The Concord City Planning Board voted March 19 to approve a 2,598‑square‑foot rear addition for the Red Blazer restaurant at 72 Manchester Street, granting necessary waivers and conditioning final approval on standard precedent items.

Staff had recommended continuing the application to allow additional time to resolve sidewalk, circulation and Manchester Street right‑of‑way questions tied to the city’s long‑range capital improvement plan (CIP) for Manchester Street. After extended discussion, the applicant and staff agreed to remove the staff‑recommended condition that would have required a 12‑foot right‑of‑way dedication (a figure drawn from CIP planning). The board approved the minor site plan and associated waivers with the right‑of‑way item struck from the conditions; the board instead required precedent items addressing circulation, loading and revegetation to be resolved before final sign‑off.

Why it matters: Manchester Street is on a long‑range CIP for reconstruction and utility relocation. The applicant and their attorney argued that a 12‑foot dedication lacked a sufficient nexus to the small, back‑of‑house addition; the board accepted removing that requirement while preserving other staff conditions to protect public safety, parking and stormwater requirements.

Board conditions: The planning board approved the application with precedent conditions including: submission of final engineering updates, a loading zone that meets zoning requirements, revegetation of disturbed areas, and resolving parking/access circulation so ADA and fire access standards are met. The board also required either construction of certain sidewalks or a payment‑in‑lieu for sidewalks for sections of Manchester Street scheduled for future reconstruction.

Applicant remarks: Chris Nadeau of Novus Group and legal counsel told the board the addition is entirely back‑of‑house, will not add customer seating and the Zoning Board of Adjustment granted a parking variance so the building can rely on the existing parking count. They asked the board to consider conditional approval rather than a months‑long continuance.

Next steps: Applicant must meet the listed precedent conditions and work with staff on final engineering and ADA/accessible‑parking details before the planning department will issue final approval and construction permits.

Ending: Planning staff will circulate a final list of required plan edits and conditions; the city and applicant will work to finalize the small addition without obligating the applicant to the CIP‑level right‑of‑way dedication at this time.