Manchester commissioners debate parking requirements and zoning changes as developers seek relief for 392 Central St.

Manchester Housing Commission members discussed proposed changes to city zoning, neighborhood reactions to the draft code and a specific developer request for reduced parking at 392 Central Street during their Feb. 12 meeting.

Commissioners said the city—s zoning rewrite seeks to allow more housing types such as duplexes, triplexes and upper-story housing over commercial space, but that public input so far has been dominated by homeowners over 50 and has produced pushback against change in some neighborhoods. Members repeatedly flagged enforcement of existing rules as a concern, saying new rules without enforcement would not achieve policy goals.

The commission reviewed a planning-board notice for 392 Central St., an R-2 zoning parcel where a developer is seeking permission for a four-unit building with one parking space per unit. Under current R-2 standards discussed by commissioners, the usual requirement is two parking spaces per unit; the developer is requesting reduced parking through the planning-board process. Commissioners noted the planning board, not the zoning board, generally handles conditional-use permits for reduced parking and that any site with more than four units requires additional review and a site plan.

Commissioners said they had not received a staff report online for the Central Street item and that the applicant had not followed the commission's usual practice of asking the commission to endorse a request before staff or aldermanic review. Several members said they would prefer the developer request an endorsement in writing so the commission could vote after reviewing the packet. Commissioners said neighbor concerns and staff comments so far have been mixed and that they needed to inspect the site in person to better judge whether on-site parking or shared parking arrangements would be adequate.

The commission also reviewed public comments on the citywide rezoning process and steering committee report. Members said the steering-committee materials are online and show general support for more housing types, reduced parking in some districts and easier rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), but that the public hearing record remains weighted toward older homeowners rather than renters. Commissioners urged more outreach to renters and said the zoning rewrite will include a 60-day public review window once a second draft is released.

No formal vote or advisory letter was taken on the Central Street application during the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to gather the planning-board staff report, visit the site, and remind the applicant of the commission's process for seeking formal support.

Ending: Commissioners scheduled follow-up work and site visits before taking any formal position and encouraged residents to review the steering-committee materials online and to attend planning-board hearings when the Central Street item is scheduled.