Nashua Planning Board Meeting – September 19, 2025
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Nashua Planning Board Meeting – September 19, 2025
The Nashua Planning Board met on September 19, 2025 (note: the meeting transcript calls the meeting to order on September 18, 2025, creating a date discrepancy with the official record). The board reviewed two site plan amendment applications, considered referrals from the Board of Aldermen regarding street acceptance and a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement, and discussed the 2026 meeting schedule.
Minutes Approval
- The board approved the minutes from the September 4, 2025 meeting by a vote of 3-0-2 (three in favor, two abstentions).
Discussion Items
Case A25-0125: 87 Deerwood Drive – Site Plan Amendment
- Attorney Andy Perlman presented on behalf of the property owner, seeking to legalize an existing apartment that was constructed without permits. The building houses an auto repair shop and warehouse; the apartment was converted from office space around 2000. The applicant requested a modification of design standards to allow residential use on the ground floor (typically required on the second floor in the mixed-use overlay). Staff recommended cleanup of parking and driveway compliance.
- Board Action: The board unanimously granted the design standard modification and then granted final site plan amendment approval, subject to conditions in the staff report (with a corrected date in condition D). Both motions passed with all in favor.
Case 825-0129: 18 Abbott Street – Site Plan Amendment
- Paul Chisholm (Kech Nordstrom Associates) presented for the owner, seeking to add three residential units to an existing four‑unit building in the RB zoning district and historic overlay. The project had received a density variance from the ZBA. The plan involves reconstructing parking, reducing curb cuts, and constructing new sidewalk along French Street. The applicant withdrew a waiver regarding sidewalk fee‑in‑lieu and agreed to build the sidewalk. Four waivers were requested for reduced driveway widths, existing conditions disclosure, and underground utilities.
- Board Action: The board granted all four waivers as presented, citing that strict conformity would pose unnecessary hardship and that the waivers would not undermine the spirit of the regulations. Final site plan approval was granted with conditions A through O, including a revision to condition B to reference a September 16, 2025 letter from staff. Motion passed unanimously.
Sanders Street Acceptance – Referral from Board of Aldermen (R-25-197)
- Staff explained that a portion of a newly constructed right‑turn lane onto Bridge Street needed to be dedicated to the city for maintenance and liability reasons. Board member Dan Hudson noted a prior maintenance agreement with the developer and supported the petition.
- Board Action: The board made a favorable recommendation to the Board of Aldermen, with no objections.
Maynard Homes Redevelopment – PILOT Agreement Referral
- The Board of Aldermen referred a request to authorize a developer agreement including a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for Phase One of the Maynard Homes redevelopment by the Nashua Housing Redevelopment Authority. Discussion included the project’s affordable housing component, a significant drainage trunk line improvement, and the structure of the PILOT payments (zero dollars in early years with compounding escalation). Some board members expressed a desire for more context on PILOT mechanics, but ultimately supported the referral.
- Board Action: The board voted 4-0-1 (four in favor, one abstention) to issue a favorable recommendation to the Board of Aldermen.
Other Business
- 2026 Meeting Dates: A draft calendar was presented for review. Board member Hudson suggested moving the second June meeting to June 25 and the July 2 meeting to July 9 or later to avoid holiday conflicts. No formal action taken.
- Tentative Agenda – Regional Impact: The board determined that no upcoming development qualifies as a development of regional impact, by unanimous vote.
Key Outcomes
- Case A25-0125: Design standard modification granted; final site plan approval granted.
- Case 825-0129: Four waivers granted; final site plan approval granted with amended conditions.
- Sanders Street: Favorable recommendation to Board of Aldermen.
- Maynard Homes PILOT: Favorable recommendation (4-0-1).
- Next regular meeting: October 16, 2025 (October 2 meeting canceled).
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I'd like to call to order the September 18th, 2025 meeting of the City of Nashua Planning Board. First item on the agenda, uh roll call. Uh Mr. Hirsch, do you you have that available? Or Scott have that available? All right, thank you. Mayor Dontius. Mike Peterson. Uh Bob Bollinger. Here. Adam Barley? Here. Maggie Harper. Dan Hudson. Here. Scott LeClair. Larry Hirsch? Here. Cameron Green. Here. Patricia Clee. All right. Thank you, Scott. We have a quorum. Moving along. Approval of minutes from the September 4th, 2025 meeting. Has any member of the board had an opportunity to review those minutes and is willing to uh make a motion regarding their uh acceptance uh as written or acceptance with amendment or other option. Uh Mr. Varley? Mr. Chair, I would make a motion to accept the minutes as written. All right. Motion by Mr. Varley to accept. Is there a second? Second by Mr. Hudson. Any further discussion? All those in favor? Aye. Abstain. We have uh three y's and two abstentions. Okay. All right. Uh next item on the agenda is communications. Um Scott or Connor, uh, anything that came in after uh we received our packets this week? Yes. Uh 825-0129 is 18 Abbott. Uh the staff report was uh posted uh earlier in the week.
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