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Developers seek waiver to add four residential units at 37–45 Manchester Street
Summary
The Manchester Planning & Zoning Board heard a site-plan application from the Chom Group for 37–45 Manchester Street to add four residential units to an existing mixed‑use building and requested waivers including relief from local trash-collection rules; the board closed the public hearing and will consider the application at its next meeting.
The Manchester Planning & Zoning Board heard a site-plan application on April 3 from the Chom Group LLC to add four new residential units at 37–45 Manchester Street and requested waivers to local site-plan and trash-collection rules.
Applicant Amy Chom said the building, owned by Commonwealth Collective LLC, currently contains an existing mixed-use ground floor with two commercial spaces and 11 residential units (10 studios and one one‑bedroom). The application as read into the record described “a site plan application for 4 new residential dwelling units” in the Central Business District. Chom told the board two of the new units are planned as two‑bedroom units and that the project requires a density variance because the property has 4,803 square feet where 9,000 would normally be required.
Why it matters: the proposal increases downtown housing supply and requests exceptions to Planning Board site-plan standards and to Section 8.11 of the site regulations governing trash removal and eligibility for Central Business Service District (CBSD) trash collection. How refuse is handled downtown affects public health, public‑space use and the city’s service budget.
Chom said there is no anticipated traffic impact and no state or federal permits are required. She told the board that no on-site parking is possible and that the property sits about 100 feet from the Citizens Bank parking garage; tenants in the existing building and nearby Mission House lease parking spaces as needed. The applicant also described possible approaches to emergency egress from a rear courtyard and said building permit work would finalize stair/egress details.
Board members asked about elevator access (the applicant said there is no operating elevator) and about trash and recycling capacity. Planning staff explained the municipal regime is complicated: Planning Board submittal rules (section 8.11) call for private pickup for buildings with more than four residential units, while the current city ordinance allows properties that keep trash/recycling at or below “8 and 8” (eight trash, eight recycling toters) to remain on city pickup; the CBSD pays for five-times‑weekly pickup as a heightened service for downtown properties. Staff said the applicant has requested a waiver so the property could continue to access CBSD pickup despite adding units.
There were no public commenters and the board closed the public hearing. The board indicated the application will return on the agenda in two weeks for further consideration and a decision.
Details from the record: the application was filed as SP2025‑005 and lists Tax Map 116, Lot 15A. The applicant requested a waiver of site-plan review and a waiver from Section 8.11 regarding trash removal eligibility for CBSD service.
