Bedford Zoning Board of Adjustment – Wetlands Variance Hearing – November 18, 2025
Bedford Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting – November 18, 2025
The Bedford Zoning Board of Adjustment met on November 18, 2025, to consider a variance application for a medical office building at 265 and 269 South River Road. The board also approved minutes from October 21, 2025, and noted the postponement of a second agenda item. No public comments were made.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes from October 21, 2025: Approved with one correction on page six (changing "are being used" to "are not being used") on a vote of 5-0-1 (one abstention).
Discussion Items
- Variance Application – 265-269 South River Road (Lots 24-1-1 and 24-98-7): Applicant Jason Hill (TF Moran) and property owner representative Dean Navaroli requested a variance from Article 3, Section 275-28A to permanently impact 2,128 square feet and temporarily impact 270 square feet of wetlands to construct a 19,270-square-foot medical and professional office building in the Performance (PZ) zone. The same plan had been approved by the board in 2022/2023 but the variance expired due to delays caused by the NHDOT’s South River Road improvement project. The applicants argued the impacted wetlands are low-quality, erosional features at the margin of a man-made slope, and that the project would improve stormwater treatment. They stated alternative building orientations were considered but resulted in greater wetland impacts or were not feasible due to existing access easements, parking minimums, and the recent DOT right‑of‑way taking that pushed the building eastward. Board members questioned the feasibility of a smaller building, alternative parking configurations, and the applicants’ commitment to Conservation Commission recommendations. The applicants stated the building size (approximately 20,000 square feet) is economically necessary and that they will incorporate native species and pollinator plants in the landscape plan at the planning board stage.
- Postponed Item – Appeal of Administrative Decision (16 Suzanne Drive): The applicant (Joshua and Kathleen Miller, Kevin and Mary Brown) requested postponement to December 16, 2025. The board noted that only four members would have been available to vote on the original date, and the applicant was informed of that option.
Key Outcomes
- Variance Granted (5-0): The board approved the variance, finding all five criteria satisfied. The motion included an amendment requiring the landowner to landscape with native species and incorporate pollinator plants to the extent feasible. The board incorporated findings of fact from the meeting minutes, concluding the variance would not threaten public health, safety, or welfare; would create additional tax revenue and improved stormwater treatment; and that denial would prevent the applicant from economically developing the property. The meeting adjourned after the vote.
Meeting Transcript
All right, I'd like to call to order the zoning board of adjustment meeting for November 18th, 2025. First, we'll introduce the board. First to my right is Mark Schneider. We have Joe Fahy. Good evening. Neil Caselli. Hello. I am John Morne. Alex Kellerman. Good evening. Colleen Olson, who is our land use and uh development planner. Good evening. And Becky Hebert, who is our planning director. Good evening. So first item we're gonna deal with this uh evening is our minutes from October 21st. Anyone have any changes or anything? I actually had one small one on page six at the bottom. It says uh Mr. Kellerman said he'd be able to repurpose these concrete pads that are being used to their full potential right now. It should say are not being used to their full potential. Okay. Anything else? Not seeing any. I'll take a motion to approve those. Make a motion. Move the uh move that the zoning board approved the minutes from October 21st, 2025. And a second. Second. We have a second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Abstain. And one abstain. Okay. All right. So let me go over the do you want to point them as uh voting? Yes. So well, everyone will be voting this evening. So on this application. So all right. So rules of procedure. What we will do is let the applicant uh present their application. We'll have public input if any show up. And then what we'll do is give you a summation if you'd like to give us any last items, and then we will go into a non-public input session to vote. All right. Uh we will vote on that this evening. Um I'll ask everybody to silence their cell phones so that way it doesn't interfere with the meeting, and our 9 30 time limit limit hopefully is not gonna matter this evening. So I'll bypass that.
openpublica.com