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Old Dominion site on Technology Drive may need zoning variance after wetlands approval
Summary
Officials said a proposed Old Dominion trucking facility that received a wetlands special exception will likely require a zoning variance because the town now classifies the planned use as a truck terminal rather than a warehouse; the change could require a return to the zoning board and may invite opposition from abutters and nearby businesses.
Grant (staff member) told the committee that a property proposed for Old Dominion trucking secured a wetlands special exception but that the town’s use classification has since been refined from warehousing to a truck terminal, which requires a zoning variance.
"For that reason, it needs a variance," Grant said, describing how the revised use classification means the applicant must seek zoning relief from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. He said the wetlands application proceeded earlier in the process and that the use was not addressed at that time.
Grant and other committee members said the shift in classification has prompted an immediate procedural hurdle. Grant said the applicant now faces the variance process and may encounter opposition from abutters and nearby businesses, including Manchester Harley‑Davidson, which expressed concern about truck traffic.
Why it matters: A requirement for a variance can significantly delay or derail a project because variance standards typically require a showing of hardship and invite testimony from abutters. Committee members said the issue could jeopardize a project they see as beneficial to the town’s economic development plans.
Next steps: Grant said the applicant will need to pursue zoning relief at the Zoning Board of Adjustment and that the Economic Development Committee should monitor the matter. No final zoning board outcome had occurred at the time of the meeting.
