Planning board approves multiple site plans and conditional uses; one application continued to Aug. 6

The Manchester Planning & Zoning Board on June 18, 2025 approved a slate of applications including a grocery pickup expansion at the Walmart on Gold Street, several smaller site-plan conversions, and conditional-use permits. The board also continued one application (505 Brown Avenue) to a date certain of Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025.

Key outcomes - CU2025-011 (corresponding to SP2025-012): Conditional-use permit to reduce parking associated with a proposed grocery pickup addition at Walmart Real Estate Business Trust (725 Gold Street). Motion to approve with staff recommendations carried; two board members abstained (Pete Winslow, John Wicker).

- SP2025-012 (Walmart site plan, 725 Gold Street): Site-plan approval for a 4,578-square-foot addition for expanded grocery pickup and associated site work. Motion adopted with staff recommendations; two board members abstained (same two as above).

- SP2025-014 (440 Hanover Street): Site-plan approval for internal addition of five dwelling units (one existing unit on site); multiple waivers granted as requested and approval adopted.

- SP2025-015 (175 Lincoln Street): Site-plan approval to convert 9,200 square feet of second-floor office space into 10 residential units; board approved with staff conditions, including expectation of a revocable license agreement if one is not recorded.

- PDSP2025-003 (89 Sagamore Street): Planned development approval to convert an existing carriage house into a third dwelling unit on a property with an existing two-family dwelling; board found the proposal complies with Section 5.12 and approved the application.

- CU2025-014 (206 Ash Street): Conditional-use permit approved to reduce required off-street parking from six spaces to five for a three-family dwelling.

- PDSP2025-005 (505 Brown Avenue): Continued. Applicant requested continuation to Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025; no additional abutter notices will be sent and public comment will be accepted at that meeting.

Votes and procedure notes Several motions were moved and seconded from the dais as recorded in the meeting. Where the transcript recorded counts or abstentions the article notes them above; most votes were recorded verbally with "aye" or by hand-raise. The board also approved multiple waiver requests that were presented during the business meeting; those waivers are recorded in project files.

Why it matters: approvals include an expanded grocery pickup area at a major retail site and multiple housing conversions that affect local housing stock and parking requirements. The actions also show the board routinely using waivers to address site-specific constraints and the board’s practice of continuing applications when engineering or drainage issues remain unresolved.

Ending The board completed the remaining agenda items and approved minutes for previous meetings. The zoning commission update noted a second draft is expected in August with a 60-day public comment period to follow; the planning board’s designated member encouraged members to review that draft when published.