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ZBA approves three sign variances at Amherst/Airport to aid wayfinding
Summary
Law Realty Co. received approval to keep an existing oversized ground sign (~123.5 sq ft), to maintain a sign within 75 feet of the intersection, and to allow a second corner sign treated as on-premises to direct traffic to 340 Amherst Street.
The Nashua Zoning Board of Adjustment on Jan. 12 approved three variances for Law Realty Co. covering signage at the Amherst Street/Airport Road redevelopment.
Attorney Morgan Hollis, representing owner Brian Law, asked the board to (1) allow an existing ground sign of about 123.5 square feet where 100 is permitted, (2) permit a ground sign within 75 feet of the intersection, and (3) treat a proposed second corner sign as on-premises rather than as an off-premises/billboard so it can serve 340 Amherst Street without producing back-to-back signs. Hollis argued the properties function as a single, cross-access development and that the lot configuration creates a special condition that justifies relief.
Hollis said the applicant does not seek a billboard and emphasized, "We don't want a billboard, we want a sign." Board members noted the site's traffic complexity and generally supported the variances as improving wayfinding and reducing potentially hazardous last-minute maneuvers toward the emergency center on Amherst Street/Daniel Webster Highway. A motion to grant the three variances passed; a condition discussed would bar a ground sign on 340 if granted and was accepted by the applicant as a reasonable limitation.
