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Council advances Albacore museum rezoning and gateway district map changes for further readings
Summary
Portsmouth council approved second readings and moved to schedule third and final readings at April meetings to allow the Albacore (submarine museum) and other parcels to be rezoned to gateway districts and to permit museums as a permitted use; public commenters urged environmental and infrastructure review for some parcels.
The Portsmouth City Council on March 16 advanced zoning amendments that would rezone the property associated with the Albacore submarine museum to a Gateway district and make 'museum' a permitted use in Gateway 1 and 2. Planning staff told the council the Albacore property had previously relied on variances and that the change would streamline future site work subject to gateway standards and site‑plan review.
Separately, staff presented a set of city‑initiated map amendments to expand Gateway districts at select corridor parcels to encourage mixed‑use housing consistent with the adopted master plan. The planning board recommended the parcel changes after review. Several public commenters raised environmental, sewer capacity and traffic concerns—particularly for Morona Road and the Banfield area—and urged the council to require due diligence before rezoning industrial land for residential use.
Councilors emphasized these readings are map changes, not project approvals; site plan review, environmental due diligence and infrastructure evaluation would take place before any development. The council suspended rules to schedule third readings at the April 6 meeting.
