Seabrook board approves height variance for proposed Perkins Avenue hotel

Jeff Brown, chair of the Seabrook Board of Adjustment, opened the Feb. 26 meeting and heard a presentation from representatives for Four Seabrook LLC seeking a height variance for property at 30 Perkins Avenue.

Wayne Morrill of Jones & Beach and Henry Boyd of Millenium Engineering told the board the proposed hotel matches a previously approved design for a nearby site and would have a main roof at 48 feet with a small section reaching 56 feet. They said parking (106 spaces), traffic studies and stormwater controls are already approved, that the site is behind BJ’s and below the highway so the structure would not be readily visible from the road, and that the building could help buffer highway noise.

The request was described as a variance to the terms of Section 7 of the town zoning ordinance to allow building heights exceeding the 35-foot Zone 2 limit. Board members read the required five findings for a variance (public interest; spirit of the ordinance; substantial justice; effect on surrounding property values; and unnecessary hardship) and recorded affirmative votes on each criterion.

Board members Jeff Brown, Jim Sanborn, Phil Howshan, Fidae Azouri and Teresa Rowe voted yes on the findings. Phil Howshan moved to accept the variance as written; Fidae Azouri seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

"The building itself main roof line at 48 feet. There is a small section is 56 ft," Morrill said, summarizing the proposal.

The decision authorizes the developer to proceed under the terms of the variance as recorded. The board did not add conditions beyond standard permitting requirements and referenced the existing approvals for parking and stormwater. The meeting then moved on to the next case.