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Rye Planning Board denies exemption for Ocean Blvd. office-to-residence conversion; applicant must seek site review
Summary
The Board unanimously denied Dr. James Holland’s request for an exemption from Site Review to convert 2203 Ocean Blvd., Unit C from office to a two-bedroom residence and directed him to apply for Site Review; the decision was memorialized in a Notice of Decision dated May 12, 2026.
The Rye Planning Board voted unanimously on May 12, 2026 to deny Dr. James Holland’s request for an exemption from Site Review to convert a former orthodontist satellite office at 2203 Ocean Blvd., Unit C into a two-bedroom residential apartment. The Board recorded its decision in a formal Notice of Decision dated May 12, 2026 and requested the applicant submit a Site Review application.
Dr. Holland said he purchased the condominium unit in 2017 for use as a satellite orthodontic office, closed it during the COVID-19 pandemic due to staffing difficulties and now seeks residential conversion of the vacant space. The Board discussed that this is a condominium conversion that requires appropriate Site Review filings and that denial of the exemption requires Dr. Holland to pursue Site Review rather than an administrative exemption.
Why it matters: Denial of the exemption means the property owner must follow the Town’s formal Site Review process, including any documentation and plan requirements, before conversion to residential use can proceed. The Notice of Decision references RSA 676:3 and advises applicants to confirm building-permit requirements with the Building Inspector.
Next steps: Dr. Holland must submit a Site Review application to the Planning Board; the Board’s decision does not authorize building permits, which must be sought separately from the Building Inspector.
