Merrimack Planning Board grants conditional use permit for home bakery at 25 East Chamberlain Road

The Merrimack Planning Board on Tuesday granted conditional final approval for a home-based bakery operated by Autumn Howe at 25 East Chamberlain Road, concluding the board vote 7-0-0.

The approval allows a level-2 home occupation selling baked goods directly from the applicant’s condominium using a small outdoor “bookcase” pickup, subject to the recommended conditions in the staff memo dated Jan. 31, 2025. The board’s motion found that “with the proposed conditions of approval, the conditional use permit application meets all applicable regulatory requirements and further [granted] conditional final approval … subject to the recommended conditions of approval presented in the staff memo dated 01/31/2025,” language offered by a board member and entered into the record by the mover.

The permit request reached the Planning Board because the operation involves customers coming to the residence; town staff said that criterion requires planning-board review rather than an administrative sign-off. Casey, a staff member, told the board, “I was very tempted to have this home occupation get approved via administrative approval,” but that customer visits triggered the public hearing requirement.

Howe, the applicant and owner, described the operation as a small, part-time business run alongside a full-time job: “I have been living in Merrimack my literal whole life … I recently started a little home bakery out of my house … maybe, like, twice a month if I have the time for it.” She said customers would take purchases from a small outdoor bookcase on a first-come, first-served basis and that payments would be handled on an honor system. Howe also said she already obtained a homestead license after a town health-department inspection and that the condominium association has approved the plan.

Board members asked how customers would park; Howe said the condominium association’s parking lot includes guest spaces and that customers would not need to park on the street. The board discussed the surface-level logistics and expressed no outstanding concerns after staff confirmed the condo association’s written approval appeared in the application packet.

The formal motion to grant conditional final approval was made and seconded, and the chair called for a voice vote. The board recorded the final tally as seven in favor, zero opposed, zero abstentions. The motion and outcome reference the staff memo dated Jan. 31, 2025, which lists the recommended conditions of approval; the board’s motion tied the permit to those conditions.

Votes at a glance • Conditional use permit — Autumn Howe, 25 East Chamberlain Road (Case: Planning Board 2025-3). Motion to grant conditional final approval subject to the recommended conditions in the staff memo dated Jan. 31, 2025. Mover: a board member (unnamed). Second: a board member (unnamed). Vote: 7–0–0; outcome: approved. Specific member votes were not recorded in the transcript. • Approval of minutes — Motion to approve minutes of Jan. 21, 2025, as written. Motion seconded and approved by voice vote; tally not recorded by name in the transcript.

Board actions and staff updates At the meeting the planning staff reported three administrative approvals since the board’s last meeting: an administrative site-change approval at Camp Sergeant to add a small addition to the recreational hall; a tenant change at an existing strip mall to allow a personal-training business called Your Goal Fitness; and an in-home office approval for a transportation company. Those items were reported as administrative actions and did not require board votes.

The board scheduled its next meeting for Feb. 18, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Matthew Thornton Room, and adjourned after routine procedural business.