ZBA grants variances for six-story, 51-unit mixed-use building at North End Superette site

Yahoo

12-05-2025

Members of Manchester's Zoning Board of Adjustment have granted variances for plans to build a new six-story, 51-unit multifamily housing development at the site of a popular Manchester convenience store.
Plans submitted by Granite Earth LLC show the store, North End Superette at 1308 Elm St., would remain part of the new, larger structure, which includes commercial uses on the first two floors — including a new underground parking garage with 39 spaces.
Granite Earth LLC sought a density variance to allow 51 units where 15 units are allowed under Section 8.04 of the city's Zoning Ordinance, as well as a variance from visual clearance area required for a corner lot.
The variances were approved on a 3-2 vote,
DEV LLC owns the approximately 9,200-square-foot property at 1308 Elm St. that has frontage on Elm Street, Fir Street and North Hampshire Lane.
Daniel Muller, an attorney at the Manchester-based law firm Cronin Bisson & Zalinsky P.C., represented DEV LLC at the ZBA meeting.
'The proposal here is to create a mixed-use building consistent with many of the other mixed-use buildings that are found along this section of Elm Street,' Muller said. 'We are here tonight for basically two reasons. The lot is not large enough for the proposed density, and the building is a corner lot and doesn't have the necessary clearance of the corners.'
The underlying building dates back to 1890, according to assessment records. The property has its origins in the 19th century as one of the lots shown on the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company plans.
Through 2023, the northerly portion of the property was subject to a lease for approximately 20 parking spaces, and located within the Central Business District zoning district.
Granite Earth had hoped to incorporate the existing store into the larger mixed-use building.
'My understanding (from the applicant) is that his structural engineers have suggested that perhaps what they'll have to do is replace the existing building, for structural reasons, with something new,' Muller said. 'It'd be a similar space to what's currently there, but it would technically be part of a new structure, rather than a simple incorporation of the existing structure.'
Muller was asked if his client considered any level of voucher or affordable housing units in the project.
'I think the plan right now is to make them standard market rates,' Muller said.
Two residents aired concerns with the proposal during a public hearing on the variance requests.
Brittany Ping, a Putnam Street resident, said she is an authorized agent for 1354 Elm Street Real Estate LLC, an abutter to the property.
'Their concern, I understand, is not density, it's line of sight,' Ping said. 'So that property does have concerns about their mixed use commercial tenants exiting, and also they have billboards, so it is going to impact their revenue directly, because their billboards will not be visible when you put a story structure taller than their second story billboards that are facing Elm Street.'
Deborah Boucher, a resident of Myrtle Street, said she doesn't think the developer is allowing for enough parking.
'I live in a building of six apartments, and not one of them doesn't have more than one vehicle — they have anywhere from one to three,' Boucher said. 'So I don't really see how people are going to live in an apartment building that don't have any parking available to them. I mean, he's allowing for 30 something lots, but there's 50 something apartments. I just am really concerned about all the density that's been put in that area. It's not good.'
Aly Rosenblatt lives on Elm Street. She said there are things she both likes and disagrees with concerning the proposal, and supports the density variance to allow for more housing in the city, but believes there should be at least 10% reserved for Section Eight voucher holders and targeted to low income housing.
'At a baseline, we do need more housing stock, which is why I am generally supportive of the density variance requested here,' Rosenblatt said. 'But more than that, we do need to ensure that new housing is going to be accessible to low-income renters, and because too many of these new developments going up are either going for standard market rate or they're going for workforce housing, which is not targeting the truly affordable housing that we need.'
The first and second floors will consist of parking and a commercial unit, with the second floor being at street level.
Parking on the first two floors will consist of 39 spaces, including three handicap-accessible parking spaces. The owner also proposes including an EV charging station on each of the first two levels.
There are two proposed entry points to the garage, one on the upper Elm Street side and another on the lower North Hampshire Lane side.
The upper five stories of the structure would consist of 51 one-bedroom and studio apartments, with proposed amenities including a street-level mail room, a trash chute to a street-level dumpster, laundry room, theater, recreational room, fitness room, a common dining room/kitchen and common area top level deck with a barbecue grill.