Claremont Zoning Board Meeting - July 6, 2026
Claremont Zoning Board Meeting - July 6, 2026
The Claremont Zoning Board met on July 6, 2026, to address routine approvals and two new business applications. The board approved a special exception for a hair salon home occupation at 302 Old Newport Road and continued a density variance application for 236 North Street to August 3, 2026, after hearing an abutter's opposition.
Consent Calendar
- Confirmed board attendance and alternate appointments.
- Approved the March 2, 2026 meeting minutes by voice vote; one board member abstained because they were not present for that meeting.
- Old business: none.
Public Comments & Testimony
- For the Old Newport Road application, no members of the public offered comments for or against the request.
- For the North Street application, Renee Davis (Ward 3) opposed the variance. She stated she had lived in her house since 2001, snow is plowed into her yard every winter, the property does not actually have six parking spaces because the horseshoe driveway becomes blocked when one car is parked, the surrounding area is old and congested, property-line pins are not visible, and the applicant's failure to appear was concerning to her.
Discussion Items
302 Old Newport Road - Special Exception for Hair Salon Home Occupation (Z2025-00005)
- Staff reported that the 2.3-acre RR2 lot on the eastern side of Old Newport Road contains the applicants' single-family home and an 896-square-foot garage, with no known zoning concerns. Customers would visit by appointment, so on-site parking would be needed. Home occupations are permitted in RR2 by special exception.
- Applicants Scott and Katie Joe Leatherberry said the salon was in the early planning stages and could be located in the existing garage or in new construction, depending on discussions with building and fire officials. Katie Joe would be the sole employee of a one-girl salon. They stated the salon would not use city utilities; the property has its own well, and the salon would have its own septic system, or an enlarged septic system if the garage is used.
- Board members discussed signage and noted the permitted sign-size requirement would need to be coordinated with the planning office.
- The board walked through the special-exception criteria and found that the site was appropriate, property values would not be reduced, no nuisance or unreasonable hazards would result, traffic impact would be limited to a combined three to four parking spaces for the home and salon, adequate water, sewer, and parking facilities would be provided, and the use would not place a disproportionate burden on city services because the property uses its own well and septic.
236 North Street - Density Variance for Six-Unit Property (Z2025-00006)
- Applicants Isaiah Higgins and Doris Higgins of Brookline, Massachusetts, did not appear. Staff described a 0.39-acre lot with frontage on North Street and Sunnyside Avenue, listed in the application as CR2 district; the staff narrative initially said CRT before citing the CR2 density standard. The property has a multifamily building with three dwelling units and a second building containing a garage apartment that a prior owner illegally converted without permits after 2010. The applicants sought to legalize that unit and obtain a certificate of occupancy for a previously approved fourth unit, bringing the total to six units.
- Staff said six units would produce a density of 2,831.4 square feet per unit, below the CR2 maximum of one dwelling unit per 5,000 square feet, requiring a variance. No exterior changes would be required apart from possible structural or egress upgrades. The lot currently has more than six designated parking spaces.
- The board opened the public hearing to receive the abutter's comments, then discussed continuing the matter to the next meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Z2025-00005, the special exception for a hair salon as a home occupation at 302 Old Newport Road, Tax Map 125, Lot 3, subject to conditions: operation must conform to the application and hearing testimony; all necessary local, state, and federal permits and approvals must be obtained and approved by the planning and development department before work begins; and the special exception must be exercised within two years of final approval unless extended. The approval carried by voice vote.
- Continued Z2025-00006, the density variance for 236 North Street, Tax Map 95, Lot 5, to the August 3, 2026, zoning board meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The motion to continue carried by voice vote, and the abutter's testimony will remain part of the continued hearing record.
Meeting Transcript
Point your alternate our alternates and then to um elect from among you who stay okay to you move me no you good all right uh welcome to uh the zoning board meeting dated uh what are we 6 July 2026 um we need attendance collins here Mike Heard James Petrin Wayne Hemingway from Mew Aaron Lafontaine John Dean Okay um so let me appoint uh Aaron for Mike uh Erd as an alternate and then um John for uh Mike Lemuel as an alternate okay um on to the meetings uh approval of meetings for March 2nd 2026 we get a motion to approve those meetings or oh a motion approval second uh any discussion we we don't need a roll call on that all those in favor say aye aye I'll abstain I was not here um leaves it nuts where's my agenda old business all right on the old business uh see old business is there is none right there is none there's no old business very good all right new business we have uh zoning um 2025 zero zero zero zero five Katie Joe and Scott Leatherberry 302 Old Newport Road application for a special exception to allow a hair salon as a home occupation at 302 Old Newport Road tax map 125 lot three zoning district rr two and I believe you're up I'll confirm the applicants are present okay subject property is a 2.3 acre lot on the eastern side of old Newport Road in the RR2 district there's a single family home on the lot occupied by the applicant along with 896 square foot garage there are currently no known non performances over zoning concerns on the salon the applicant wishes to establish a salon at the property which will be considered a home occupation as defined in section 221 of the zoning city staff spoke with the applicant and determined that the proposed use is entirely conforming with city requirements for a home occupation for section 22188 of the zoning ordinance home occupations are permitted in the RR2 district by special exception there are no concerns with the operation of this home occupation the salon will either be located in the existing structure or new construction pending ongoing conversations between the applicants and building and fire officials. Both proposed locations would meet zoning requirements so it's appropriate to proceed with consideration of the application for a special exception at this time customers will visit the property for appointments so the use will require on-site parking the lot has a driveway with enough parking to serve the single family home and the home occupation both of which will demand a combined total of no more than three to four parking spaces at any given time section 225316 details the off street parking requirements for home occupations as we copied below in your report that is all I have to offer on this we need a butter's uh list kitty joe leatherberry Scott Leatherberry Brian Ped Murray Jr Michael Mook Jr. Jody Moot Shane Taylor General Auto Sales Donald Dope anybody that's here no the applicants are right well just yeah with that just the application all right shall we have from here from the applicant now or yeah hello hello everyone so we're in the process of um asking for permission for this we gotta give your name state oh yeah please my name is Scott Leatherberry and this is my wife Katie Joe Leatherberry um we're in we're in the baby steps of this we're just getting started so we're either going to do new construction as I'm working with the building inspector to ensure that the building that I'm looking at is going to beat the requirements or we're gonna use our garage which our garage is sufficient size but we'll just ask for permission to be able to do this uh on uh at home business um she's gonna be the sole employee for herself is this a one one girl salon oh that's where we're at not gonna use any utilities from the city we have our own well and it will have its own septic unless we do it in the garage then we'll do a bigger septic type of thing okay any questions from the no I have none signage you Um she's gonna be the sole employee for herself. It's just a one one girl salon. Oh where we're at. Not gonna use any utilities from the city. We have our own well, and it will have its own septic. Unless we do it in the garage, then we'll do a bigger septic type of thing. Okay. Any questions from the no, I have none. Signage. You you have a you're only permitted a certain size if you do decide to put a sign up. I know there's a beetition thing that you got a certain size they want in the city has a certain size, so you may just information you may have to work that little detail out. Yeah, um there's a permit for that, right? Well, there'll it'll be a permit, but there's a certain size that you're gonna be required by the state. Okay, and I don't know if Claremont's change it used to be you had to do a different size sign because they were allowed a two square foot, and I think the cosmetology sign was a little bit bigger. Yeah, but that's something that they'll work out with you at the planning office when that time comes. Any other questions or comments from the make a quick request? Um one of the alternates was appointed to sit in for you. Can we just modify that before we move on? Okay. So I believe it was uh Aaron that was uh sat in from Mike Heard. If we can just change that and put you back in the seat for and Jim, get Jim and Mike. So these are both okay. Gotcha. All right, so we'll put an Aaron for Jim. Yeah, because he's Jones doing like the other one. Any other questions from the board? I have none. All right, that will close close you down. Anyone from the public here to speak for or against okay, thank you. We'll bring it back to the board. Any further discussion? Okay. Go over that. All set. You're all set? Yep. Yeah, we're all set for the moment. Um we need to read in the the motion. No, not yet, just go over the variance. Yeah, okay. Um it increase the congestion on the streets. Uh this is for a special exemption. So forward on your page three. Page three. Okay. At the bottom starts number one. Got it.
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