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Zoning board grants variances for 51-unit mixed-use project at 1308 Elm Street over neighbor objections
Summary
The Manchester Zoning Board of Adjustment voted 3-2 to allow Grant Earth LLC to build a six-story, 51-unit mixed-use building at 1308 Elm Street, granting relief from minimum buildable lot area and corner visibility rules after residents raised parking, billboard visibility and affordability concerns.
The Manchester Zoning Board of Adjustment voted 3-2 to grant variances allowing a six‑story, 51‑unit mixed‑use building at 1308 Elm Street, a site now occupied by the North End Superrette.
The decision lets applicant Grant Earth LLC proceed with a mixed‑use development that will include ground‑floor commercial space, structured parking on the first two levels and residential units above. The board granted relief from section 8.04 (minimum buildable lot area) and section 8.27(e) (visibility at corners).
Board members heard a detailed presentation from Daniel Mueller of Cronin, Lisonbee & Zielinski, who said the parcel has 9,233 square feet of buildable land area where 27,000 square feet is required and described a plan for 51 dwelling units, a mix of studios and one‑bedrooms, 39 parking spaces within the structure and electric‑vehicle chargers on the lower levels. Mueller also noted the developer initially planned to incorporate the existing building but engineers recommended replacement for structural reasons.
Neighbors and abutters raised several concerns at the public hearing. Britney Pink, speaking as agent for an abutter, said the proposed building would block the line of sight to billboards on an adjacent property and could affect that property owner’s revenue. Deborah Boucher and other nearby residents said the area is already constrained for parking and feared additional density would worsen on‑street congestion. Ally Rosenblatt, a Ward 3 resident, said she supported additional housing but urged reserving 10% of units for households using Section 8 vouchers; the applicant said the current plan is for market‑rate units and any voucher set‑aside would require an economic analysis.
During deliberations, board members discussed whether the proposed density and the visibility impact on adjacent billboards met the legal tests for variance. Several members said the Central Business District is intended to accommodate denser, mixed‑use development and the project would add parking compared with current on‑site conditions. Other members said the proposed building could diminish the commercial value of nearby property that relies on billboard visibility.
After deliberation, the board approved the variances by a 3‑2 vote. The motion granted relief from the minimum buildable lot area and the corner visibility requirement as described in the application; the decision does not include a height variance. The vote in favor was 3; two members opposed. The board recorded Greg Powers as the member who moved the findings and Catherine Bolesky as second. Opponents recorded in the meeting minutes were Vice Chair Craig St. Pierre and Chair Bob Road.
The applicant was reminded that the mixed‑use project must still complete site‑plan review with the Planning Board and obtain building permits; the board noted those processes could impose additional conditions, including conditional use or parking requirements.
The owner and project team may now proceed with planning‑board and permitting work required to implement the approved variances.
Votes at a glance: The Zoning Board motion for ZBA2025‑11 granted relief from section 8.04 (minimum buildable lot area) and 8.27(e) (visibility at corners) for property at 1308 Elm Street. Motion moved by Greg Powers; seconded by Catherine Bolesky; outcome: approved 3–2 (opposed: Craig St. Pierre, Bob Road).
