City Works is a regular feature which endeavors to provide a preview of projects coming before the Planning Board, Zoning Board and Heritage Commission by posting agendas and relevant information to keep the public informed about what is happening.
Please indulge me as I begin this week’s article with a personal note. As you may have read in an earlier column, the July 15 meeting was the last meeting for our chair Dan Leclerc. Dan and his wife will be relocating to Amherst, NH. I met Dan when I joined the board in 2017 and was always grateful for his guidance and leadership. While Dan will be missed, I am honored that my fellow board members chose me to serve as the next Chair of the Planning Board. I am also happy to announce that Bryce Kaw-uh was voted in to serve as Vice-Chair. The current board members include Chris Wellington, Sean Sargent, Robb Curry, Andrew Boyle, Barry Lussier, Molly Lunn Owen, Todd Connors and Alderman Pat Long. I can’t imagine a better group of dedicated community leaders who volunteer their time to serve.
PLANNING BOARD HIGHLIGHTS
On July 15, the Planning Board rendered decisions on the following cases. If you would like to hear more of the discussion around these cases, Manchester Community Television will make a recording of the meeting available on-demand.
- S2021-003, Straw Road, R-1A, Residential One Family-Medium Density Zoning District. Application approved.
- S2021-007, 7 Clement Street, R-1B, Residential One Family-High Density Zoning District. Application approved.
- SP2021-015 and CU2021-011, 180 Pearl Street, C-1 Civic Institutional Zoning District. Application approved.
When the board approves applications, you will note that the motion usually includes a statement saying ‘with staff recommendations.’ If you have asked yourself “What does this mean?” — you are not alone. For each case, the Planning and Community Development staff prepare a recommendation that incorporates standard items to be completed prior to issuing a Certificate of Occupancy. Based on Planning Board discussions, additional items/conditions may be incorporated into these recommendations. After a vote is taken, these recommendations are documented in the meeting minutes as part of the public record.
The Planning Board was also presented with a rendering for a sign review for signage at the ConvenientMD being built on Hooksett Road. This review was tabled to the August 5 meeting.
MASTER PLAN
Comments from the first public hearing are being incorporated and the Board will host a second public hearing to adopt the Master Plan at the August 5 meeting. A copy of the plan, along with other long-range plans and programs can be found here. The next step in this process will be to work on proposed modifications to the Zoning Ordinances in support of the Master Plan.
AUGUST MEETING DATES
- Planning Board Public Hearing: August 5, 6 pm
- Zoning Board: August 12, 6 pm
- Planning Board Business Meeting: August 19, 6 pm
