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Planning board grants PUD amendment for 7,000 sq ft AutoZone; site-plan review continued to Nov. 18
Summary
The Merrimack Planning Board granted conditional approval of a PUD amendment to allow a 7,000 sq ft AutoZone at 515 Daniel Webster Highway and continued the detailed site-plan review to Nov. 18 so town peer review comments can be addressed.
The Merrimack Planning Board on Nov. 4 granted a conditional amendment to the planned-unit development (PUD) that would allow a one-story, 7,000-square-foot AutoZone retail building at 515 Daniel Webster Highway and continued the related site-plan review to the board's Nov. 18 meeting.
John Ralphs of Nobis Group Engineering, representing Zaremba Grama Development LLC and AutoZone, told the board the proposed building is retail-only and "not service," and that the addition does not exceed the previously approved retail square footage for the PUD. Ralphs walked the board through grading, drainage and utility plans, saying the design bypasses an existing drainage line, adds catch basins and reduces impervious area to improve stormwater recharge. Ralphs said the peer-review of engineering comments remains outstanding and that conditional site-plan approval was not expected at this meeting.
The board briefly opened a public hearing on the PUD amendment and then closed it. The chair recorded the motion to grant conditional approval (motion recorded by the board as made and seconded) and the board voted unanimously, 6-0-0, to approve the amendment.
During the site-plan presentation and subsequent Q&A, board members and staff raised accessibility and code-enforcement concerns about the larger plaza where the AutoZone would be located. Staff and multiple board members said existing ADA parking spaces and ramps across the plaza lack compliant signage and, in places, have pavement and ramp geometry that do not meet modern ADA standards. Casey, a town staff member, told the board the town has been working with the property owner; staff confirmed the parking lot was restriped following staff follow-up, but signage remained outstanding.
Ralphs told the board the project would not include automotive service (for example, oil changes) that would create high risk of spills; he said battery testing and replacement — activities typical at many retail auto parts stores — are handled in secured areas and would comply with plumbing and drainage rules. He also said utilities (water, sewer, telephone and electric) will be tied into existing infrastructure and that the applicant will address backflow prevention and other town comments in the next submission.
Because the town's peer-review letter had not been completed, the applicant agreed to continue the site's formal acceptance and public hearing to Nov. 18, 2025. The board recorded a motion to continue the application to Nov. 18 with no further written notice to abutters; the motion passed 6-0-0. Staff expects the peer-review letter before the Nov. 18 meeting.
No final site-plan approvals were issued Nov. 4; the board's action was limited to the PUD amendment and setting the next review date. The applicant will return on Nov. 18 with revised plans and peer-review responses.
