0 Howard Street Zoning Map Amendment (Ordinance O-2026-13)
Keene
Description
A proposal to rezone a 0.91-acre parcel at 0 Howard Street from Medium Density to Conservation was recommended for denial by the committee; the full Council votes October 15.
Impact summary
If adopted, the rezone stops housing on the lot and preserves the woods, wetland habitat and neighborhood privacy — but the city walks away from a development deal and worsens the housing squeeze.
Applicant
- Address
- 0 Howard Street, Keene, NHSee this on the map
At a glance
- Hearings
- 5
- Public comments
- 0
- Total mentions
- 5
Last vote · Planning, Licenses and Development Committee
A recommendation, not a final decision. The council decides next.
Rising — discussed at 4 meetings since Sep 14, 2026, up from 0 in the two months before.
Meeting timeline (5)
City Council - Oct 15, 2026
A zoning map amendment to change 0 Howard Street from Medium Density to Conservation was scheduled for second reading.
Planning, Licenses and Development Committee - Oct 7, 2026
A request to rezone a 0.91-acre parcel from Medium Density to Conservation. The committee recommended denial after the Planning Board found it inconsistent with the master plan; the Council votes October 15.
City Council - Oct 1, 2026
Neighbors petitioned to rezone this wooded, city-owned parcel from Medium Density to Conservation, which would kill a planned cottage-court development the city has under a purchase-and-sales agreement. The Planning Board found it inconsistent with the Master Plan; the public hearing closed with no recorded vote.
Jt. Planning Board and PLD Committee - Sep 14, 2026
A resident petitioned to rezone the ~0.91-acre city-owned wooded parcel from Medium Density to Conservation to prevent housing development there. The Planning Board found it inconsistent with the Master Plan and the PLD Committee voted 5-0 to send it to a City Council public hearing.
City Council - Jul 2, 2026
Ordinance O-2026-13 proposes rezoning 0 Howard Street from Medium Density to Conservation; it was on first reading.
Related issues (3)
0 Howard Street rezoning to Conservation
A resident wants the city-owned wooded lot at 0 Howard Street rezoned to Conservation to permanently block housing there, but staff say it's one of the last buildable infill parcels in the urban compact and rezoning it could be illegal spot zoning. The board found it inconsistent with the Master Plan, but it's headed to City Council for a public hearing where neighbors can speak again.
Howard Street Zoning Map Amendment (O-2026-13)
The council took up the second reading of a zoning change for 0 Howard Street, moving the parcel from Medium Density to Conservation. That change would limit future development on the site.
Implementation of 2025 Master Plan housing strategies
Both items tonight circled the same tension: Keene needs housing, but neighbors near the Howard Street lot fear what new development brings — traffic, buses, water problems. The Master Plan calls infill housing a priority, and staff argued this parcel is exactly that kind of opportunity.
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