Candidate Profile: Gary Gorski (Planning Board)

In the final eight days leading up to Peterborough’s 2023 Town Meeting, we will be posting profiles on all candidates — or as many candidates as provide responses to GoMonadnock. We’ve asked all candidates from a given race the same questions and are printing their answers unedited.

What do you see as the proper role for a Planning Board in the State of New Hampshire?

The Planning Board is responsible for the Master Plan—the document that guides development of our

town—and for preparing amendments to our zoning ordinances to help carry out that plan. The

Planning Board is also responsible for reviewing applications for subdivisions and other development

proposals.

Is the planning board as it currently exists acting in what you see as the proper role or do you believe

changes need to be made?

I believe that the Board needs to increase its focus on preparing the zoning amendments necessary to

carry out our Master Plan. The Master Plan contains clear language on 1) removing barriers to allow

more types of housing, such as small-scale multi-family; 2) encouraging the development of affordable

housing; and 3) encouraging in-fill development close to town while protecting open space.

Unfortunately, our current zoning code in many ways encourages the opposite. Much of the area closest

to town is in the “family” zoning district, which allows just one or two dwellings per lot. This has

prevented the development of more affordable small-scale multi-family housing near town and

encouraged the development of housing in more rural areas.

If I’m elected, I’ll support zoning changes to allow more small-scale multi-family housing—such as

fourplexes, townhomes, and cottage-courts—in walkable neighborhoods, as well as changes to

discourage the development of large developments and sprawling subdivisions in rural areas.

If you had to choose one new Zoning Ordinance to put before the voters of Peterborough, what would

it be and why?

I would put forward an ordinance that would allow up to four homes on any residential lot with

municipal water and sewer. There are many beautiful small-scale multi-family buildings in

Peterborough, but zoning changes have made it illegal to build new ones in many neighborhoods. By

allowing people to build more of what we already know works here in Peterborough, we can create

more opportunities for families to live and work in Peterborough, without changing the character of our

community.

What are the ways in which you as a candidate are unique and distinct from your opponents in this

race?

I have more than ten years public policy experience working for the environmental group American

Forests; labor union American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); and two

Members of Congress (Claire McCaskill and Allyson Schwartz). I believe that my experience will help me

in all aspects of the position, from interacting with members of public at meetings and working with my

colleagues on the Board, to interpreting the zoning code and developing new zoning proposals.

Tell us your vision for the future of Peterborough.

With the right zoning changes, we can build the housing we need to have a strong, vibrant

community—with shops and restaurants to enjoy, stable businesses that provide employment and tax

revenue, and a fully-staffed hospital ready to provide care—while also preserving open space and the

character of our community.

What else do you want our readers to know?

Zoning regulations help determine many of the things most central to our lives. Peterborough can be a

vibrant, walkable community, with diversity of affordable housing and beautiful rural areas; or it can be

an unaffordable, car-centric community carved into subdivisions. Joining the Planning Board is a huge

responsibility, and if elected, I promise to treat it with the dedication and seriousness it deserves.