SB282

I couldn't oppose this bill more if I were getting paid to. As someone who has been in an apartment fire, hell no. This bill is feeding the greedy developers at the risk of people's lives and safety (I lived but have had breathing problems since my fire in 2000). Proponents of the bill cite Seattle as their inspiration, but even leaders of Seattle say it's not for EVERY TOWN ------------------ “The city building department, the fire marshal, and myself are all against the single exit stair as the code for everyone because we feel that most fire jurisdictions are not situated like we are in Seattle,” Grove explained. “We were comfortable with this in Seattle because we have a hydrant on every corner. We have a well-funded municipal career fire department with outstanding response times. We have a good complement of aerial ladders distributed throughout the city that we could put quickly on scene if we need to affect a rescue.” ------------------------------ www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-and-articles/nfpa-journal/2024/08/06/the-single-exit-stairwell-debate --------------------------------------- also the requirements in Seattle are more involved and safety conscious than in SB 282 --------------------------- ALSO in NH there is a bill about fire rules that will make it so municipalities can no longer inspect multifamily buildings on their own: so if a building owner fails to maintain the sprinkler system etc the only way to find out is when there's a fire ------------ finally, in another hearing about building on private roads, when one rep expressed concern that fire trucks might not be able to get down them another rep callously replied "If it burns it burns" (simmer with that one for a while)

Honorable Housing Committee members, The Town of Newington Board of Selectmen are in opposition to SB282. This would put restrictions on stairway requirements in certain residential buildings thus taking away local control from municipalities. Thank you for your consideration, Martha Roy, on behalf of the Board of Selectmen Town Administrator Town of Newington

The Select Board of Town of Dalton opposes this bill. This bill erodes the local control and decision making which is important to our residents and to the State. Local control in zoning related matters is critical because of the variety of situations unique to each community, and therefore it is imperative that municipalities retain their ability to dictate regulations that fit their community, and allow them to take into account their geography and other unique considerations.

I emailed the letter below to each of the members of the House Housing Committee. Dear House Housing Committee, SB84, SB163, SB281 and SB282 are among the many House and Senate bills this session that slowly chip away at local control of zoning and planning. I urge you to oppose these bills that are part of the fundamental shift of control away from municipal authorities (AND VOTERS) to the central state. One size fits all is not a good policy, especially in NH with its varied communities. My Town of North Hampton with its seasonal tourism and ocean has different priorities and needs than a town like Candia or a city like Manchester. Of particular concern is SB84 which mandates zoning ordinances to allow smaller lot sizes for all single-family homes, overriding current zoning regulations. Admittedly, from an outsider's consideration some NH Towns require excessive lot sizes. However, that is just it, from an outsider's perspective; an outsider who doesn't have an inkling of what it is like to live in your community, what makes the community tick or what the Town voters want or need. Lot sizes are a very sensitive issues for a Town and is one of the main parameters that define its character. SB84 would be the start of State control and forever alter the maintaining or fulfillment of the vision the citizenry has for their Town. The changes that SB84 and many of these Housing bills mandate can and SHOULD be done at the local level with the input and vote of the citizenry...through the warrant process for example. Statewide dictates marginalize the vote of every single citizen of a Town. Why should I even bother voting for a Planning Board candidate when I know his or her decision is going to be mitigated or mandated by Concord. Please oppose SB84, SB163, SB281 and SB282. Preserve local control. Thank you! Regards, Jim Avallon North Hampton

This will not comply with current local, state, and national building and life safety codes, like the International Building Code (IBC), NFPA, and others. Also accessibility issues if an elevator is not provided. How can the State Legislature change that? I do not see how. For this type of total number of stories and height which can exceed 70 feet in height, you have to provide TWO means of vertical egress - stairs which need to be enclosed in a fire rated enclosure, usually 1 to 2 hours rated depending on the type of construction of the building, the number of dwelling units, etc. This is unacceptable and what is mean in the legislation by " under certain conditions"?!?

This will not comply with current local, state, and national building and life safety codes, like the International Building Code (IBC), NFPA, and others. Also accessibility issues if an elevator is not provided. How can the State Legislature change that? I do not see how. For this type of total number of stories and height which can exceed 70 feet in height, you have to provide TWO means of vertical egress - stairs which need to be enclosed in a fire rated enclosure, usually 1 to 2 hours rated depending on the type of construction of the building, the number of dwelling units, etc. This is unsafe and should not be passed.

In the context of roads, a Class IV road, in New Hampshire, refers to state-numbered highways located within the "compact sections" of cities and towns . These areas are characterized by densely populated sections where dwellings or businesses are the primary frontage. Class IV roads are maintained by the municipality rather than the state. This bill is all about INCREASING DENSITY and taking away the local town's rights to decide when and where this is appropriate if at all. Unacceptable.

I know there is a housing problem in NH [some people say it is a crisis}, and it probably is, but mandating the same "one size fits all" zoning laws to every town in the state seems to go counter to NH's 200 plus year history of local control. Each town is unique with it's own geography and infrastructure and applying the same laws to every town seems fairly ridiculous!

I can not believe NH is passing laws that would take away local control from all towns in the State. Every town is unique and proposing "one size fits all" laws for the whole state seems ridiculous.

A jerk senator pushing all these housing bills shoots off his mouth and says you are a QUIET SNOB. This short-time resident Senator shill for wealthy developers who want to carve up NH's neighborhoods, culture, and quality of life. His professional career in planning is dependent on hyperventilated schmoozing for campaign donations. "Joe Alexander, whose House district overlaps with Murphy’s Senate district, has also embraced the snob zoning argument." These two clowns are trying to give NH the bums rush with over 30 bills attacking our towns zoning and planning laws. Read how these jerks trash NH residents "New Hampshire Republicans’ Crusade Against Snob Zoning" https://www.governing.com/urban/new-hampshire-republicans-crusade-against-snob-zoning

I ask that you ITL this bill.

Please oppose SB282! This is a dangerous move for fire and smoke. We need two means of egress inside the building.

Please ITL House Bill SB282. Passage of this bill would almost certainly result in the deaths of residents trapped by fire or other hazards because of the one staircase limit.

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