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Manchester board reviews Signature Aviation hangar proposal that straddles city line
Summary
Architects for Signature Aviation presented a nonbinding design review for a new 31,000-square-foot hangar and landside improvements at Boston Manchester Airport; the site straddles Manchester and Londonderry and the project team asked for direction about which jurisdiction will review permits.
Architects for Signature Aviation presented the Manchester Planning Board with a nonbinding design review Tuesday for a proposed 31,000-square-foot general aviation hangar, office lean-to and related airfield and parking improvements at Boston Manchester Airport.
The project would sit on an existing Signature Aviation leasehold along the airport’s eastern side. Craig Hanson of HDG Architecture said the hangar includes about 3,200 square feet of single-story office/lean-to space, a large clear-span door area sized for corporate jets, utility rooms and mechanical/fire suppression space. The design also calls for repairing airfield pavement in front of the hangar, completing perimeter security fencing and repainting some campus buildings to match nearby developments.
The firm emphasized one practical complication: the parcel straddles the municipal boundary between Manchester and Londonderry. Hanson said roughly 15–20% of the hangar footprint would lie in Manchester with the larger portion in Londonderry, and the line runs through the building’s fire-protection room. He asked the board for guidance on sequencing and jurisdiction for site approvals, building permits, and fire-suppression review so the design team can finish permit drawings and submit construction documents within a couple of months.
Board members offered design feedback but no objections to the concept. Chairman Bryce Kawout and other members described the proposed building as consistent with the airport campus and industrial zoning nearby and said the board had no formal action to take during the nonbinding review. Staff confirmed a formal site-plan application will be required before any permit is issued.
What happens next: HDG and Signature Aviation said they will continue discussions with Manchester and Londonderry planning staff and airport management to decide who will lead technical and permitting review. The applicant said it is preparing construction documents and will return with a formal submission after coordinating the jurisdictional question.
Why it matters: The project would add hangar capacity for general-aviation and corporate aircraft at the region’s primary airport. Because the site crosses two municipal jurisdictions, Manchester and Londonderry coordination will determine the technical review path for site work, building permits and fire suppression systems.
Sources: Presentation by Craig Hanson, HDG Architecture; Manchester Planning Board meeting transcript, Feb. 20, 2025.
