Would these benefit Lyme?

As I drive around the Upper Valley, I have been collecting a list of services that exist in other towns. Would they be interesting or helpful in Lyme? Should any these below be prohibited? (and look for the extra credit question at the end…)

  • Appliance repair shop
  • Art gallery
  • Art studio
  • Auto repair shop
  • Ballet studio
  • Barber shop
  • Bike shop
  • Co-working space
  • Coffee shop
  • Daycare
  • Dentist office
  • Excavation pit
  • Food store
  • Food truck
  • Funeral home
  • Garden store
  • Gravel pit
  • Gym/workout space
  • Hair salon
  • Health clinic
  • Hotel/Inn
  • House of worship
  • Ice cream shop
  • Jewelry shop
  • Laundromat
  • Makerspace
  • Meeting space
  • Office building (new)
  • Office building (converting an existing home)
  • Office building (physician/clinic)
  • Pharmacy/drug store
  • Restaurant
  • Retail with Lyme, NH & VT goods
  • Retail with maple syrup produced on-site
  • Retail with maple syrup made elsewhere
  • Sandwich shop
  • School
  • Sculpture studio
  • Ski facilities
  • Ski shop
  • Tennis courts
  • Tennis shop
  • Walking trails
  • Yoga studio

There may never be a demand for some of these services. But what should determine whether they come to town? The Zoning Ordinance? Or should we allow the property owner to figure out whether a particular use is viable?

Extra credit: The current ordinance permits some of these uses in the Rural District; some are prohibited (and for some, it’s hard to tell). Can you guess which is which? (Hint: see Table 4.1 of the Lyme Zoning Ordinance) I would love to hear your answers: richb.lyme@gmail.com


Feel free to share this post on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or email. Any opinions expressed here are solely my own, and not those of any public body, such as the Lyme Planning Board, Budget Committee, or Trustees of the Trust Funds where I volunteer. I would be very interested to hear your thoughts – you can reach me at richb.lyme@gmail.com.

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