MANCHESTER, NH – The series of community meetings on the proposed changes to Manchester’s zoning ordinance concluded on Saturday at the Palace Theatre’s Spotlight Room with a review of how those changes will impact Ward 3, the city’s downtown area.
Perhaps the city’s most unique ward in terms of zoning, it is the only ward in the city where no zones specifically geared toward single-family housing such as the R1-A (Single Family-Medium Density) and R1-B (Single Family-High Density) zones. It is also the only ward with the DT-1 (Downtown Center) and DT-2 (Downtown Core) zones. Both of these zones allow higher densities than elsewhere in the city and aim to replace the CBD (Central Business District) zone in the old ordinance. Buildings in the DT-1 zone have a maximum of six stories by right while buildings in the DT-2 zone have a minimum of four stories, with both types of zones continuing the CBD’s lack of a minimum parking requirement and both requiring buildings frontages set at or near the sidewalk unless a plaza is constructed.
Although the DT-1 and DT-2 zones are similar, Manchester Planning and Community Development Director Jeff Belanger said the differences are meant to reflect the subtle differences between the high-rise buildings at the center of Elm Street and blocks nearby that have a slightly different character despite still being considered “downtown.”
Along the waterfront down to Delta Dental Stadium and up to the Amoskeag Bridge, the former Amoskeag Mixed Use (AMX) district has been rebranded as a the Millyard zone (MILL), which allows a variety of uses but holds added restrictions to maintain the historic character of the area, which was once at the heart of Manchester’s thriving textile industry. Most of the Millyard zone, as well as Millyard zoned areas across the river in Ward 11, also have additional oversight from the city’s Historical Commission. The zone also extends slightly beyond the jurisdiction of the overlay district created for historical architectural preservation to the east of Canal Street north of Bridge Street and in the Gaslight District just across from SNHU Arena.
In between the MILL and DT-2 zones is an MX-2 (Mixed Use-General) zone is put in place for several blocks near Market Street for the collection of primarily office and apartment based-row houses, and this area also will continue to be under the purview of the Historical Commission for any proposed changes.
MX-2 zoned blocks also radiate outward from the DT-1 district, with a previous overlay district just west of the Amoskeag Bridge intended to foster small office growth eliminated for the sake of simplicity. Another overlay district around SNHU Arena intended to create a distinct architectural standard has also been eliminated. Belanger said that this overlay district had 30 pages of requirements, often with such vague requirements as “limiting monotonous pavement” and “providing generous sunlight” without defining what would meet the thresholds of “monotonous” or “generous.”
A BC-1 (Business Corridor-Neighborhood) area can be found along Webster Street with some of the MX-2, BC-1 and BC-2 (Business Corridor-Regional) mix at the northern edge of Ward 9 bleeding into the southern edge of Ward 3 and an R-M (Residential-Multifamily) zone in areas with existing apartment buildings north of the Brady-Sullivan Tower.
David Todesco, who works in Ward 3 and lives nearby in Ward 2, had a positive response to Saturday’s meeting, which like all the other meetings, included an overview and then group discussions.
“I think the proposals are great, I think reducing restrictions on parking minimums in some parts of the city is wonderful,” he said. “I think that opening up more opportunities for increased housing development is also great. We all know that housing is one of the biggest challenges we’re facing here in Manchester along with most other parts of the country.”
According to Belanger, 76 people attended the meeting, which came last in the line of community meetings across the city in the hopes of finishing the series on a high note and also as a luck of the draw due to the complexities of scheduling 12 different venues.
The proposed zoning ordinance changes now head to a steering committee of individuals serving some of the city’s municipal boards as well as some nominees appointed by Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais. They will sift through the feedback given by residents at the 12 meetings and provided online to determine what additional amendments are needed to the current draft before the proposal goes by the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen for final approval at some point near the beginning of next year or the end of this one.
Anyone that has been unable to attend one of the meetings and would still like to participate in the online survey can do so by going to manchesternh.gov/landusecode before the survey closes on Monday, Sept. 9. A likely question and answer session at city hall is also expected at a date sometime in the next few weeks.
Here are links to stories on previous meetings in other wards:
- Ward 1 – Gamut of perspectives at Ward 1 zoning gathering
- Ward 2 – Drive-thru policy modification biggest topic at Ward 2 zoning meeting
- Ward 4 – City planners share zoning recommendations with Ward 4 residents
- Ward 5 – Three types of zones removed in simplified new Ward 5 zoning proposal
- Ward 6 – Concerns raised with the limited changes proposed for Ward 6
- Ward 7 – Community zoning meetings reach halfway point
- Ward 8 – South Manchester residents express concern over zoning proposal
- Ward 9 – Ward 9 zoning changes focus on diversity near Queen City Avenue
- Ward 10 – Ward 10 gets look at its proposed zoning future
- Ward 11 – Zoning rewrite draft proposes more mixed-use in Ward 11
- Ward 12 – Zoning ordinance community meetings kick off with Ward 12 gathering
The following is a unofficial count of votes made by participants at all the meetings combined up to this meeting on what they felt the most important issues are regarding zoning.
- Walkability/Bikeability – 314
- Housing – 277
- Architectual Quality/Neighborhood Character – 213
- Allowing Neighborhood Business in More Places – 117
- Streamlining Permitting – 115
- More Parking/Parking Enforcement/Reducing Parking Requirements – 73
- Enforce speeding laws/Speeding on side streets – 18
- Renovating/Improving Existing Housing – 7
- Housing Affordability – 3
- Flooding – 3
- Record these meetings – 3
- Jobs and Housing on Hackett Hill – 3
- Less Density/Reduce Crime – 3
- Traffic Noise – 3
- Infrastructure investment – 3
- Maintain Green Space – 3
- Reduce setback rules on accessory structures – 3
- Stop illicit activity at Derryfield Park – 3
- Recreation Activities/Children’s Sports – 2
- Amoskeag Bridge Impacts – 2
- Speed Bump on Milford Street – 2
- Entry/Exit Roads – 2
- Get rid of useless stop signs – 2
- No more chicken restaurants/Cash for Gold on South Willow St – 2
- Less Bars/Clean up Elm Street – 2
- Ensure Sununu Youth Center land has affordable/ADA accessible housing – 2
- Create boarding housing – 2
- Don’t allow homes near city’s water supply – 1
- Climate Change – 1
- Public Transportation – 1
- Prohibit short-term rentals in single-family residential zones – 1
- Ensure home values do not drop due to development – 1
- No 5G towers in residential areas – 1
- Safety/More Lighting – 1
- Increased housing variety – 1
- Stormwater – 1
- Giving people surveys about fences when they don’t know where the fence will be located – 1
- End homeless panhandling – 1
- Enforce current laws – 1
