Concord Zoning Board continues one case, denies two variances and approves several site requests at September meeting

CONCORD — The Concord Zoning Board of Adjustment met in September and issued a mix of continuances, denials and approvals across more than a half-dozen property cases. The board continued one multi-part application to the November meeting, denied two variance requests for 27 Monroe Street, granted several modest setback and accessory-structure variances, approved a special exception to allow one commercial vehicle at a residence, and denied a proposal to build a duplex at 32 Federal Street.

The board front-loaded its action on a range of agenda items and took votes on each case after public testimony and staff comments. Below are the actions taken, brief context and vote outcomes drawn from the meeting record.

Votes at a glance

- Case 4.1 / 4.2 / 4.3 — 181 Village Street (Walter Dratner): Continued to November 2025. The applicant asked for three variances (front setbacks for decks, reduced lot area from 7,500 to 6,534 sq ft, and zero required off-street parking for conversion to a triplex). The board concluded it did not have adequate information on parking design and maneuvering and unanimously reopened and then continued the case to the November meeting to allow the applicant time to work with staff and submit a full site plan. Motion to continue passed unanimously.

- Case 4.4 / 4.5 — 27 Monroe Street (William Shepherd): Denied. The board denied two variance requests: (1) reduce required off-street parking to five spaces where eight are required for a conversion from a triplex to a fourplex, and (2) reduce minimum lot area to 5,662.8 sq ft where 10,000 sq ft is required. The motions to deny cited failure to meet the five-part RSA 674:33 variance criteria and the applicant’s failure to provide evidence that the criteria were met. Both denials passed on recorded votes of 3–0.

- Case 4.6 — 303 South Main Street (John McGrath): Granted. A variance to permit a 2-foot side setback where 10 feet is required for a prebuilt shed was granted unanimously after the applicant described steep terraces and limited practical access to the backyard; board members said the lot’s topography established a hardship.

- Case 4.7 — Sewell Falls Road (Eastern Development / Ryan Taber / Liberty Utilities): Granted (use variance). The board granted a use variance allowing a duplex where duplexes are not permitted by right in the RS (single-family) district for a 3.09-acre parcel that is largely encumbered by utility easements and public lands. Applicant’s attorney and principal argued the parcel is isolated and heavily screened and that the duplex fits the surrounding character; the board voted 3–0 to grant the use variance.

- Case 4.8 — 5 Midland Street (Paul Krevier): Special exception granted. The board approved a special exception to permit parking of one commercial vehicle (a cutaway van roughly 10'10" tall) at a residence in the RS district. The applicant, who said he is a foreman for Eversource and a first responder for utility outages, explained the vehicle is needed for quick response to large outages; a nearby neighbor submitted a letter and spoke in support. The special exception passed unanimously.

- Case 4.9 — 22 Horse Hill Road (Joseph McRobert): Granted. The board granted a variance permitting a front setback of 32 feet where 50 is required to attach a 12x20-foot carport/shed to an existing garage; board members said the small encroachment would not extend beyond the existing garage face and that the lot’s topography limits other options.

- Case 4.10 / 4.11 — 5 Lincoln Street (Michelle Gunther): Granted. Two variances were approved to permit a front setback of 4 feet and side setback of 5 feet where 10 feet is required and to permit lot coverage of 65% where 60% is the maximum in the downtown residential district, for construction of a modest front deck and relocated steps. The board found the proposal would improve safety and is consistent with the character of an already dense downtown-residential area.

- Cases 4.12, 4.13, 4.14: Removed from the agenda.

- Case 4.15 / 4.16 — 32 Federal Street (32 Federal Street LLC): Denied. The board first took action on requested setback relief and then on minimum-lot-size/frontage variances for a proposed duplex. After substantial public comment expressing concerns about on‑street parking, congestion on the narrow one-way Federal Street, winter snow storage, and an invasive-plant (Japanese knotweed) management issue, the board did not reach consensus to approve the requested reduced setbacks; a motion to grant the setback variances failed. The board then voted to deny the requested variances to permit lot area of 2,613.6 sq ft and frontage of 54.7 ft where 11,250 sq ft and 112.5 ft are required for a duplex, concluding RSA 674:33 criteria were not met. The lot-area/frontage denial was recorded 3–0.

What board members and speakers said

- Applicant Walter Dratner said he bought 181 Village Street to restore the structure and prefers converting it to housing but is prepared to use it for storage if he does not receive relief. “I prefer that we build more housing for more people,” Dratner said, adding he would accept the board’s decision either way.

- Resident Chris Steven, who testified in opposition to the 181 Village Street parking proposal, said on-street parking at nearby addresses makes it difficult to exit his driveway and that winter plowing and emergency access were concerns.

- On 32 Federal Street, multiple abutters and tenants spoke in opposition. One tenant said her lease guarantees a parking space in the lot behind the building and that losing that space would create severe hardship for residents. Abutters also raised public-safety, snow-removal and invasive-species (Japanese knotweed) concerns.

Why the board continued or denied some requests

Board discussion repeatedly returned to evidence and the applicant’s burden of proof under RSA 674:33. In several cases the board said it lacked necessary site plans or parking-design drawings to demonstrate compliance with maneuvering and drive-aisle standards. Where staff or the board identified missing documentation (for example, engineered parking layouts or clearance for emergency access), the board either continued the matter to give the applicant time to provide that documentation (181 Village Street) or denied the request because the applicant failed to meet the variance criteria (27 Monroe Street, 32 Federal Street lot-area/frontage).

Next steps

- Continued case 4.1/4.2/4.3 (181 Village Street) will reappear on the board’s November agenda; the applicant was directed to work with staff and a professional designer to present a full parking and maneuvering plan. - Applicants denied may seek rehearings or revise proposals and return to the board; applicants granted variances and special exceptions may proceed through building-permit and planning processes as required.

Context

The meeting record shows the board balancing narrow urban lots, public-safety and snow-management concerns with local housing demand. Several approvals were modest, allowing attached sheds, carports, or small decks; denials clustered where the board found the record failed to establish the state-law variance criteria or where neighbors demonstrated likely negative impacts on a tightly constrained street.

Ending

The Zoning Board concluded its hearing after the final votes and deferred routine minute approval to the next meeting because two members who had attended the prior meeting were absent and the board preferred a full complement for formal minute adoption.