A Guide for starting or expanding a business in Bow, New Hampshire

New Hampshire stands out in the northeast for its low costs, quality of life, highly educated workforce, well-developed infrastructure, and excellent market access. Here in Bow, these advantages are magnified. We are located at the junction of two interstate highways, Interstate 93 and Interstate 89, which connect much of New England to the Boston Metropolitan Area.  New Hampshire’s primary active rail line traverses through our town and makes stops at several industrial sites. Manchester-Boston Regional Airport is about twenty minutes away and Logan Airport in Boston is about an hour’s drive. Bow Schools consistently rank among the top in the State and our residents have some of the highest levels of educational attainment in New Hampshire. 

Development costs are often the most important consideration when starting a business and this is where Bow really shines. We have ample vacant land zoned for commercial and industrial uses with access to Route 3A, a major State highway that parallels Interstate 93. Much of this land is serviced by new or upgraded utilities, including public water, sewer, and natural gas, with capacity for line extensions.  Development costs in Bow compare very favorably with other locations in the region that have similar advantages.

Navigating the land development process can often be cumbersome, but here in Bow we have established a fair and predictable process that ensures the efficient use of your resources.  The first step is to contact the Community Development Department.  The Director will help to guide you through the process and will serve as your main point of contact with the Town.  A smaller project, such as a building addition or a reconfiguration of a building and site for a new use may qualify for administrative review; in this case it is possible to have a permit in hand in about a week or two.  Larger, more complex cases will require a hearing with the Town Planning Board and may take a month or two. 

Prior to the Planning Board hearing, the Town’s Technical Review Team will go over your proposal and provide feedback to help prevent any surprises at the public meeting. Depending on the scope of your proposal, subdivision or conditional use permit approval may also be needed from the Planning Board or zoning relief may be needed from the Zoning Board of Adjustment; this can all be handled concurrently with the same one to two month window for approval.  Review of building permits may take between 1-14 days depending on the nature of the project (smaller projects are usually approved over the counter); permit applications can be submitted at any time for review and can also run concurrent with land use board review.

The Town of Bow appreciates your investment in our community. Your success is important to us and we are here to help.  The following is a link to staff directory where you can find assistance:

Directory