ZONING BOARD PUBLIC HEARING
The Zoning Board will meet on Thursday, April 12 at 6 p.m. and the following cases will be heard. If you cannot make the meeting in person, it will be broadcast live on Manchester Public Television, Channel 22. The agenda is available online.
NOTE: All applications were reviewed under the new 2026 Zoning Ordinance unless otherwise specified.
ZBA2026-003: 185 Woodland Avenue and Crystal Street, Residential One Family High Density District (2001 Zoning Ordinance), Ward 5
Continued from March 12, 2026. Applicant has proposed to construct a planned development consisting of five six-unit townhouse dwellings and two eight-unit townhouse dwellings. There would be a total of 46 dwelling units, with lot frontage and width of 40’ where 150’ is required, with two buildings with 11’ side yard setbacks and one building with a 12.5’ setback where 20’ is required. The proposed buildings are three stories in height where 2.5 stories are allowed, where the buildings are 40’ 10” in height where 35’ is allowed, with parking in the front yard and without the required 10’ landscape buffer, and with a mail station accessory structure in the front yard. Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Sections 5.10(A)2 Single-Family Attached Townhouse Dwellings, 6.02 Minimum Lot Frontage and Width (2 counts), 6.03(C) Side Yard Setback (3 counts), 6.05 Height in Feet and Height in Stories (16 counts), 10.09(B) Parking Setbacks, 10.07(K)4 Parking Screening, 10.07(G) Landscaping and 8.29(A) Accessory Structures and Uses.
ZBA2026-015: 247 West Mitchell Street, Residential Two Family District (2001 Zoning Ordinance), Ward 9
Continued from March 12, 2026. Applicant has proposed to create a new dwelling unit resulting in a three-family dwelling on a lot with 9,444 SF of buildable lot area where 10,000 SF is required. The proposed lot would have a frontage and width of 78.3’ where 100’ is required, with a side yard setback of 3.7’ where 20’ is required. It would create a third parking space that requires backing out onto a public way. Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Sections 5.10(A)6 Multi-Family Dwelling, 6.01 Minimum Buildable Lot Area, 6.02 Minimum Lot Frontage and Width (2 counts), 6.03(C) Side Yard Setback and 10.07(D) Parking Maneuvering.
ZBA2026-017: Bruce Road & Smyth Road (Tax Map 587, Lot 12), Residential One Family High Density District, Ward 2
Applicant has proposed to subdivide Tax Map 587, Lot 12 to create two additional lots. The proposed Lots 12 and 12-1 conform to the zoning ordinance and proposed Lot 12-2 has approximately 68’ of depth where 100’ is required. Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Section 5.3.1.A.3.B Lot Depth.
ZBA2026-018: 23 Amherst Street, Downtown Core Zoning District, Ward 3
Applicant has proposed to install two 3’ x 4’ EMC signs on both sides of the existing marquee sign. Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Section 9.3.2.A Electronic Message Centers.
ZBA2026-019: 450 Howe Street, Neighborhood Mixed-Use District, Ward 3
Applicant has proposed to establish a contractor’s office with outdoor storage on a lot with an existing non-conforming auto repair use. The proposed outdoor storage is located in the front and street yard on a corner lot, where the storage area is surrounded by a 7’ fence where an 8’ fence is required, and where the fence is a chain link fence along Howe St. where a solid fence is required. There would be three accessory storage containers in the Lincoln St. street yard and side yard setback. The proposal would create seven new parking spaces in front of the garage doors in the front yard, 0’ from the front yard lot line, where 10’ is required. The parking spaces would require backing out into the public way and without the required parking bumpers. Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Sections 4.3-A.5(B) Contractor’s Office, 4.3-A.7(F) Outdoor Storage Yard, 4.4.7.F(A)2 Location of Outdoor Storage, 4.4.7.F(A)3 Screening of Outdoor Storage, 5.6.2(B) Accessory Structure Side Yard Setback, 7.5.2.A.1 Parking Setbacks, 7.5.2.B.2 Principal Frontage Parking, 7.5.2.D Safety of Parking Design and 7.5.2.F Parking Bumpers.
ZBA2026-020: 105 Pahray Lane, Residential One Family Medium Density District, Ward 6
Applicant has proposed to construct a shed dormer over an existing garage with a 5’ side yard setback where 10’ is required where variance case 47-ZO-80 allowed the construction of a 24’ x 26’ garage with an 8’ side yard setback, and with a combined total side yard setback of 25.2’ where 40’ is required. Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Sections 5.3.1.A.3.E Minimum Setback on One Side and 5.3.1.A.3.D Minimum Total Side Yard Setbacks.
ZBA2026-021: 423 Blevens Drive, Residential One Family High Density District, Ward 1
Applicant has proposed to construct an 18’ x 18’ one-story attached garage with a 3.8’ side yard setback where 5’ is required. The result would be a 13.6’ combined side yard setback where 20’ is required, with a maximum impervious area in the front yard of 38% where 25% is allowed. Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Sections 5.3.1.A.3.D Minimum Total of Both Side Yard Setbacks, 5.3.1.A.2.E. Minimum Setback of One Side, 5.3.1.A.7.B Maximum Impervious Area.
ZBA2026-023: 577 Pine Street, General Mixed-Use District, Ward 3
Applicant has proposed to maintain a second driveway within 17’ of an existing driveway on the same lot where 30’ is required. There would be three parking spaces within 10’ of a street where two parking spaces are allowed. One parking space would be within 4’ of a side lot line, one parking space within 2’ of a building, and one parking space partially in front of a building façade. The proposal includes lot coverage of 78.5% where 75% is allowed and with 72% impervious area in the front yard where 25% is allowed. Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Sections 7.4.3.B Distance Between Driveways, 7.5.1.A.2 Parking Setback From Street, 7.5.1.A.1 Parking Setbacks – Side, 7.5.1.A.3 Parking Building Setback, 7.5.1.B.2 Parking Building Façade, 5.3.1.D.3.H Maximum Lot Coverage and 5.3.1.D.7-C Impervious Area in Front Yard.
ZBA2026-022: 1265 South Willow Street, Regional Business Corridor District, Ward 3
Applicant has proposed to construct a vehicle fueling station with a convenience store and drive-through restaurant. The proposed lot coverage is 84% where 75% is allowed. There would be a 30’ front yard setback to the fueling canopy where a maximum of 25’ is allowed. A total of 14 shade trees provided on the north, south and east buffers where 21 are required, and no shade trees would be provided on the west buffer where 8 are required. The required width of 10’ of the landscape buffer would not be maintained for the perimeter of the parking area and drive-through aisle. There would be a retaining wall on the west side of the site greater than 4’ in height within 10’ of the property line. There would also be an existing freestanding sign within 100’ of a freestanding canopy sign, with primary façade transparency of 62% where 70% is required. The north and south ends of the primary façade would include 15’ 9” of blank wall where a blank primary façade wall is limited to 15’. Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Sections 5.3.1.N.3.H Maximum Lot Coverage, 5.3.1.N.3.C Maximum Front Yard Setback, 8.1.2-A Type 2 Buffer Yard Requirements, 8.2.4.B Retaining Wall Setbacks, 9.6.2 Freestanding Signs, 5.3.1.N.6.A Minimum First Story Transparency per Façade, 5.3.1.N.6.B Blank Wall Limitation of Primary Façade.
ZBA2026-024: 1279 South Willow Street, 55 & 115 John E. Devine Drive, and 970 & 1050 Gold Street, Regional Business Corridor District, Ward 3
Applicant has proposed to construct a two-story 73,240 SF charitable gaming facility with:
- A 475’ front yard setback and 123’ street yard setback where a maximum of 25’ is allowed,
- Lot coverage of 84% where 75% is allowed,
- Surface parking in the front and street yards where not permitted,
- Two street entrances on façades facing a street or parking area where 9 entrances are required,
- Two dumpsters facing John E. Devine Dr. without an 8’ high fence,
- A main tower on the primary façade 35’ in width where 30’ is allowed,
- With transparency of the first story primary façade (S. Willow St.) of 11.8% where 60% is required,
- Three blank wall areas on the primary facade of 99’, 111’, and 39’ (from left to right) where a maximum of 30’ is allowed,
- Transparency of the first story secondary façade (John E. Devine Dr.) of 6.4% where 30% is required,
- One blank wall area on the secondary façade of 63’ where a maximum of 50’ is allowed,
- Two roof signs (facing S. Willow St. and John E. Devine St.) where not permitted in the zone, and
- Building signs on the primary façade (S. Willow St.) totaling 1,587 SF of wall area where 500 SF is allowed, with building signs on the south façade totaling 1,608 SF of wall area where 500 SF is allowed, with building signs on the secondary façade (John E. Devine Dr.) and west façade each totaling 580 SF of wall area on each façade where 500 SF is allowed.
Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Sections (1) 5.3.1.O.3.C Maximum Front Yard Setback, (2) 5.3.1.O.3.H Maximum Lot Coverage, (3) 5.3.1.O.3.I Surface Parking Location, (4) 5.3.1.O.6.D Required Number of Street Entrances, (5) 8.3.1 Screening of Dumpsters, (6) 5.4.6.E.5.c Tower Width, (7) 5.3.1.O.6.A Primary Façade Minimum First Story Transparency, (8) 5.3.1.O.6.B Primary Façade Blank Wall Limitations, (9) 5.3.1.O.6.A Secondary Façade Minimum First Story Transparency, (10) 5.3.1.O.6.B Secondary Façade Blank Wall Limitations, (11) 9.8.3.A.1 Roof Sign Location, and (12) 9.6-A Allowable Building Signs (4 counts).
ZBA2026-025: 166-168 Comeau Street, Residential One Family High Density District, Ward 10
Applicant has proposed to create two new parking areas with four total parking spaces within 10’ of the street lot line where two parking spaces are allowed. There would be 34% impervious area in the front yard where 25% is allowed. Applicant seeks a variance from Zoning Ordinance Sections 7.5.1.A.2 Parking Setback from Street and 5.3.1.B.7.D Maximum Impervious Area in the Front Yard.
PLANNING BOARD UPDATES
The Planning Board met on Thursday, April 2 for a public hearing and limited business meeting where the following cases were decided. If you missed the meeting, it is available on-demand via Manchester Public Television.
- S2024-011 Extension: 30 Bryant Road, Extension approved.
- SP2025-002 Extension: 2 Plaza Drive, Extension approved.