Planning Board

NASHUA CITY PLANNING BOARD November 6, 2025 The regularly scheduled meeting of the Nashua City Planning Board was held on November 6, 2025 at 7:00PM in the 3rd floor auditorium in City Hall. Members Present: Adam Varley, Acting/Vice Chair Dan Hudson, City Engineer Ald. Patricia Klee Cameron Green Larry Hirsch Also Present: Connor Muise, Deputy Planning Manager Scott McPhie, Planner I APPROVAL OF MINUTES October 16, 2025 MOTION by Ald. Klee to approve the minutes, as written SECONDED by Mr. Green MOTION 4-0-1 (Hirsch abstained) COMMUNICATIONS o Discussion Item: Inclusionary Zoning for Home Ownership REPORT OF CHAIR, COMMITTEE, & LIAISON None PROCEDURES OF THE MEETING Mr. Varley said there was no one in the audience and there are no regular cases, he would dispense with reading the procedures. NEW BUSINESS – CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS A25-0164 City of Nashua, Division of Public Works (Owner & Applicant) Requesting conditional use permit approval to construct a 127,555-sqft garage and maintenance facility, with associated site improvements. Property is located at 840 West Hollis Street. Sheet D – Lot 54. Zoned A-Suburban Residence (R30) and C-Suburban Residence (R9). Ward 5. (Postponed to the December 4, 2025 meeting by applicant request) NEW BUSINESS – SITE PLANS NCPB November 6, 2025 Page 2 A25-0165 City of Nashua, Division of Public Works (Owner & Applicant) Requesting site plan approval to construct a 127,555-sqft garage and maintenance facility, with associated site improvements. Property is located at 840 West Hollis Street. Sheet D – Lot 54. Zoned A-Suburban Residence (R30) and C-Suburban Residence (R9). Ward 5. (Postponed to the December 4, 2025 meeting by applicant request) A25-0162 Brothers of The Sacred Heart of New England, Inc (Owner & Applicant). Requesting a one-year extension plan to show an athletic field complex along with associated site improvements. The Applicant is also requesting amendment to site plan approval to incorporate construction phasing plans. Property is located at 40 Groton Road. Sheet D – Lot 7. Zoned Rural Residence (R- 40). Ward 5. (Postponed to the December 4, 2025 meeting by applicant request) OTHER BUSINESS 1. Review of tentative agenda to determine proposals of regional impact. MOTION by Ald. Klee that there are no items of regional impact SECONDED by Mr. Hirsch MOTION CARRIED 4-0-1 (Hudson abstained) Connor Muise, Deputy Planning Manager Mr. Muise said the following Board of Aldermen referrals before the Board are a result of the last state legislative session. Numerous bills passed, these are some that would affect our Land Use Code directly. These changes are non-discretionary and to bring our code in line with the laws that passed. Ald. Klee asked if any of these are beyond what the state requires. Mr. Muise said correct. Since the bills have passed we have internally acted as if they were changed already. We just need to bring the code up to par. Mr. Green said he attended a legal conference a few weeks ago and this is consistent with what they discussed at the conference. NCPB November 6, 2025 Page 3 Mr. Varley said the Board’s duty is to make a recommendation. That is technically the function the Board is still serving under, but we would be in violation of the state if we did not recommend this. 2. Board of Aldermen Referral O-25-073, Amending the Land Use Code Regarding Approved Subdivision Exemptions. Ald. Klee asked about the timing of the approval. Mr. Muise said this is backdated to July 1, 2023, so projects are grandfathered into the new statute. Mr. Green said we have a project we have already approved extensions for twice, would this carry forward three years? Mr. Muise said that is a separate section of the code, this speaks to an extension for an applicant to reach active and substantial development of a project. The 1-year extensions the Board typically sees are for applicants to apply for a building permit. Ald. Klee asked if anything changes to state health standards and sewage treatment requirements, the project would be exempt from any updated regulations for the 7 years? Mr. Muise said if anything in our land use code was to be changed, the project would go forward as enacted at the time of approval. Mr. Hudson said the health and sewer standards are an exception, the project still has to meet those. Mr. Varley said that is already in the code, the only thing that changes is 4 years becomes 7 years. MOTION by Mr. Green to favorably recommend O-25-073, as written SECONDED by Mr. Hirsch MOTION CARRIED 5-0 3. Board of Aldermen Referral O-25-074, Amending the Land Use Code Regarding Family Day-Care Facilities. Ald. Klee said in the past day-care businesses would have to go to the Zoning Board. Is this now allowed by right? NCPB November 6, 2025 Page 4 Mr. Muise said correct, this goes straight to building permit and the state health department. Ald. Klee said the neighbors will no longer have a voice in this. Mr. Muise said we are strictly going with what the state allows. Ald. Klee said we don’t allow turning homes into a daycare center. But this is an axillary use to the home. Mr. Muise said correct. Mr. Hudson asked why there were modifications to the signage requirements. Mr. Muise said that was language passed in the state bill. They can now have a sign indicating their business. Ald. Klee said this removes the parking requirement for a pick-up and drop-off area. MOTION by Mr. Green to favorably recommend O-25-074, as written SECONDED by Mr. Hirsch MOTION CARRIED 5-0 4. Board of Aldermen Referral O-25-075, Amending the Land Use Code Regarding On-Site Parking Requirements for Residential Uses. Mr. Varley said this is one that the Planning Board will run into. Ald. Klee said this will hurt big time in multifamily residential. Mr. Hudson said the downtown does not require parking. Does this modify that to require one parking space per unit now? Mr. Varley said we are allowed a 0 parking minimum in the downtown, it’s a high density area. Mr. Hudson asked if there should be a maximum of 2 spaces. Mr. Muise said the highest a minimum a city can enforce is 1 space per unit, it doesn’t regulate maximums. NCPB November 6, 2025 Page 5 Mr. Hudson said under #7 where the maximum is 22 spaces per unit, is that correct? Mr. Muise said yes. The maximum is 2 per unit. Mr. Varley said the law doesn’t say anything about changing maximums. Ald. Klee asked why we are changing the maximum from 22 parking spaces per unit to 2 per unit for mobile homes. Mr. Hudson said he doesn’t object to it. Mr. Varley said 22 is a huge number. Mr. Hudson said maybe that was a typo. Mr. Varley said it looks like a technical correction. Ald. Klee asked what maximum parking spaces means. We can’t require more than that? Mr. Varley said it means that the developer is not entitled to more than that. Mr. Hirsch asked if you have a large single-family home, you wouldn’t be allowed 3 parking spaces? Mr. Varley said single family detached dwellings have no maximum. Mr. Muise said the most common situation the Board would see is multifamily residential, we cannot require more than one parking space per unit. The 1.9 maximum is still in effect. Mr. McPhie said that we have always had a minimum and maximum, some applicants ask for waivers from it. Ald. Klee asked if applicants would still get waivers. Mr. Muise said that would be up to the Planning Board’s discretion. Mr. Hudson asked if Accessory Dwellings on the chart is the same thing as an ADU. Mr. Muise said yes. Mr. Varley said it seems that changing 22 to 2 makes logical sense. NCPB November 6, 2025 Page 6 MOTION by Ald. Klee to favorably recommend O-25-075, with the request for further information on the maximum number of parking spaces for mobile homes. SECONDED by Mr. Hudson MOTION CARRIED 5-0 5. Board of Aldermen Referral O-25-076, Amending the Land Use Code by Amending the Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance and Definition of Dwelling Unit, Accessory. Mr. Muise said this one of the sections of the amended ordinance, (B)(1), we are proposing to increase the allowed size from 750- sqft to 980-sqft. There was some flexibility granted in the state bill that allowed the city to select what would be that maximum square feet. It was determined that 980-sqft would suffice given that most of the units we see are at largest 950-sqft. Mr. McPhie said that Deputy Zoning Manager Carter Falk did some research on the ADU cases we have received over the past 30 years. Mr. Green asked if we are expanding that range a further 30-sqft. Mr. Muise said yes. Ald. Klee asked if they can go up to 1,200-sqft if it’s within the current footprint. Her neighbor turned his garage into an ADU with a porch expansion, would that have been allowed? Mr. Muise said his understanding is that any expansion to a principal structure would fall under the 980-sqft maximum. If there is 1,200-sqft already within a principal structure there would be a separate standard. Mr. Green asked if that porch example would be included in the square footage of the unit. Mr. Muise said any expansion as a result of the ADU would follow the 980-sqft rule. Mr. Hudson said item #6 is a bit of a chicken and egg, the need to file a covenant. It used to be prior to occupancy but is now prior to permit, how do you verify with the Registry of Deeds that it has been filed? NCPB November 6, 2025 Page 7 Mr. Varley said it contingent upon receipt of the covenant. Mr. Hudson said they are required to have an off-street parking space, there was a requirement for no new curb cut. Ald. Klee said that curb cut requirement was struck. Mr. Hudson said the 24-ft driveway width requirement still applies. Ald. Klee asked if it doesn’t have to blend in as part of the house, it can look like a separate unit. Mr. Hirsch said #3 says it cannot alter the character of the home. Mr. Muise said correct, #3 covers it. Ald. Klee asked if #3a was redundant. Mr. Muise said possibly. Mr. Hudson asked if that would be dealt with at time of building permit issuance. Mr. Muise said correct. And curb cuts would still require a permit. Ald. Klee asked if they got rid of the requirement for the property owner to live onsite. Mr. Muise said no, that is still the case. Ald. Klee said her issue with ADU’s is that when they get sold, too often the realtor tries to sell it as a duplex. There is a covenant, but no one ever looks at the deed. Mr. Hudson said from a public works perspective we have had an ongoing discussion about how to handle connection to sewer systems. Their sewer permit needs to be amended. Ald. Klee said that is handled under #4. Mr. Hudson said that is something we will have to look into more, how it impacts our other regulations. Would the driveway permit fall under DPW? Mr. Muise said yes. It’s an administrative process. NCPB November 6, 2025 Page 8 MOTION by Mr. Green to favorably recommend O-25-076, as written SECONDED by Mr. Hirsch MOTION CARRIED 5-0 6. Board of Aldermen Referral O-25-077, Amending the Land Use Code Regarding Unrelated Households. Ald. Klee asked if this is a result of state law change. Mr. Varley said this is something that came before the Board a year ago. Now the state legislation has eliminated the occupancy limits altogether. Mr. Muise said now it just goes by fire and building code. Planning Dept. cannot consider familial relationship status for new applications. Mr. Varley said this table was for maximum occupancy for unrelated households. Ald. Klee said now they can have a frat house in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Mr. Green said as long as it meets fire code. MOTION by Mr. Green to favorably recommend O-25-077, as written SECONDED by Mr. Hirsch MOTION CARRIED 5-0 DISCUSSION ITEMS Inclusionary Zoning: Mr. Muise said we are now issuing certificates of occupancy. Staff is accepting applications for Doucet Landing. Mohawk Tannery Groundbreaking Ceremony: Mr. Muise said there is a groundbreaking ceremony next week to start site remediation. November 20, 2025 meeting cancelled: The next meeting is December 4, 2025. MOTION to adjourn by Ald. Klee at 8:07 PM NCPB November 6, 2025 Page 9 MOTION CARRIED 5-0 DIGITAL RECORDING OF THIS MEETING IS AVAILABLE FOR LISTENING DURING REGULAR OFFICE HOURS. DIGITAL COPY OF AUDIO OF THE MEETING MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE UPON 48 HOURS ADVANCED NOTICE AND PAYMENT OF THE FEE. Kate Poirier – Taped Hearing