MANCHESTER GRID PATTERN

The City of Las Cruces, NM, where I live, is not set up in a grid, so the transit system does not stay on time, no matter how it is planned and re-planned. Here is the word on Manchester's grid pattern.

Geographic Context
Rimmon Heights is located in the center of Manchester’s west side. The
neighborhood is bounded by the Merrimack River to the east, the Piscataquag
River to the west, Rock Rimmon Park and Dexter Street to the north and Putnam
Street to the south. This topography has created dramatic breaks in the landscape,
developing natural boundaries for the neighborhood. Most of Rimmon Heights is
located on a large plateau-like flatland above the flood plains of the Piscataquag
and Merrimack rivers, but below the towering “Rock Rimmon.” Because the
majority of Rimmon Heights is largely flat, implementing the city’s grid pattern
was easier here than in most areas. The neighborhood is accessed from downtown
by the Notre Dame Bridge (Bridge Street bridge), the Nazaire Biron Bridge
(Kelley Falls bridge) from the west to access Pinardville and Goffstown and by a
handful of connecting streets along its northern and southern borders.


And here is a frequently asked question about the definition of a plot. Wonder if Manchester planners have done their job, at least better than was done in Las Cruces.

Question: What is a preliminary plat?

Answer: A preliminary plat is an instrument to review site design characteristics of a proposed development. The purpose of such a process is to serve as a tool to establish quality design that promotes development compatibility with the physical and cultural aspects of the community.

This process is also used as a method to determine proper site design, to mitigate traffic and drainage hazards, appropriate lot configuration and street layout. Design flexibility and imagination should also be considered.

The review process for a preliminary plat is the same as the master plan process in that they are brought to the DRC and sent forward to the P&Z. The intent of the P&Z review is to allow public input in the development process and to serve as a land planning process, not specific engineering development review.

Decisions by the P&Z are binding in that final platting must comply with the preliminary plat. Decisions by the P&Z are appealable to the City Council.