Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Brookline, New Hampshire

Town of Brookline’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Paved-road driveway aprons associated with occupancy inside Brookline town

  • Between April 1 and September 30, paving is required before a certificate of occupancy; between October 1 and March 31, a bond may be supplied and paving must occur between April 1 and July 1 of the following spring.

  “All driveway aprons shall be paved or bonded to be paved prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Brookline town, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

  “the following ordinance is hereby adopted by the voters of the Town of Brookline, New Hampshire, in official Town meeting convened.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  All land inside Brookline town

  • The districts may include Regulatory Floodway areas; wetlands and aquifer-protection overlay zones also apply.

  districts: Industrial-Commercial District; Residential-Agricultural District

  “For the purpose of this Ordinance the entire Town of Brookline shall be divided into two districts which shall be called: A. Industrial-Commercial District B. Residential-Agricultural District”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Driveway permits inside Brookline town

  • No driveway permit is issued until the Selectboard-established fee is paid.

  “No permit shall be issued until payment of a fee, which shall be established by the Selectboard, is paid to the Town of Brookline.”

• Permit processPartial

  Driveway access permits inside Brookline town

  • The permit must be obtained before construction, alteration, or relocation of a driveway for access to a street or roadway.

  “Anyone desiring to construct, alter or relocate a driveway in order to obtain access to an existing or proposed street or roadway, shall first apply for and obtain a permit from the Building Inspector’s office.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Brookline

Town of Brookline does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  New dwelling units in the Residential-Agricultural District inside Brookline town

  • Manufactured housing has a separate 320-square-foot minimum.

  minimum first-floor living area: >= 576 square feet (manufactured housing) · manufactured-housing area: >= 320 square feet

  “Any new dwelling unit shall contain at least 576 square feet of first floor living area and manufactured housing to have 320 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Building lots in the Residential-Agricultural District inside Brookline town

  • Wetlands, water bodies, and land in the 100-year floodplain are excluded.

  minimum contiguous lot area: >= 88000 square feet (excluding wetlands, water bodies, and land in the 100-year floodplain)

  “Each building lot shall have at least 88,000 contiguous square feet, excluding wetlands, water bodies, and land in the 100-year floodplain.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures in the Residential-Agricultural District inside Brookline town

  • A corner lot has a 30-foot side setback on the side bordering the frontage.

  front setback: >= 30 feet · side and rear setbacks: >= 15 feet (corner-lot frontage side is 30 feet)

  “Each structure shall be setback at least 30 feet from the front lot line. b. Side and Rear. Each structure shall be at least 15 feet from side and rear lot lines. In the case of a corner lot, the side distance shall be increased to 30 feet on the side bordering the frontage.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the Industrial-Commercial District inside Brookline town

  • Existing commercial buildings, structures, and parking areas exceeding the cap as of March 12, 1996 may be maintained or rebuilt to the existing level; no increase in impervious area is permitted.

  maximum lot coverage by structures and impervious surfaces: <= 75 percent (specified existing commercial development)

  “No more than seventy-five percent (75%) of the gross area of any lot may be occupied by structures and impervious surfaces.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structures in the Residential-Agricultural District inside Brookline town

  • Structures not intended for human occupation, such as chimneys, water towers, and church spires, are excepted.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (structures not intended for human occupation)

  “Except for structures not intended for human occupation (such as chimneys, water towers, and church spires), maximum building height is 35 feet, calculated from the average finished ground level adjoining the building at all exterior walls.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Brookline or Hillsborough County directly.

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Brookline town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Brookline town
• Inspections — Residential building work inside Brookline town
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Brookline town
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Brookline town

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.