In 2019, the Temple Planning Board was looking for fresh ideas to address the lack of affordable housing in town. At the same time, the Select Board and Highway Department were facing challenges with the current location of the Highway Garage in the Village Center. Temple also had several town-owned properties that were undeveloped and presented opportunities for future planning.
When I was elected to the Planning Board in 2020, I began exploring options available to small towns like mine—with no planning staff and no town administrator. I honestly don’t remember how I first learned about Plan NH, but once I did, it became clear that a Community Design Charrette would be a great opportunity for Temple. Thanks to a grant from NH Housing and Plan NH, we were able to bring a charrette team to Temple in 2022.
Building Community Support
In preparation for the charrette, our advisory committee met with all the town boards, committees, and staff to let them know what we were doing and invite them to participate. We have a fairly active and engaged population, but we saw even more people join projects that had never gotten involved before.
Many people donated their time, their resources, and their talents to bring it all together, allowing us to spend very little town money to make it happen.
Residents who joined the listening sessions were very curious. Change is hard. Ultimately, participants were impressed with the skills and knowledge the Charrette team offered.
Turning Recommendations into Action
Several recommendations that came out of the charrette have been acted on since 2022:
- A Complete Streets assessment was completed with Southwest Regional Planning Commission to address traffic and safety concerns in the Village Center. Work on parking improvements is ongoing, with highway garage site work planned for this year—one of the major concerns identified during the charrette.
- The Conservation Commission has been evaluating a trail system on one of the town-owned properties considered during the charrette. The goal is to provide future access for potential development while preserving the property’s natural features through the trail system.
- Another town-owned property next to the elementary school was designated as a Workforce Housing Overlay District by voters this past March, clearing the way for future affordable housing opportunities.
- The charrette recommendations also helped position Temple for a successful Housing Opportunity Planning (HOP) Grant process over the past two years.
- It laid the ground work for the zoning changes we eventually presented to our voters this past year. Everything we presented passed! All of it with the intention of encouraging more affordable housing options for our town, while still protecting the things we all love about living here.
Lasting Impact
The conversations that began with a Community Design Charrette in 2022 ultimately led to meaningful action, community support for zoning changes, and relationships built on trust that continue today.
About the Author
Christine Robidoux is a member of the Temple Planning Board and a champion of community planning efforts. In this blog, she shares her perspective on how Plan NH’s 2022 Community Design Charrette helped build community support, strengthen local partnerships, and lay the foundation for housing and village center improvements that continue to shape Temple’s future.