At its Jan. 2025 meeting, the Manchester Zoning Board of Adjustment granted variances or waivers for nine land‑use applications, approving accessory‑structure requests, two massage‑therapy offices, an automotive‑service conversion and a six‑story, 50‑unit downtown residential project while attaching operating conditions to some approvals.

The approvals included conditions addressing hours, licensing of practitioners, and screening or fencing in several cases. Board members and applicants discussed impacts on parking, neighborhood character and safety before voting; several applicants said the requested uses were continuations of prior commercial activity or were needed for operational or health reasons.

Votes at a glance

- ZBA2024-148, 48 Pratt Court (R1B): Motion to grant relief from section 8.29 A2 (accessory structures and uses) for a proposed 3,300 sq ft, two‑story barn in a side yard. Mover: Chair. Second: Ray Hebert. Outcome: Approved. Vote: board voice vote in favor. Notes: Applicant said wetlands and lot configuration prevented placing the barn in the rear yard. (Provenance: transcript opening and motion.)

- ZBA2024-149, 270 Amory Street (R2): Motion to grant relief from section 5.1 H2.1 (medical offices/healthcare practitioners) to allow Thai Body Works to operate a massage shop. Mover: Chair. Second: Catherine Boleski. Outcome: Approved with conditions. Conditions: hours 9 a.m.–7 p.m., Monday–Saturday; all employees licensed by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification; no residential component on site. Vote: board voice vote in favor.

- ZBA2024-150, 151 Lake Avenue (R3): Motion to grant relief from section 5.1 H2.1 to allow a second Thai Body Works location. Mover: Chair. Second: Joe Prieto. Outcome: Approved with the same conditions as 270 Amory Street (9 a.m.–7 p.m., Mon–Sat; employees licensed; no residential component). Vote: board voice vote in favor.

- ZBA2024-151, 454 Hanover Street (R2): Motion to grant an equitable waiver to maintain an existing exterior staircase that was discovered during a permit application. Mover: Chair. Second: Craig St. Pierre. Outcome: Waiver granted. Rationale: Staircase pre‑existed current owner and provides required egress for proposed conversion to a two‑family. Vote: board voice vote in favor.

- ZBA2024-152, 2060 Brown Ave (Industrial): Motion to grant relief from section 5.1 I5 (automotive repair) to allow Quirk Auto Dealers to convert part of a warehouse into a service facility (up to 40 lifts). Mover: Chair. Second: Catherine Boleski. Outcome: Approved. Conditions/notes: No collision/body‑work storage outside; traffic and storage restrictions discussed; conditional use/plan review to follow at the Planning Board. Vote: board voice vote in favor.

- ZBA2024-153, 516 Elm Street (Central Business District / Arena Overlay): Motion to grant relief from section 6.01 (minimum buildable lot area) and 6.06 (floor‑area ratio) to allow construction of a six‑story, roughly 50‑unit mixed‑use building. Mover: Chair. Second: Craig St. Pierre. Outcome: Approved. Notes: Substantial discussion about parking, on‑street demand and pedestrian character; board encouraged additional façade/streetscape detail to reflect the Gaslight District. Vote: board voice vote in favor.

- ZBA2024-154, 149 Silley Road (R2): Motion to grant relief from section 8.29 A1 (accessory structures) and 6.03 A (street yard setback) to install a standby home generator in a front/side yard and to maintain an aluminum wheelchair ramp. Mover: Chair. Second: Ray Hebert. Outcome: Approved with condition that the generator be screened on three sides with a fence up to 4 feet in height (allowed in the front yard). Rationale: generator required for medical/oxygen continuity for residents; limited location options on a compact lot. Vote: board voice vote in favor.

- ZBA2024-155, 165 Stark Way (R1B): Motion to grant relief from section 6.03 A (street yard setback) and 10.09 B (parking setbacks) to allow a 12×20 deck to encroach 1 foot into the setback and to formalize an existing 20×20 parking pad. Mover: Chair. Second: Craig St. Pierre. Outcome: Approved. Notes: Applicants and abutters said the pad predates the current owner and has been in place for many years. Vote: board voice vote in favor.

What the board said and why it matters

Chair and other board members repeatedly framed approvals around three considerations: whether the relief would harm public interest (air, light, congestion), whether substantial justice favored the applicant, and whether the applicant showed a practical hardship or preexisting condition that prevented strict compliance with the ordinance. In several cases the board found that commercial continuity or lot constraints met those tests and attached conditions to address community concerns.

On the two massage‑therapy cases, applicant representative Tao Bai told the board the units had a "long history of commercial use" and that each shop would start with one licensed practitioner; board members pressed on hours, licensing and whether both shops would operate simultaneously. Chair and board members required 9 a.m.–7 p.m., Monday–Saturday hours and licensing of employees as explicit conditions.

On the 516 Elm Street redevelopment, civil engineer Brian Pratt said the proposal would "beautify the neighborhood" and extend downtown housing; several board members and speakers from the public urged the applicant to add storefront‑level detailing and to secure off‑site parking agreements. The board approved the density and FAR relief but urged the applicant to work with the Arena Overlay and planning staff on façade revisions and parking strategies.

On the Quirk Auto conversion at 2060 Brown Ave, the applicant described plans to move routine passenger vehicle and light‑truck service out of the congested South Willow corridor; the board approved the automotive‑repair variance and required that collision/body‑work vehicles not be stored outside the site.

On the generator at 149 Silley Road, installer Bill Herlicka explained the lot was compact and the natural‑gas service location constrained placement; the board approved a front‑yard placement on the condition that the generator be visually screened with a fence up to 4 feet tall and that the applicant pursue evergreen planting as able.

Notable public testimony and conditions

- Jane Hague of the Manchester Housing Alliance and others told the board they support housing projects but urged attention to affordability and neighborhood character; a local housing advocate asked the developer of 516 Elm Street to consider a small affordable set‑aside.

- For projects affecting parking and loading, the board recommended that applicants pursue lease agreements with nearby garages or the SNHU/Center of New Hampshire parking facilities when on‑site spaces were limited.

What was postponed

- The board announced at the start of the hearing that the applicant for 208 Megan Drive requested a postponement; that item is rescheduled for the Feb. 13, 2025 meeting at 6 p.m.

Next steps

Most approvals require follow‑up permits and, for larger changes, planning‑board review and conditional‑use/site‑plan approvals. Applicants were advised to obtain building permits from the Planning and Community Development Department, and several items will appear before the Planning Board or Arena Overlay Commission for design and site review.

Ending

The board closed the public hearing after taking the votes above, approved minutes from the December meeting with amendments, and adjourned the meeting.