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

Town of Greenfield’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings and structures covered by Greenfield Building Ordinance Section XVIII.F.

  • All work must be completed in compliance with the Code; the septic system must meet NHDES Subsurface Bureau and local requirements; driveway ordinance requirements must be met.

  “The Code Enforcement Officer shall not issue a certificate of occupancy until the applicant has satisfied the Code Officer”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Greenfield town, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.

  • Special Purpose District regulations apply where superimposed; the more restrictive district regulations apply.

  “the Town is divided into five (5) districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Greenfield town.

  • Industrial and Wetland Conservation Districts are superimposed special-purpose districts; more restrictive regulations apply where districts overlap.

  “Business District; Center Village District; Lakeside Village District; General Residence District; and Rural/Agricultural District.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Residential dwellings defined as housing inside Greenfield town.

  • Minimum is based on the ordinance definition of housing.

  minimum living area: >= 320 square feet (Living area identified as bedroom, bathroom, kitchen.)

  “"Housing" shall mean all residential dwellings containing a minimum of three hundred twenty (320) square feet of living area”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Temporary manufactured homes during catastrophe repair/rebuilding or new-home construction inside Greenfield town.

  • Allowed for no more than 12 months; safe and adequate sewage and safe water supply must be provided; valid building permit required.

  temporary occupancy period: <= 12 months (Catastrophe repair/rebuilding or construction of a new home.)

  “a manufactured home may be temporarily allowed on the lot for a period not to exceed twelve (12) months”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Building within Greenfield town floodplain areas.

  • Town ordinance states that the town adopted the New Hampshire Model Floodplain Development Ordinance, which restricts building in the floodplain.

  “The voters of the Town of Greenfield have adopted the New Hampshire Model Floodplain Development Ordinance, which places restrictions on building within the floodplain.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Greenfield town.

  • Building Inspector determines fee for each approved permit; fees are subject to change.

  “Building Permit fees are subject to change. The Building Inspector will determine the fee required for each approved permit.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applicants inside Greenfield town.

  • Application packet or utility permit form is available online or from Town Office staff; appointment may be made if needed.

  “You may obtain a building permit application packet or utility permit form online or from the Town Office staff during regular business hours”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Greenfield

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures within Greenfield town corporate limits.

  • The ordinance adopts enforcement of the State Building Code under RSA 155-A.

  “the town of Greenfield adopts the enforcement of the State Building Code as set forth in RSA 155-A”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  General Residence District inside Greenfield town.

  • Recorded lots with less acreage or frontage at the time of amendment are deemed conforming.

  minimum lot area: >= 2 acres (Recorded nonconforming lots described by ordinance.) · minimum frontage: >= 250 feet (Class V or better highway; industrial lots in Industrial District require 150 feet.)

  “The lot area shall be not less than two (2) acres and frontage on a Class V or better highway of not less than two hundred fifty (250’) feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Rural/Agricultural District inside Greenfield town.

    “The lot area shall be not less than four (4) acres and the frontage not less than three hundred fifty (350’) feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  General Residence District inside Greenfield town.

  • Smaller conforming lots receive proportional setbacks, but not below 30 feet front and 20 feet sides/rear; specified pre-existing buildings are deemed conforming.

  front setback: >= 100 feet (Highway to building front; reduced conditions stated in ordinance.) · side and rear setback: >= 50 feet (Reduced conditions stated in ordinance.)

  “a yard having a minimum depth of one hundred (100’) feet. [...] a yard of not less than fifty (50’) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Rural/Agricultural District inside Greenfield town.

    “a yard having a minimum depth of one hundred (100’) feet. [...] a yard of not less than fifty (50’) feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation and Education District inside Greenfield town.

  • Applies to building coverage on a single lot in the CMREC District.

  maximum building coverage: <= 70 percent (Single lot in CMREC District.)

  “The building coverage on any single lot shall not exceed seventy percent (70%).”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Travel trailers used as residences in Greenfield Business District and Lakeside Village District.

  • This claim is limited to the named districts and does not establish a rule for every district in town.

  “mobile homes and/or travel trailers used as a residence shall not be permitted. [...] Manufactured housing, mobile homes and/or travel trailers used as residences shall not be permitted in this district.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Greenfield town.
• Building height — Buildings inside Greenfield town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Greenfield town.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Greenfield town.
• Septic permit — Residential septic systems inside Greenfield 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.