Planning board approves Steel Giraffe garage at 31 Russo Road with variances and conditions

The Portsmouth Planning Board approved a preliminary development plan and granted variance relief to Steel Giraffe LLC for a 36-by-50-foot detached garage at 31 Russo Road in the town’s C (commercial) zone.

The applicant sought three forms of relief from Chapter 405 (zoning) after town staff determined the project qualified as a minor land development under the unified development review process: a side-yard setback of 1 foot 1 inch (where 15 feet is required), a rear setback of 14.2 feet (where 20 feet is required), and increased lot coverage of 33.8 percent (25 percent allowed). The board granted all three variances and approved the development plan with conditions.

Attorney Michael Chappelle represented the applicant; property owner Stephen Kelly testified in support. Chappelle said the garage will occupy space currently used for outside storage and shipping containers and that the structure will match previously approved materials and architecture. "This garage is to replace those containers. So those containers will be gone," Chappelle said. Owner Stephen Kelly told the board, "We won't have anything back there," when asked whether storage would be removed behind the new building.

Board members heard that the Technical Review Committee (TRC) — including fire, police and public works representatives — had reviewed the project and raised no unresolved objections. The applicant confirmed there will be no plumbing or water service in the new garage; it will function as a commercial storage/working garage rather than a residence.

Neighbors asked whether existing shipping containers on paved and unpaved areas were counted in lot coverage calculations. The applicant said the containers on pavement were not separately counted for this calculation and that the project would remove the containers that currently occupy the footprint of the proposed building. A neighbor asked the board to include a requirement that any other containers on the property be removed; the board’s motion included a condition prohibiting storage behind the new building and requiring demolition of the pavement behind the building as described by the applicant.

Action: The board voted to grant relief from Chapter 405 article 4, section b (land space requirements table) to allow: side-yard setback 1 foot 1 inch (13 foot 11 inch variance from 15 feet); rear setback 14.2 feet (5 foot 10 inch variance from 20 feet); and lot coverage 33.8% (8.8% variance). The motion included conditions that addressed rear storage removal and related paving demolition. The development plan approval was also granted, subject to design-review board review and TRC conditions.

What happens next: The applicant will pursue any necessary design review approvals and building permits. The planning board’s approvals included conditions intended to limit impacts to nearby residential property and to remove the outdoor storage items currently on the site.

Ending note: The board’s decision preserved the site’s existing paved footprint for redevelopment while adding conditions to reduce impacts to nearby residents and to limit future outdoor storage.