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Applicant seeks wine bar at 483 Depot Street; board hears 11‑space weekend‑evening shortfall
Summary
Craig Hunter, representing HB Realty Partners, asked the Development Review Board to allow a change of use for 483 Depot Street to a wine bar with 47 indoor seats and 10 seasonal outdoor seats; the applicant acknowledged an 11‑space parking shortfall for weekend evenings and proposed a shared‑parking agreement. The board closed the public hearing and moved to deliberation.
Craig Hunter, representing HB Realty Partners, told the Town of Manchester Development Review Board that the applicant seeks a change of use for 483 Depot Street from retail to a wine bar with 47 indoor seats and 10 seasonal outdoor seats.
Hunter described the parking analysis the applicant submitted and said the proposal meets required parking levels for weekday and most evening periods but “they are still coming up short by 11 parking spaces” during weekend evenings. He proposed a shared‑parking arrangement that aggregates spaces the owner controls and points to 112 spaces across Depot Street at Manchester Square as additional capacity during the wine bar’s peak hours. Hunter also noted that many nearby retail tenants close by 6:00 p.m., decreasing competition for those spaces during the wine bar’s busiest times.
The board reviewed the town’s off‑site/shared parking provisions and the bicycle‑parking standard in the Land Use Ordinance. The ordinance requires, among other provisions, that “at least one bicycle parking space for every 25 automobile parking spaces must be provided,” and that bicycle parking be within 175 feet of a building entrance; applicants may substitute additional bicycle parking for automobile stalls under specified ratios. The applicant acknowledged that bicycle parking racks will be required and that any outdoor seating will require separate review and permitting if a seasonal layout or beverage license is added.
Board members asked about hours of operation (Hunter provided a schedule ranging from a 5 p.m. opening on Monday–Wednesday to a 1 p.m. opening on weekends, with late hours on Thursday–Saturday) and whether food service or a kitchen was planned; the applicant said no kitchen or food service is proposed. The board also noted that any change in shared‑parking terms, tenant hours, or tenant mix would require a new parking agreement be submitted and filed with the town clerk.
At the close of the public hearing, John Watanabe moved to close the hearing; the motion was seconded and carried 5-0. The board later moved into a deliberative session specifically on this application and returned to open session; the minutes do not record a final approval or denial of the conditional‑use application.
