Planning commission records opposition and then moves to deny use permit for residential substance‑use program at 21 Royal Street

The Portsmouth Planning Commission considered a use permit application on Oct. 7 from Urban Life Substance Abuse and Outpatient Services to operate a clinically managed residential (3.1) substance‑use program at 21 Royal Street.

Proposal and staff recommendation Planner Patrice Branch presented the application. Branch said the subject property is a 0.165‑acre lot with a 1,300‑square‑foot building constructed in 1942. The applicant proposed to convert the single‑family structure into a residential program with up to six residents, staffed 24 hours a day, with one staff member on each shift. Branch recommended denial, citing significant operational and physical constraints on the site, including limited on‑site space to meet parking, landscaping and stormwater requirements and insufficient room for…