House bill seeks to permit up to four dwelling units on lots with municipal sewer, water

It might sound like a type of movie theater, and maybe it is somewhere out there, but in New Hampshire a “quadplex” is also a concept that could make a major impact on the state’s critical housing shortage.

During a Jan. 19 hearing, the House Committee on Municipal and County Government heard testimony on House Bill 44, which would allow four residential dwelling units on any site that is zoned for single-family homes and has municipal water and sewer services.

Under the bill, those four dwelling units can come in the form of a “double-duplex,” a single four-unit building, or four separate buildings. Any other land-use requirements put in place by a community for units on those lots would not change due to the bill.

Prime sponsor Rep. Rebecca McWilliams, D-Concord, said only 37 percent of the municipalities in the state and less than a third of the state’s land area would be subject to the proposed law, with none of that land coming in rural areas.

Rep. Joseph Guthrie, R-Hampstead, liked the idea, but expressed concern over unexpected consequences that may come from requiring a onesize-fits-all solution for the entire state. McWilliams responded that state representatives are elected to make laws for the entire state and are required to act on behalf of the entire state when needed, such as now, given the state’s severe lack of housing.

McWilliams added that developers cannot get insurance on buildings that have a lack of water pressure, adding an incentive for them to help prevent future instances of that situation reoccurring if bills like this helping developers are passed into law.

Other testimony on the bill was generally positive.

Co-sponsor Rep. Josh Yokela, R-Fremont, said he felt the bill would help communities by reducing regulation. Chris Norwood, a real estate broker representing the NH Association of Realtors, said he felt the added flexibility would help homeowners looking to modify their property.

The only opposition to the bill came from Notch Grayes of the NH Municipal Association and Durham Town Planner Michael Bayrent.

Grayes voiced concern over the bill’s impact on local control. Bayrent felt that new construction in New Hampshire has been built without character, and building too much all at once would encourage developers to build unappealing buildings that could impact communities. Bayrent instead recommended model ordinances that smaller towns without planners could adopt aims at meeting the same purpose of the bill while also allowing local modifications.

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