MANCHESTER, N.H. – Manchester residents are running out of time to get their opinion in on the proposed zoning ordinance changes, with Ward 9 topics taking the limelight on Wednesday night.
Approximately 75 people attended the Manchester Planning and Community Development Department’s presentation why the proposed changes are being brought to the public for input and what changes are proposed in Ward 9, which is located south of downtown and north of I-293.
The zoning districts in the ward are largely defined by streets that make up two of the ward’s primary borders: South Willow Street and Queen City Avenue.
Along South Willow Street, things will largely stay the same under the proposal with the area renamed as a BC-2 (Business Corridor – Regional) district, which seeks to draw in retail customers from both inside and outside Manchester. However, like other BC-2 districts in the city, new developments would be required to put buildings closer to the road to create a more walkable experience for anyone visiting the area.
On the streets west of South Willow Street in Ward 4, bounded by Shasta Street, South Hall Street and Parkview Street, the area will primarily be zoned as MX-1 (Mixed Use-Neighborhood), which seeks to combine residential use with limited commercial use at intersections for low intensity businesses like small offices, barber shops or corner stores.
The blocks between Willow Street, Beech Street and Silver Street will become MX-2 (Mixed Use-General) and BC-1 (Business Corridor-Neighborhood), two zones seeking to blend commercial and residential use to varying degrees with a greater commercial intensity than the MX-1 zones and a lower commercial intensity than the BC-2 zones.
Along Queen City Avenue, a BC-2 zone will be placed along the Sundial Avenue area, with the portion of Queen City Avenue between Sundial and South Willow and extending approximately two to three blocks south designated as BC-1, MX-2 and MX-1 reduce density near Bakersville Elementary School while acknowledging the fact that some businesses also exist in that area.
Throughout Manchester, the proposed zoning ordinance has aimed to simplify zoning maps and reflect the reality that has made the old ordinance obsolete. However, within these buffer areas that hold MX-1, MX-2 and BC-1 districts near South Willow and Queen City Avenue, the reality on the ground made simplicity impractical.
“There are real differences in this area. You have multi-family townhouses right next to the Farnum Center right next to gas stations and coffee shops and large scale apartments and then small duplexes and single-family homes,” said Manchester Department of Planning and Community Development Director Jeff Belanger. “There are a number of different districts in that area that really feel different and we wanted to reflect and respect that character.”
The rest of the ward, existing between the Queen City Avenue and South Willow corridors and the ward’s other boundaries along the Merrimack River and I-293 are primarily R-2 (Residential – High Density) with a few exceptions.
An area around Ross Avenue and Frontage Road would continue to allow industrial uses, although an area near Nutt Pond that once allowed industrial uses would be folded into the South Willow BC-2 area.
A set of apartments near Beech Hill Drive will be classified as R-M (Residential – Multifamily) to reflect apartment buildings that are already there, and the southern part of the ward will be classified as R1-B (Residential-Medium Density), with the boundary placed at the northern border of Pine Grove Cemetery west of Calef Road and just north of Gold Street east of Calef Road. Gold Street itself is included in that district to prevent additional traffic that might arise from greater density.
Democratic State Representative Alissandra Murray, who represents Ward 9, was happy to see mixed-use development proposed along Queen City Avenue near Calef Road and was pleased the city’s approach to spreading the word about the proposed changes.
“I’m really happy with how much the city is engaging with the community and getting people’s input in this plan,” said Murray. “I really think the people that live here should be making sure that what they want to live around is what’s being built in that area.”
Michelle Chretien lives on Dale Street, she was also happy with the meeting.
“I thought it was super informative and think the city is trying to make changes without throwing it down people’s throats and letting people know what’s going on,” said Chretien. “I also think that it’s great that the city is trying to allow more housing to come in, because when you see more choices for housing, that will bring down the cost of housing.”
The final meeting of the series will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Palace Theater’s Spotlight Room. That meeting will focus on Ward 3, but anyone is welcome to attend.
More information on the proposed zoning ordinance changes can be found at manchesternh.gov/landusecode. Anyone that could not attend the meetings can also submit comments at that website as well.
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 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 – 283
Housing – 241
Architectural Quality/Neighborhood Character – 200
Streamlining Permitting – 106
Allowing Neighborhood Business in More Places – 100
More Parking/Parking Enforcement – 48
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