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Keene zoning board denies variance for proposed STA depot at 59 Optical Ave
Summary
After hours of public comment and debate about emissions, noise and zoning, the Keene Zoning Board of Adjustment voted to deny a use variance for a Student Transportation of America (STA) depot and maintenance site at 59 Optical Ave, finding the proposal inconsistent with the Industrial Park/Light Industrial standards.
The Keene Zoning Board of Adjustment voted to deny a use variance for a proposed Student Transportation of America depot and maintenance site at 59 Optical Ave, finding the requested outdoor storage and repair activity inconsistent with the Industrial Park District’s intent that principal activities be conducted within buildings.
Steve Buckley moved that the board find the criteria necessary to grant a use variance were not satisfied and that the request be denied. The motion was adopted by the board. During deliberations members repeatedly returned to the land development code’s stated intent that light-industrial activities be housed inside a building and noted that outdoor bus storage and movement would create a significant exterior activity level not contemplated by the district.
Residents and experts who testified during the public-comment period emphasized health, noise and circulation concerns. Nora Travis, a scientist who said she studies diesel exhaust, told the board that "diesel exhaust actually is classified as carcinogenic to humans," and urged the board to weigh startup emissions and daily start-up cycles when considering neighborhood air quality. Neighbors described worries about early-morning engine starts, backup alarms and the practical challenges of maneuvering dozens of large buses in the existing lot.
The applicant and STA representatives said they had reduced potential impacts by moving the proposed bus parking farther from homes, limiting on-site repairs to one bus at a time and committing to operational restrictions. Steve Renick of STA described the operator’s anti-idling policy and telematics tracking, saying drivers sign the anti-idling rules and onboard systems flag excessive idling. The applicant also noted contract limits that keep Keene buses at seven years old or newer.
Board members acknowledged the applicant’s accommodations but said the variance standard (including the hardship and spirit-of-ordinance tests) was not met for this location. The chair closed the public hearing before the deliberation and the board recorded the denial motion and its finding of fact that the proposed use would have significant outdoor activity inconsistent with the zoning language. The board then recessed and proceeded to the next agenda item.
