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Record of Proceedings

Claremont Planning Board Meeting – June 8, 2026: Conditional Use Permit and Preliminary Site Plan for 17 Water Street Conversion

Planning Board — Monday, June 8, 2026
BodyClaremont, New Hampshire
SessionPlanning Board
DateMonday, June 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 50:48

Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

Welcome to the planning board meeting Monday, June 8th, 2026.

0:11

Can I have a roll call, please?

0:13

Degan Burdock.

0:14

Jonathan Nelson, G.

0:15

Michael Sandborn, Richard Worley, Bruce Linda.

0:18

Yeah.

0:19

Maximum Jake Ganol France.

0:21

Nancy B.

0:22

Here.

0:23

Nicholas Kalowski.

0:25

Here.

0:26

Remote.

0:27

Okay.

0:28

All right.

0:29

Review of minutes for previous meeting, May 26, 2026.

0:35

Motion to approve is presented.

0:38

Do I get a second?

0:39

I sent one.

0:41

Meeting on it.

0:42

Sorry.

0:43

No.

0:50

It is on page 14.

0:56

Um halfway down, Mr.

0:58

Nelson explained the solar panels could be damaged and so did the parts.

1:01

I I I was just explaining that that the solar that the solar panels are just a piece of the whole project, and so if they're damaged, the project is not at jeopardy of so I saw that and wanted to clarify that.

1:20

All right.

1:21

Who's do I have a second on that?

1:23

I'll say any other discussion.

1:26

All those in favor say aye.

1:28

Aye.

1:28

Aye.

1:29

The minutes pass.

1:32

Okay, on to uh new business.

1:35

Uh public hearing PL 2026-0008, 1852 MB, Claremont LLC.

1:48

Darian, Connecticut.

1:51

Application for a conditional use permit for a 25 unit multifamily residential conversion at 17 Water Street, tax map 120, lot 8, Zone District MU.

2:06

What do you have, Austin?

2:08

Before we start, I'd just like to note for the board that we have an application for a conditional use permit and then a request for preliminary site plan review.

2:15

So I'm going to guide you through the conditional use permit review process.

2:19

My recommendation that after that is complete, we discuss the preliminary review of the site plan with a public hearing as noticed, and um and then we'll be ready for the June 22nd full site plan review.

2:32

So that being said, map 120 lot eight is a small parcel located between Water Street and the Sugar River, the center of Claremont's historic district.

2:40

The 32,751 square foot five-story building on the lot is known as Monadnock Mill No.

2:54

City records indicate the building was constructed between 1834 and 1839.

3:00

Much of the original exterior design has been preserved.

3:03

Once the mills closed, the property was sold to the Claremont Industrial Development Corporation and eventually eventually transferred to the state of New Hampshire in 1981.

3:11

After renovations, mill number one housed several state offices, a use that continued from the 1980s until the last of the offices closed in the 2020s.

3:20

The city purchased the property in 2025 with the goal of guiding the future development of the building and reviewing proposals to convert the building into residential or hotel use.

3:29

The city sold the property to the current owner in December 2025.

3:33

Parcel 128 is roughly rectangular, with land area consisting of the building footprint, the sidewalk and parking area at the front of the building, and the land between mill number one and the building at 11 Water Street.

3:45

The lot directly abuts a city-owned parcel to the northwest that is currently used by the common man through this northwestern lot line, southeastern lot line, directly abut buildings in a manner that is not out of character with other parcels in the mill district.

4:02

The northern lot line abuts the Sugar River and features a concrete retaining wall that supports and protects the building's original stone foundation.

4:09

The parcel is entirely within the mixed-use district, as well as the city's historic district.

4:14

The northern edge of the parcel is also included in the city's floodplain, floodway, and stream bank overlay districts, despite the building's elevation above the river.

4:22

The building is listed to the National Register of Historic Places for its contributions to the Minadnock Mills Historic District and was surveyed for the historic American Engineering Record in 1978.

4:34

Thank you for listening to my history report.

4:36

The applicant plans to convert this building into fully residential use with 25 total apartments.

4:42

This will consist of 17 one-bedroom units and eight two-bedroom units.

4:46

The applicant has included substantial details with the application provided to the board, which should be reviewed in tandem with the answers to the application questions.

5:00

The conversion of vacant office space to multifamily residential use requires a conditional use permit and site plan approval from the planning board.

5:04

Preliminary review of the site plan has been requested this meeting in preparation for the final review stage scheduled for the June 22nd planning board meeting.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning and Land Use███████████████████████████████████35%
Affordable Housing███████████████████19%
Historic Preservation██████████████14%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████12%
Community Engagement██████████10%
Procedural████████8%
Transportation Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Claremont Planning Board Meeting: June 8, 2026

The Claremont Planning Board met on June 8, 2026, to review an application for a conditional use permit and preliminary site plan for converting the former Monadnock Mill No. 1 at 17 Water Street into 25 multifamily residential units. The board approved the conditional use permit and granted waivers for the preliminary site plan, with final review scheduled for June 22, 2026.

Consent Calendar

  • The minutes from the May 26, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously after a clarification by Mr. Nelson regarding the potential damage to solar panels and the project's overall impact.

Discussion Items

Conditional Use Permit (PL 2026-0008)

  • The applicant, Matt Bacon of 1852 MB Claremont LLC, seeks to convert the historic five-story mill building into 25 apartments (17 one-bedroom, 8 two-bedroom). Planning staff (Austin) presented a detailed history and noted that the use requires a conditional use permit under zoning section 22-387. Staff recommended approval, noting compliance with standards.
  • Key discussion points: parking requirement of 25 spaces (only 12 exist on site). The city purchased adjacent lots with approximately 20-25 spaces. The board discussed a proposed condition requiring a parking agreement with the city; board member Nick Kalowski argued that the planning board should not bind the city council on that issue. The condition was removed, with the understanding that parking must be provided per zoning and will be addressed in the final site plan.
  • The applicant confirmed they will work collaboratively with the city on parking, possibly leasing or buying spaces.
  • Questions arose about heat pump locations (to minimize visual impact), life safety improvements (sprinkler system reviewed by deputy fire chief), trash disposal (interior bins and screened dumpster), and common spaces (gym and exterior tie-in to riverwalk).
  • The board unanimously approved the conditional use permit subject to conditions: substantial conformance with application and testimony, obtaining all permits, compliance with regulations, and a two-year validity.

Preliminary Site Plan Review (PL 2026-0009)

  • Planning staff outlined the requirements for site plan submission and noted the applicant requested waivers for formal submission of a site plan, architectural plan, property survey, and landscape plan due to minimal exterior changes.
  • The board discussed whether to waive the formal site plan submission. Members noted existing site plans from 2011 and extensive documentation from state ownership. The applicant argued no material changes to ingress/egress, exterior layout, or footprint.
  • Motion to waive formal submission of a site plan was made and seconded, then approved unanimously. Other waivers (architectural, survey, landscape) will be addressed at final review on June 22.
  • Board members requested no further information; the final site plan will include details on parking arrangement and mechanical location (subject to Historic District Commission approval).

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: Conditional use permit (PL 2026-0008) for 25-unit residential conversion at 17 Water Street, with conditions including substantial conformance, permits, compliance, and two-year validity. Unanimous vote.
  • Approved: Waiver of formal site plan submission for preliminary review (PL 2026-0009). Unanimous vote.
  • Scheduled: Final site plan review for June 22, 2026. The applicant will provide updated plans incorporating board discussion.
  • Public Comments: None received.
  • The meeting adjourned after reports of officers and communications.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to the planning board meeting Monday, June 8th, 2026. Can I have a roll call, please? Degan Burdock. Jonathan Nelson, G. Michael Sandborn, Richard Worley, Bruce Linda. Yeah. Maximum Jake Ganol France. Nancy B. Here. Nicholas Kalowski. Here. Remote. Okay. All right. Review of minutes for previous meeting, May 26, 2026. Motion to approve is presented. Do I get a second? I sent one. Meeting on it. Sorry. No. It is on page 14. Um halfway down, Mr. Nelson explained the solar panels could be damaged and so did the parts. I I I was just explaining that that the solar that the solar panels are just a piece of the whole project, and so if they're damaged, the project is not at jeopardy of so I saw that and wanted to clarify that. All right. Who's do I have a second on that? I'll say any other discussion. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. The minutes pass. Okay, on to uh new business. Uh public hearing PL 2026-0008, 1852 MB, Claremont LLC. Darian, Connecticut. Application for a conditional use permit for a 25 unit multifamily residential conversion at 17 Water Street, tax map 120, lot 8, Zone District MU. What do you have, Austin? Before we start, I'd just like to note for the board that we have an application for a conditional use permit and then a request for preliminary site plan review. So I'm going to guide you through the conditional use permit review process. My recommendation that after that is complete, we discuss the preliminary review of the site plan with a public hearing as noticed, and um and then we'll be ready for the June 22nd full site plan review. So that being said, map 120 lot eight is a small parcel located between Water Street and the Sugar River, the center of Claremont's historic district. The 32,751 square foot five-story building on the lot is known as Monadnock Mill No. City records indicate the building was constructed between 1834 and 1839. Much of the original exterior design has been preserved. Once the mills closed, the property was sold to the Claremont Industrial Development Corporation and eventually eventually transferred to the state of New Hampshire in 1981. After renovations, mill number one housed several state offices, a use that continued from the 1980s until the last of the offices closed in the 2020s. The city purchased the property in 2025 with the goal of guiding the future development of the building and reviewing proposals to convert the building into residential or hotel use. The city sold the property to the current owner in December 2025. Parcel 128 is roughly rectangular, with land area consisting of the building footprint, the sidewalk and parking area at the front of the building, and the land between mill number one and the building at 11 Water Street. The lot directly abuts a city-owned parcel to the northwest that is currently used by the common man through this northwestern lot line, southeastern lot line, directly abut buildings in a manner that is not out of character with other parcels in the mill district.

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