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The Objective of North Hampton Forever
The objective of North Hampton Forever is to protect approximately 850 acres of developable upland.
Why 850 Acres? We have established a goal to protect as open space, 25% of the developable upland in North Hampton. Currently, approximately 455 acres or 9% of North Hampton's upland is already protected and will remain open space. The additional 850 acres proposed will increase to 25%, the protected upland within North Hampton.
It is not the objective of North Hampton Forever to limit or curtail development in North Hampton. There will remain many lots available for development even with the 850 acres preserved.
North Hampton Forever is strictly a voluntary program. No one will be required to participate. No land will be taken. All participating land owners will voluntarily donate or sell their development rights or land.
Analysis has shown that it will cost approximately $4,000,000 to preserve the 850 acres. These funds will be financed with a 15 year bond. The cost of this bond will be more than offset by the savings gained from preserving open space. On average, the cost of development significantly exceeds the cost of preserving open space and results in savings to the Town.
For land to be considered for open space preservation, North Hampton Forever has developed specific criteria and an approval process to decide if the land should be preserved. The
approval process involves a series of checks that requires approval of three town boards and two public meetings.
There are several methods that can be used to preserve the open space. Preferably, the lands will remain in private ownership but will remain undeveloped. In some situations, the Town may wish to assume ownership of the property.
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