Manchester Zoning Board approves variances across a long December agenda; Harley-Davidson temporary site cleared

The Manchester Zoning Board of Adjustment on a December night approved variance requests for a broad slate of residential and commercial properties, including plans to convert existing buildings into additional housing units, authorization for a temporary Harley‑Davidson dealership and a new wayfinding sign package for Easterseals NH.

The board heard applications and public comment on more than a dozen cases and granted relief in each contested item on the agenda. Chair Greg Powers opened the meeting by describing the board’s role in evaluating variances against the zoning ordinance and statutory criteria, and the board moved through the docket item by item.

Why this matters: Several approvals ease constraints on property owners who want to add apartments in a city that continues to seek more housing, while a commercial temporary-use approval preserves continuity for a local business during construction of a permanent facility. Several approvals also carried implementation conditions—building permits, elevation or floodplain documentation, or follow-up before the planning board—so the board’s votes are the start of the permitting pathway, not final construction approvals.

Votes at a glance (selected cases) - ZBA 2024‑113, 109 Bailey Ave:…