MANCHESTER, NH – The Manchester Planning Board took up two requests regarding congregate housing on Thursday, with one applicant seeking to create a new congregate housing location and another seeking to transform a current one.
The board approved a pair of applications by New Hampshire Catholic Charities that would allow Liberty House to operate a congregate housing unit on the corner of Maple and Orange Streets.
New Hampshire Catholic Charities had been using the building for office space as well as housing for retired priests, but is seeking to move most of the workers placed in those offices to a new facility in Windham.
Since the 1940s, Liberty House has provided shelter for veterans facing homelessness or substance addiction in the Manchester area.
The building will remain largely unchanged, with New Hampshire Catholic Charities’ second application requesting a waiver from parking lot restrictions since many of the expected residents do not operate vehicles.
The board also approved a change of use application for New Horizons for New Hampshire/Families in Transition that would transform a congregate housing building on Union Street into 11 family units.
Here as well, the board also approved a waiver from on-site parking requirements due to the fact that many of the residents do not operate vehicles. The board also waived the $300 per unit fees associated with each unit.
The board also addressed requests with a development on Old Wellington Road, a new church on Second Street and a limousine company on Belmont Street.
“I think it is extremely important that we get through the backlog of applications in spite of the stay-at-home order,” said Planning Board Member Mike Harrington. “It’s extremely important that we don’t slow the pace of development in our city any more than it’s already being affected.”