The Plaistow Planning Board on July 16 approved a site plan and a conditional use permit for Schofield Builders LLC to raise an existing residential structure and construct a 3,750‑square‑foot, three‑unit trade business at 5 Rose Ave (Tax Map 29, Lot 7). The board voted 4‑0 to accept the application as complete, grant a parking waiver, approve the conditional use permit for an approximately 3‑foot intrusion into the wetland buffer, and grant final site‑plan approval subject to listed conditions.

The project site covers about 0.8 acres approximately 200 feet west of the intersection of Rose Avenue and New Hampshire Route 125. Tom Schomburg of SEC Associates, the applicant’s agent, told the board the existing 1,735‑square‑foot dwelling, built about 1920, is in deteriorated condition and that the proposal removes the nonconforming structure while improving dimensional nonconformities. Schomburg said, “The proposed use is not for public retail, and will not require daily parking of employee vehicles.”

Why it matters: the plan converts a residential lot into a small trade‑business complex with three bays, replacing an older nonconforming dwelling and altering the site’s parking and setback profile. The conservation commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit because the wetland buffer infringement is minor (approximately 3 feet). The board attached standard conditions — final plans must carry all applicable professional stamps, driveway permits must be obtained from the Plaistow Highway Department, and all comments from the town’s consultants (KNA) must be addressed — and required submission of final recorded plans to the planning department within 45 days.

Key facts and board action: the Zoning Board of Adjustment previously granted two variances referenced during the hearing: a reduction of the minimum side setback (Article 5, §220‑32I) to 10 feet (from 35 feet) and a reduction of the front yard setback to 20.8 feet (from 50 feet); the applicant withdrew a variance request to the wetland setback and instead sought a conditional use permit as recommended by the conservation commission. The planning board voted to grant the waiver from the site plan review regulation (SPRR Article 1 §230‑12G) pertaining to parking requirements and then approved the conditional use permit and site plan 4‑0.

The board’s notice of decision, read at the meeting, listed fees and assessments that must be paid at recording or before building permits: an LCHIP recording fee of $25 payable to the Rockingham County Registry of Deeds, and a public safety impact fee stated by planning staff as $1.27 per square foot on the net gain in building area. The staff memo recorded a net gain of 2,207 square feet and listed a public safety impact fee of $2,574.29 due prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy; the meeting record includes that figure and also lists the net gain and per‑square‑foot rate (see clarifying details regarding an arithmetic inconsistency). The board noted that the building footprint information will be updated in the final notice of decision.

Other conditions listed in the board motion require all stamped professional plans for recording, KNA comments addressed, and driveway permits submitted to planning staff. The applicant was also told to submit any remaining ZBA documentation and to provide construction details for the subsurface infiltration system and access ports before final recording.

The applicant and board members discussed parking and operations: each trade unit is designed with approximately two vehicle spaces inside the bays, the proposed use was described as trade/contractor bays rather than public retail, and the board accepted the applicant’s representation that most vehicle use would be transient (loading/unloading) rather than daily employee parking.

The board’s votes on the waiver, the conditional use permit, and the site plan were all recorded as 4‑0 in favor.