Board grants Cottage Court conditional-use permit to convert Elm Street barn into two apartments

The Keene Planning Board approved a Cottage Court conditional-use permit to convert an existing barn at 429 Elm Street into two additional dwelling units, increasing the property’s unit count from three detached single-family structures to five total units on a 0.48-acre lot.

Planner Evan Clements summarized staff findings: the barn conversion would create a two‑bedroom/one‑bath unit and a one‑bedroom/one‑bath unit, resulting in five units and nine total bedrooms. The site contains eight existing parking spaces; staff determined the proposal meets the Cottage Court parking standard (minimum one space per unit, maximum one space per bedroom). Staff also reported that the property is a legal nonconforming multi‑building residential site that would be brought into conformance with the city’s zoning if the conditional-use permit is granted.

Applicant George Hansel of H.G. Johnson Real Estate presented the application on behalf of owners Joe Bagster and JC and C Rentals LLC. Hansel said the conversion would be primarily an interior fit‑out of the roughly 1,120‑square‑foot barn; exterior changes are limited to replacing three overhead garage doors with conventional doors, expanding dormers for headroom, and updating windows for energy efficiency. He told the board the project would not expand any building footprints and that the average gross floor area per unit (existing plus new) would be about 900 square feet, below the Cottage Court limits (maximum average 1,250 sq ft per unit and maximum 900 sq ft footprint per unit).

Board members asked about parking and site circulation; Councilor Mike Remy and others noted the site’s unusual U‑shaped driveway and suggested the owners consider restriping parking to improve access. Hansel said the owners are likely to review and possibly re‑stripe the parking as part of the work.

Conditions included in the board motion were standard precedent items: the owner’s signature on the site plan and submission of five paper copies and one digital copy of the final site plan prior to final approval and signature. The board voted to approve PB-2025-15 with those conditions; the motion carried with no recorded opposition.

The board and applicant noted that any required building permits will be reviewed by the Building Department for compliance with building, fire and life‑safety codes before occupancy. The approval makes the property’s current multiple‑principal‑use configuration conforming under the cottage court overlay, but construction and building permits remain subject to separate review.