OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Nashua Planning Board Meeting – July 10, 2026

Board of Aldermen Meetings — Friday, July 10, 2026
BodyNashua, New Hampshire
SessionBoard of Aldermen Meetings
DateFriday, July 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:20:42

Transcript — Verbatim
0:47

Good evening.

0:49

Seven o'clock.

0:49

I'd like to call to order the July 9th, 2026, City of Nashua Planning Board meeting.

0:59

Before we get to the uh roll call and other items, I do just want to announce um the case RB Farms uh 11 Tara Boulevard, uh both cases related to that project that has been continued or uh postponed rather to August 6th at the applicant's request.

1:17

So we will not be hearing any testimony this evening on the uh proposed charitable gaming facility with any members of the audience or we have anyone on Zoom tonight.

1:27

So did just want to stipulate that for the record.

1:30

So thank you.

1:31

Uh first item on the agenda, uh roll call, Mr.

1:35

Green.

1:36

Yes, Mayor Doncas.

1:39

Joseph McIntyre?

1:40

Present.

1:42

Bob Bollinger here.

1:44

Adam Barley, here.

1:46

Maggie Harper.

1:50

Dan Hudson here.

1:52

Benjamin Zoller here.

1:54

Larry Hirsch.

1:56

Cameron Green here.

1:58

All right.

1:58

Thank you, Mr.

1:59

Green.

1:59

We have a quorum.

2:00

Uh next item on the agenda, approval minutes from our June 4th, 2026 meeting.

2:05

Uh has any member of the board had an opportunity to review those meeting uh minutes and willing make a recommendation regarding their acceptance?

2:12

Mr.

2:12

Zoller.

2:13

Mr.

2:13

Chairman, I'd like to make a motion to accept those minutes as written.

2:16

All right, thank you.

2:17

Motion by Mr.

2:17

Zoller, is there a second?

2:19

Second by Mr.

2:20

Green.

2:21

Any further discussion?

2:23

All those in favor?

2:25

Aye.

2:25

Motion passes.

2:27

Next item on the agenda, communications.

2:30

Uh Connor or Sam, any come in late?

2:34

Oh, we just received a uh updated engineering comment letter for 63 Arlington Street subdivision, and so that was reflected in the staff report, as all.

2:44

All right, very good.

2:45

Thank you.

2:46

All right.

2:47

Next item on the agenda, uh report of chair, committee, and liaison.

2:51

Uh chair has nothing tonight.

2:54

Uh Mr.

2:54

McIntyre.

2:56

Anything on your mind you wanted to bring up or yes, is this the appropriate time?

3:01

We can do it now, certainly.

3:02

Thank you.

3:03

Yeah, um, so uh being new, I like to uh use that um uh it's not uh excuse, it's kind of a reason why I'm asking the questions is a big difference.

3:14

Um I I want to uh ask in in general to uh either the planning department or to the chair, a couple of things that uh I've thought about over the recent time, especially when we start getting into sites that can be fairly complicated issues.

3:33

Okay.

3:34

Um that is uh two things.

3:38

The first one is I am a visual guy, especially, and uh I like being able to see the sites that are being discussed if they're of significance or prominence, and that's a relative term, I guess.

3:52

Um but to me, uh every now and then this board will get something, and I think there are a few that could possibly be that way sometime soon.

4:01

But um so uh I I'm concerned about one, either wanting to do a site visit on my own as a member, uh not as a citizen, but I mean being clear, hey, I'm on the planning board and I want to see this site.

4:17

Uh is that an acceptable behavior to do?

4:20

And then secondarily, if that isn't, is it uh uh acceptable behavior for the board to schedule a site visit if the board in in uh uh in MAS agrees that it's a significant uh task to do.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████████████████████54%
Procedural█████████████████████████30%
Community Engagement████5%
Zoning Variances████5%
Public Engagement██2%
Parks and Recreation██2%
Affordable Housing██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Nashua Planning Board Meeting – July 10, 2026

The Nashua Planning Board met on July 10, 2026, at 7:00 PM (the meeting was called to order on July 9, 2026, but the recording timestamp indicates July 10). The board approved a subdivision, granted a site plan extension and amendment for a large redevelopment, and gave favorable recommendations on three board of alderman referrals. The meeting concluded at 8:20 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the June 4, 2026 meeting.
  • Communications: An updated engineering comment letter for 63 Arlington Street subdivision was received and noted in the staff report.

Discussion Items

Board Member Questions on Site Visits and Work Sessions

  • Joseph McIntyre raised two procedural questions. First, he inquired about the ability of individual board members to conduct site visits and whether the board can schedule formal site walks. Staff clarified that individual visits are permissible as long as there is no trespassing (applicants sign a right of entry), and formal site walks must be publicly noticed and can include staff experts. Second, McIntyre asked about the possibility of annual or semi-annual work sessions to discuss topics like the recode, population trends, and master plan updates. The chair and staff noted that informational sessions can be scheduled on lighter agenda nights, and the board can use the discussion item section of the agenda to raise issues. McIntyre expressed a desire for more interactive board discussions.

63 Arlington Street Subdivision (A26-0104)

  • Applicant: Alex Trafrida (IMEG) on behalf of Arlington Street Methodist Church.
  • Description: Subdivision of 0.52-acre church property to create a separate 0.144-acre lot (Lot 53) containing the existing parsonage, which the church wishes to sell. The remaining lot (Lot 67-1) is 0.378 acres. No new site improvements are proposed. A waiver was requested for Section 190-281 D10 (existing conditions of adjacent parcels) due to unnecessary hardship.
  • Public Testimony: Reverend Sharon Sargent, representing the Granite District of the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church, spoke in favor of the subdivision.
  • Outcome: The board granted the waiver and unanimously approved the final subdivision plan with conditions.

103 Temple Street Site Plan Extension and Amendment (A26-0132)

  • Applicant: Ethan Beals (IMEG) and Matt Lavery (Property Possible Inc.) for a 385-unit redevelopment of the former J.F. McElwain Shoe Manufacturing site.
  • Description: The project seeks a 12-month extension of a previously approved site plan (originally approved July 2023) and an amendment to introduce a phasing plan. Phase One includes Building A (205 units) and associated site improvements, including the Spruce Street connector. Phase Two includes Buildings B and C (180 units total) and remaining improvements. The buildings are independent for utilities and parking. The applicant noted that environmental remediation and financing (NH Housing) are in progress, with construction on Phase One expected to start in August 2026.
  • Discussion: The board extensively discussed the implications of phasing, particularly whether building permits for Phase One would vest the approval for Phase Two indefinitely. Staff clarified that under the ordinance, "active and substantial development" requires footings for all buildings, so Building B and C would need separate extensions unless the board specifies otherwise. The board decided not to impose additional conditions on the fly and approved the extension and amendment as presented.
  • Outcome: The board unanimously approved the 12-month site plan extension and the site plan amendment to include the phasing plan.

Board of Alderman Referrals

  • O-26-019: Codifies a $50 fee for environmental health department review of subdivision applications. The board made a favorable recommendation.
  • R-26-047: Authorizes an amended master development agreement for the NIMCO site (Lansing Melbourne Group). The plan changes from a single 250-unit building to a two-phase project with 242 units total. The revision increases the city's revenue by approximately $1.8 million through non-refundable option payments. The board made a favorable recommendation.
  • R-26-046: Authorizes the sale of surplus right-of-way (Parcel A) along Veterans Memorial Parkway, which will facilitate development of adjacent parcels. Proceeds must be returned to NHDOT or federal highways. The board made a favorable recommendation.

Key Outcomes

  • 63 Arlington Street Subdivision: Approved with waiver.
  • 103 Temple Street Site Plan: Extension and amendment approved.
  • Referrals: All three received favorable recommendations from the board.
  • Next Meeting: The next regular meeting is scheduled for August 6, 2026 (with cases continued from this meeting).

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Seven o'clock. I'd like to call to order the July 9th, 2026, City of Nashua Planning Board meeting. Before we get to the uh roll call and other items, I do just want to announce um the case RB Farms uh 11 Tara Boulevard, uh both cases related to that project that has been continued or uh postponed rather to August 6th at the applicant's request. So we will not be hearing any testimony this evening on the uh proposed charitable gaming facility with any members of the audience or we have anyone on Zoom tonight. So did just want to stipulate that for the record. So thank you. Uh first item on the agenda, uh roll call, Mr. Green. Yes, Mayor Doncas. Joseph McIntyre? Present. Bob Bollinger here. Adam Barley, here. Maggie Harper. Dan Hudson here. Benjamin Zoller here. Larry Hirsch. Cameron Green here. All right. Thank you, Mr. Green. We have a quorum. Uh next item on the agenda, approval minutes from our June 4th, 2026 meeting. Uh has any member of the board had an opportunity to review those meeting uh minutes and willing make a recommendation regarding their acceptance? Mr. Zoller. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to make a motion to accept those minutes as written. All right, thank you. Motion by Mr. Zoller, is there a second? Second by Mr. Green. Any further discussion? All those in favor? Aye. Motion passes. Next item on the agenda, communications. Uh Connor or Sam, any come in late? Oh, we just received a uh updated engineering comment letter for 63 Arlington Street subdivision, and so that was reflected in the staff report, as all. All right, very good. Thank you. All right. Next item on the agenda, uh report of chair, committee, and liaison. Uh chair has nothing tonight. Uh Mr. McIntyre. Anything on your mind you wanted to bring up or yes, is this the appropriate time? We can do it now, certainly.

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