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The issue is a combination of the lack of available residential units, and a mismatch between the type of units people want versus the units available. Housing availability and affordability is a national issue, driven by low rates of new housing development, growing populations in urban and regional centers, and the increasing number of smaller households. There is persistent market failure in providing new housing options that suit various age groups and personal needs. Cities across the United States are now mobilizing new resources and innovative approaches to solve this challenge. Keene has an opportunity to leverage successful models elsewhere and use its collaborative approach to take some bold actions to address current and future housing needs.
Below is what we know so far from the community visioning phase of the comprehensive master planning process).
Keene is a community that is attractive to many people. Knowing that there are a range of views on this topic, we are keen to hear your comments about the future trajectory of the city.
For more information about the Keene Comprehensive Master Plan Project, please contact:
Mari Brunner, Senior Planner
City of Keene
3 Washington Street
Keene, NH 03431
(603)352-5440
mbrunner@keenenh.gov
David Beurle
Chief Executive Officer
Future iQ
(612)757-9190
david@future-iq.com
Future iQ® provides customized research and planning services to governments, communities, corporations and industry groups. Please contact us to discuss our services.
8 Comments
For me, “livable housing” means being able to afford to live in a house that has room for my growing family and is part of a neighborhood community.
The third bullet above says “There is a lack of developable land in Keene.” I hope this perception can be corrected. Just in Keene downtown, there is a huge amount of land on Gilbo, Kingsbury site, and lots of infill throughout neighborhoods. There is also land in the commercial areas along West Street that can be used for housing. This perception makes its way to developers who then just don’t spend time looking here. The city needs to create a map that shows all of the possible places to build. And, based on today’s zoning, the city can calculate the number of units possible here. This should be shared with the larger development community.
The fourth bullet talks about pre-approved designs. This is an excellent idea and can work for individual houses, ADUs as well as large apartment blocks.
We have a focus on “livable housing”. This is clearly needed. We need housing at every price point.
Rather than tight infill housing, I would prefer looking at second and third stories added to existing strip malls, the open fields behind Target, along route 101 between Winchester and Main streets, along route 12 north of Maple Ave and even the previously considered field at the Court Street roundabout near the 711 store. I acknowledge that several of these parcels would be more expensive due to new utilities than neighborhood infill. Crowded housing will potentially impact the quality of life in that neighborhood.
A lot of the land you mentioned floods regularly as we are at the bottom of the valley. Hard to build on.
I know we have lots of data on housing needs. But it would be good to have a snapshot analysis (vs anecdotal info) of how recent and current projects are meeting those needs. To that end, create an at-a-glance summary of the housing projects in development like the Washington Street /Roosevelt School and others. For those, it would be good to know things like breakdown of units, income requirements for income sensitive units, stage of completion, expected opening date, etc. For recently launched projects, what is the occupancy rate, was there a different demand for different kinds of spaces than expected, etc? For any stalled-in-development projects, what are the obstacles?
I love the idea of addressing all elements of the housing crisis through intelligent, infill development. We have an opportunity to create a “right-sized” Keene in a way that also creates a cozier, more walkable, and more community-driven city for all of us. The use of Cottage Court-style developments will be key to this opportunity. Smaller, more affordable, and more sustainable housing stock that allows seniors to age in place, families to raise their children in a walkable community, and young people the opportunity to own their own homes. What’s not to love?
There is no single fix for our housing crisis, and the City has limited options for incentivizing development. But the City can help by pursuing land use policies that encourage density and by streamlining the permitting and approval process. Having a dedicated housing liaison to help developers large and small navigate the permitting and approval processes, for example, is a relatively small step that will be tremendously helpful.
I believe this pillar lies in two parts:
Of course, we need to build additional housing to address demand. We want these new locations to be livable, close to amenities and shops and food and community. We also need to toe that line between “built to last” and adaptable, since we will never be able to predict what each building will need decades down the road. And we also need to keep rents down and combat the wild cost to living.
We also need to take steps to make existing homes more livable. I love seeing the zoning adjustments. They’re long overdue and revisions offer us a much more versatile community fabric. I’m excited to see more mixed-use zoning and less strict euclidean zoning. More little shops, restaurants, and grocery stores in neighborhoods or residential areas (like Jane’s Place, Elm St Market, etc) make communities more walkable and livable.