Zoning board approves Ragged Island permit for summer concert series with conditions

The Portsmouth Zoning Board voted to approve a special-use permit for Ragged Island to continue its summer concert series, subject to conditions discussed during the hearing.

A Ragged Island representative outlined the proposal, saying the request covers a slate of Wednesday-night concerts with two reserved rain dates and that the applicant had met with police and fire. "We have met with police and fire. They didn't see any issues," the representative said during the presentation. The applicant acknowledged one prior night with parking challenges and described steps taken to add on-site parking and to hire staff to manage traffic.

Board members asked how many dates the applicant sought; there was back-and-forth about whether the total was 14 or 15 events, with the applicant explaining scheduling decisions and potential substitutions to cover rainouts. Members also confirmed that the applicant had included a prior sound variance application and a plan to manage levels; the applicant said they had hired a company to manage sound readings and that prior measurements were under the required threshold.

After brief deliberation and comments praising the event as a community asset, a board member moved to approve the application, several members voted in favor, and the motion carried. Conditions discussed at the hearing—parking mitigation, policing and fire coordination, and adherence to any sound-variance conditions from the town council—were referenced in the approval.

The decision allows Ragged Island to schedule the approved concert dates and to proceed under the board’s conditions; the permit remains subject to any appeal period and to obtaining any additional town approvals required for sound or event management.