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Planning board approves Dartmouth‑Hitchcock Clinic exterior renovation at Bedford Square
Summary
The Bedford Planning Board granted final approval Feb. 10 for exterior and interior renovations to the Dartmouth‑Hitchcock Clinic medical office at 25 South River Road; the plan keeps the building footprint and parking unchanged and includes utility upgrades, landscape replacement and screening conditions.
The Bedford Planning Board on Feb. 10 granted final approval for an architectural review and site plan amendment for Dartmouth‑Hitchcock Clinic’s renovation of the medical office building at 25 South River Road (Bedford Square). The board approved the application following a presentation by Tom Burns of T. F. Moran and architect Richard Pizzi of LaValley Brensinger Architects.
The application covers an interior renovation and exterior “reskinning” of the existing two‑story medical office (Unit 400). The project does not change the building footprint, vehicle circulation, parking count or the building use (it will remain an outpatient medical office). Site changes are limited to removal and replacement of foundation plantings, ADA‑related sidewalk upgrades as needed, and utility upgrades that include replacing the existing generator pad and the on‑site transformer. The applicant submitted a landscape plan showing a mix of low shrubs and taller plantings (arborvitae, viburnum, spirea, ornamental grasses and daylilies) arranged to preserve visibility at windows while screening ground‑mounted utilities and rooftop mechanical units.
Architectural changes include new vertical white metal panels on primary facades, terracotta accent panels to replace the existing brick veneer, upgraded insulation and a proposed asphalt shingle roof (the design package initially showed a metal roof but the applicant proposed shingles to be consistent with nearby buildings). The back‑of‑building single‑story element will use cement board paneling. The design follows Dartmouth Health’s material palette and is intended to modernize an older 1980s wood‑frame structure.
Planning staff’s recommended conditions were incorporated into the approval. The board’s motion included precedent conditions that must be fulfilled within one year and prior to plan signature: (1) ground‑mounted utilities shall be screened by landscaping or fencing and rooftop mechanical units shall be screened; and (2) prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the applicant shall provide certification that the site and parking meet all ADA requirements. The motion also incorporated the staff report and meeting minutes into the record.
The motion for final approval was made by Planning Board member Priscilla Malcolm and seconded by Logan Johnson; the board voted by voice and the motion carried. The plans cited in the approval were the TF Moran site plans last revised Dec. 30, 2024 and LaValley Brensinger architectural plans dated Dec. 23, 2024.
Why it matters: the project renovates an existing medical building without adding trips or changing land use, but utility upgrades and screening and ADA compliance were conditions of approval. The board’s decision will allow Dartmouth‑Hitchcock to modernize clinic space while preserving parking and site circulation.
