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Keene Zoning Board approves variances to allow subdivision of Markham campus; squash court lot preserved with use condition
Summary
The Zoning Board approved a package of variances enabling Markham Corporation to subdivide a 31-acre property at 150 Congress Street, including creation of a 0.17-acre parcel for the historic Amalgamated Squash club; the board limited future indoor recreation on that lot to racket sports.
The Keene Zoning Board of Adjustment on Tuesday approved multiple variances that together allow the subdivision of a 31-acre Markham Corporation campus at 150 Congress Street, including a 0.17-acre lot for the Amalgamated Squash club and related parking and setback relief.
The board voted unanimously to allow a 37.8-foot rear setback where 50 feet is normally required, to permit a 0.17-acre lot where four acres are required, to allow an indoor recreation/entertainment use on that new lot, and to grant additional parking and side-setback relief needed to divide the existing campus into saleable parcels. The use variance (ZBA2025-18) was approved with a condition limiting permitted activity on the small parcel to racket sports.
Evan Clements, planner and deputy zoning administrator, told the board the approvals are driven by the property’s existing conditions: the buildings and associated parking predate current zoning, and enforcing the dimensional standards strictly would require removing buildings or pavement. He said the proposed subdivision and the land-use relief would be reviewed by the planning board only after the zoning issues are resolved.
John Lefebvre of Fieldstone Land Consultants, representing the applicant, said the 31-acre parcel contains approximately 246,000 square feet of office, manufacturing and warehouse space and that the squash building was relocated to the site in 1976. He said the owner wants to separate ownership of individual buildings so they can be occupied, sold or reused independently. "We're not proposing new construction — we're trying to preserve existing buildings and make them usable," Lefebvre said.
Public commenters and the applicant emphasized the squash club’s history. A speaker identified by the chair as Von Henum, president of the squash club, said the building was moved from Main Street in 1976 and described it as historically important to the community. In response to neighbors’ concerns about precedent and potential future uses, board members and staff stressed that each variance is decided on its own facts and that any future change of use would require a separate application and public notice.
Board members applied the five criteria for variances during deliberations and repeatedly cited the site’s unique, preexisting configuration, the limited public visibility of the changes and the lack of proposed new development as reasons to grant relief. For the use variance, commissioners debated limiting the permitted activities and ultimately approved a condition restricting use to racket sports to reduce the risk that the small building could become a higher-intensity entertainment venue.
The approvals are conditioned on the plan materials presented to the board; staff noted that if the subsequent planning board subdivision materials substantially change, the applicants may need new or revised variance approvals. The board’s decisions allow the applicants to move forward to the planning board with zoning relief in hand.
The board concluded its action on the Markham/150 Congress Street matter by approving the lot-size, setback, parking and use variances unanimously. The planning board will next consider the subdivision materials with those variances noted.
