state. These innovative land use controls can be enacted by municipalities, giving communities additional flexibility within their planning and zoning documents while promoting smart development. Examples provided include Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) and Cluster Housing.
TDR ordinances outline the process for allowing additional density in certain receiving zones (typically with more development potential) in exchange for disallowing development in a sending zone, which is more rural. The land from the sending zone then becomes conserved. Currently, the only Seacoast community to use a TDR ordinance is Dover, where the program has created many workforce housing units and contributed substantially to the city's conservation fund. One such example is the Cottages at Back River Road, which WHC toured back in May.
Cluster Housing, also known as open space or conservation subdivisions, is a planning tool used to rethink the traditional subdivision. Homes are clustered together with a large open space that is left undeveloped. This approach allows for better utilization of infrastructure and can allow for greater community benefit through partnerships with the landowner. Cluster Housing is most likely to be successful when paired with incentives for the developer, such as density bonuses or streamlined permitting.
With an overview of state-enabled legislation from Hodgetts, Sara Callaghan of UNH Cooperative Extension was next to speak. Callaghan works directly with communities and municipal groups, including land trusts and conservation commissions, to discuss planning techniques and best practices for environmental preservation. The focus of her presentation was to encourage thoughtful land use planning, especially for municipalities undergoing master plan rewrites.
There are many ways that municipalities can approach land use planning within a master or comprehensive plan. However, the most successful plans all share the same approach of robust community engagement. The outcomes of this engagement contribute to a plan that fits what the broader community envisions for the future, with methods including a natural resource inventory and the prioritization of parcels.
This ranking of open space, Callaghan emphasized, is the result of recognizing that not every open parcel has the same level of ecosystem benefit. Designating which areas are most worth protecting within a land use planning process provides clarity to regulatory boards and promotes efficiency in the project approval process.
The tools discussed more broadly by Hodgetts and Callaghan are also being implemented right now on the Seacoast. Jason Bachand, Town Planner of Hampton, shared about what the town has been doing to advance both environmental and housing goals, especially as they go through a master plan implementation process.
In Hampton, several zoning ordinance amendments have been enacted over the past few years as the town has also finalized their most recent Master Plan update and transitioned to implementation. The key concerns propelling both processes have been boosting housing diversity and opportunity, as well as managing environmental threats. Hampton, with a significant amount of development along the coastline, faces the burden of flooding mitigation and adaptation in addition to other types of environmental conservation.
That has led the Town and community members to shift their focus to future development in the Downtown Corridor along Route 1, a decision that is reflected in the Master Plan and updated zoning. As Bachand explained, this is a smart growth approach developed through robust community engagement, a perfect culmination of the three other presentations. The town is also prioritizing public awareness for these land use planning initiatives via better social media strategy, consistent public outreach, and meeting with community groups, all of which have proven to be effective messaging strategies.
The full slide deck from the four presentations is available here.
After a brief Q&A session, it was clear that attendees were ready to split into breakout groups to discuss their own communities. Breakout groups were pre-assigned to ensure that representatives from the same town were not sat together, allowing for as much inter-mixing of perspectives as possible.
The two discussion questions were intentionally broad:
Thinking about your community's policies and processes related to conservation and development, what is working well, what is not working well, and what would you change?
What messaging and community engagement strategies could help advance a win-win approach to conservation and housing in your community?
These questions launched in-depth and energetic conversations within the breakout groups, with everyone sharing their community’s greatest opportunities, barriers, and ideas for advancing a win-win scenario.
Even with so many different communities represented, many of the themes were shared across tables, and regardless of board or organizational affiliation.
While everyone acknowledged that density was essential for concurrently advancing housing and conservation goals, many were unsure how it would work in their own community. Representatives from rural towns and larger cities alike shared concerns over infrastructure availability and capacity.
Note: Denser development and multi-family housing are more efficient for energy and water use than single-family homes, though sewer availability remains a challenge.
Other common themes related to the need for further education for municipal board members and decision makers, especially around the current economic landscape for housing development and what is possible within that framework. There was also an emphasis on understanding that many environmental concerns raised by conservationists are legitimate and require nuanced consideration. It was agreed that deciding on areas for density and areas for conservation should be done at a community level and through robust engagement.
Similarly, attendees repeatedly expressed frustration with the ability to access information about upcoming policy change and development proposals. There was a push for more proactive town-led outreach, especially for master planning, alongside better municipal websites and a stronger social media presence.
Throughout these sessions, the themes often come back to continued education, engagement, and messaging. Seacoast Housing Conversations provides the opportunity to learn from others and build a network of municipal officials and professionals all looking to advance the same goals.
It’s why we keep organizing these events, and continue our mission to advance diverse housing solutions through community engagement, municipal technical assistance, and education for decisionmakers.
A special thank you to our presenters – Noah Hodgetts, Sara Callaghan, and Jason Bachand – and to our participants for showing up for your communities and sharing your perspectives. Thank you to Portsmouth Public Library for having us, and thanks to UNH Cooperative Extension for continuing to partner with WHC on this program.
Interested in learning more about policy implications for communities? Join the Workforce Housing Coalition for the 2026 Greater Seacoast Housing Summit on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Registration and more information available here.
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