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Aldermen warn of access, safety and legal risks if Goffstown subdivision routes traffic through Manchester dead-end streets
Summary
A proposed Goffstown residential development that would use Phillips Street and Joseph Street Extension for access prompted aldermen to consider gating the Manchester streets; planning staff warned of legal limits and a multi-step review process that gives Manchester opportunities to evaluate access, emergency services and infrastructure.
Several aldermen pressed for action after residents reported that a proposed residential subdivision in neighboring Goffstown would use Manchester dead-end streets for primary access, raising concerns about traffic, emergency access and residents’ expectations for a dead-end neighborhood.
Alderman(s) said neighbors on Phillips Street and Joseph Street Extension bought into a quiet, dead-end block and that a new subdivision using that route would upend that expectation. “If, in fact, it's the only way in and out, Manchester intends to put a gate up there,” one alderman said, arguing the city should send a strong message to the developer.
Planning staff explained the project is at an early stage in Goffstown. The Goffstown zoning board’s hearing on a requested zoning change was pushed to April for lack of a full board. Staff said the process is multi-step: if Goffstown’s zoning board approves a change, the proposal would then go to both Goffstown’s planning board and Manchester’s planning board. Under state law, the developer must obtain approvals and property owner consent where a project uses another municipality’s right of way or impacts an abutting jurisdiction.
A planning official advised caution on unilateral action. “This board does have authority over the right of way,” the planning representative said, but added that taking steps such as discontinuing a public right of way can create private-property rights and potential liability for damages. The planning official said Manchester would be part of the factual record for planning reviews and that the Manchester planning board could disapprove the project or approve it with conditions related to access, sewer, water, plowing and emergency response.
Aldermen also noted the parcel in question is large — discussed in the meeting as a roughly 40-acre parcel with frontage on both Phillips Street and Joseph Street Extension — and that, in the plan reviewed by staff, the majority of lots (about 34) would rely on Manchester access.
Why it matters If built as currently drawn, the project could increase traffic through Manchester residential streets and create challenges for municipal services, including snow plowing and emergency response. Aldermen and staff said Manchester will have multiple opportunities to consider access and safety as the proposal moves through Goffstown’s and Manchester’s review boards.
What’s next The Goffstown zoning board delayed its hearing to April. Manchester staff said the planning board will be a future venue for formal comment and potential conditions; aldermen suggested continued monitoring and encouraged residents to participate in the external hearings.
