Latest news with #ZoningOrdinance
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City to hear plans for 'first-of-its-kind' multi-use development at Hackett Hill site
Manchester aldermen are scheduled Tuesday to review plans from a local developer to transform six lots within the city's Hackett Hill property into what's described as a 'first-of-its-kind' mixed-use development for the Queen City, featuring 230 modern townhomes, 96 multifamily garden units, and 96 mixed-use units. Socha Companies will go before the aldermanic Committee on Lands and Buildings at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall. Most, if not all, of the discussion on a request from William Socha from Socha Companies to purchase six lots (Lots 15, 15B, 15C, 15D, 15E, and portion of 15M) totaling 88.3 acres in the Hackett Hill property — also known as Northwest Business Park — may take place in nonpublic session because it involves a real estate action. A copy of Socha's proposal included in the agenda for the meeting shows a vision for the site in line with the city's overall master plan for the area — establishing residential neighborhoods within mixed-use developments that would serve as the 'northern gateway to the future Innovation Village.' 'Their intention would be to establish a strong presence of housing opportunities with the initial development phases, which would help to alleviate the current market demand for housing within the city,' a summary of the proposal says. 'This would be followed by the mixed-use developments which will open up the corridor for future development opportunities on other parcels to the south.' 'This Hackett Hill property has been identified as a significant development opportunity in multiple Manchester strategic plans, as well as deliberated by numerous mayoral administrations over the past four decades,' William Socha writes in a memo to city officials. 'We believe it is time to translate vision into action. Our proposal is rooted in a deep understanding of the city's priorities, economic potential, and community needs. In addition to integrating necessary infrastructure improvements for long-term support of Hackett Hill, our proposed plan will create a unique mixed-use village that concentrates employment uses within neighborhoods that support a variety of home densities and choices. 'Hackett Hill is not just a development — it's a reimagined way of living.' No purchase price is mentioned in the paperwork included with the agenda. The Northwest Business Park is comprised of land that poses significant challenges for development. The area is known for its shallow depth to ledge and very steep grades. The parcels being discussed contain over 18 acres of steep slope (greater than 25%) area and estimated to contain approximately 3 acres of jurisdictional wetlands. Another 5 acres are encumbered by existing powerline easements — meaning approximately 30% of the total land area of the subject parcels are considered non-buildable land according to the city of Manchester Zoning Ordinance. 'Development of the subject parcels will require significant construction effort and cost in terms of blasting ledge and moving earth in order to access the steep areas of the property,' an engineering summary written by Northpoint Engineering says. The first phase of Socha's plan for the site is a 230-unit residential townhouse development to be constructed on Lots 15 & 15D on the west side of the access road. All units will be market-rate rentals with a mixture of two and three bedrooms. Amenities will include a clubhouse and walking paths, including a path along the main access road to connect with future phases of development. The second phase of development will be on Lots 15B and 15C on the east side of the main access road. This development will include an initial mixed-use component on Lot 15C followed by a multi-family development on Lot 15B. The mixed-use development is modeled after an existing development in Dover known as Pointe Place, involving a series of four-story buildings that would include commercial/retail space on the first floor and apartments on the upper three floors. Underground parking would be provided in the basement of the buildings for residents. This area would create 48,000 square feet of commercial space and 96 residential units. Lot 15B would then be developed with conventional, mid-rise, multi-family buildings accessed through the mixed-use development on Lot 15C. These buildings are also envisioned to be four-story buildings that will add an additional 96 residential units. A series of walking trails is also planned, with a path located along the main access road as well as a separate trail on the east side through the wooded portion of the property. To develop the parcels, the main access road would need to be accepted as a city street, which involves upgrades to the existing roadway corridor and building a new access point onto Hackett Hill Road. All traffic to and from the development will be accessed via the Hackett Hill neighborhood to the north. Socha Companies will need to work with the city to prepare a Traffic Impact Assessment that studies the potential impacts to the Hackett Hill Road and Route 3A roadway networks. The subject parcels, and all parcels in the Northwest Business Park, are currently zoned Research Park, which doesn't support the uses of the Innovation Village envisioned by the city's Master Plan. Some level of rezoning of the parcels or reimagining of the ordinance will be needed. Mayor Jay Ruais declined to comment on the proposal ahead of Tuesday's meeting. A request for comment from William Socha was not immediately returned. Hackett Hill history The Hackett Hill area has a long history of drawing interest from developers, with little development to show for it. In 2018, Manchester developer Richard Danais gave up on land off Hackett Hill Road once touted as a prime setting for a high-end corporate park, after he and city officials disagreed over the future of the property. Danais marketed the land for six years but was unable to find corporate offices or industrial employers interested in the property. Danais said he could build townhouses and other multifamily residential units on the land, which abuts dense residential developments, but the city foreclosed on the property. Decades ago, the University of New Hampshire acquired the land and planned to build a Manchester campus there before opting for the Millyard area instead. The city acquired the land and dubbed it the Northwest Research Park, with hopes for research facilities and corporate offices to populate the spot. Eventually, the city relaxed restrictions and invited industrial and warehouse users. In September 2024, United Therapeutics Corp. — a Maryland-based biotechnology company with an artificial organ manufacturing research facility in Manchester's Millyard — announced it had signed a letter of intent to purchase nearly 350 acres from the city in the Hackett Hill neighborhood, with a purchase price for the 10 parcels of $4.62 million. But by December a spokesman for United Therapeutics said the firm is 'no longer pursuing the Hackett Hill site,' adding it 'would not be suitable for our projected future development needs.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ZBA grants variances for six-story, 51-unit mixed-use building at North End Superette site
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.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Virginia Beach neighbors speak out against building permit
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — There is a battle brewing in Virginia Beach. It's a fight over an owner's property right to develop, and a neighborhood's protection for people who already live there, with an emotional meeting Wednesday night bringing both sides together. 10 On Your Side's Andy Fox, who lives in Bay Colony, drove by the property and saw the signs. There's bad blood over the small lot located at 1212 York Lane, which you can tell by the signs and the comments. 'This is corrupt, and no one is doing anything about it,' one person said to loud applause. 'We are frustrated.' More than 100 people turned out for the Cavalier Park-Bay Colony League meeting at the Princess Anne Country Club. There, Deputy Virginia Beach Planning Director Carrie Bookholt talked about the lot in question. 'I would mention this the lot in question is meeting the setbacks that was prescribed by the zoning ordinance and applied by the zoning administrator,' Bookholt said. In this May 24, 2022, letter, the Virginia Beach zoning supervisor found the York Lane Property to be 'legally created. It is non-conforming to the current Zoning Ordinance. As a legal nonconforming lot, it is eligible to have a Single-Family Dwelling on it. … therefore, have vested rights to develop this property.' But many residents are concerned about a non-conforming lot, and they think the transparency in the granting of a building permit has been lacking. A two-story, 3,400 square foot home could be built on this property, which is much smaller than any other property around it. Residents are opposed. 'There is one sense of community, and the idea that you want to be our neighbors and at the same time you are destroying our sense of community,' a Bay Colony resident said. It was a tough night for property owner Josh Kinas with his wife. 'This whole process is kind of shocking for us to be honest,' Josh Kinas said. 'We weren't expecting this, so we are doing the best we can … My wife and I want to be good neighbors.' With narrow streets, a small lot and a large house, residents are concerned about safety. 'The kids like to do the loop all the time, at the curve — traffic, narrow road, it is really dangerous,' said neighbor Hillary Einwick. The spotlight is not only on the neighborhood's concerns, but also on Virginia Beach Planning Director Kathy Warren. 'We are diving into this with a fine-tooth comb,' Warren said. 'The city attorney's office and our staff want to make sure nothing was missing. In the event something was missed, we will be working with the property owner to address it appropriately.' 10 On Your Side asked Warren with all the concerns among residents, is there any consideration to pause the entire project until the issues are dealt with. Warren said a stop work order is not out of the question. 'There would be potential for that,' Warren said. 'I am not going to say we would do this, but there is a potential for a stop work order. Our lawyers are looking at everything today.' Kinas, asked about that potential stop work order, would only say he has given neighbors his required 30-day notice to begin construction, and that will begin May 28. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Plans for six-story, 51-unit mixed-use building at North End Superette site head to ZBA
Plans to build a new six-story, 51-unit multifamily housing development at the site of a popular Manchester convenience store will go before the city's zoning board next week. 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's application is seeking a density variance to allow 51 units where 15 units are allowed under Section 8.04 of the city's Zoning Ordinance. The application appears on the agenda for the Wednesday, May 7, meeting of the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA), scheduled to get underway at 6 p.m. at City Hall. While the ZBA usually meets on Thursdays, the meeting was moved to Wednesday as Manchester is hosting the annual Taco Tour downtown on Thursday, May 8, from 4 to 8 p.m. 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, and is home to a stucco-walled store known as North End Superette. 1308 Elm Street Plans to build a new six-story, 51-unit multi-family housing development at the site of a popular Manchester convenience store go before the city's zoning board next week. Plans submitted by Granite Earth LLC show the store, North End Superette at 1308 Elm Street, would be incorporated into the new, larger structure, which includes commercial uses on the first two floors – including a new underground parking garage with 39 spaces. 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, LLC is looking to redevelop the site by incorporating the existing store into a larger mixed-use building. 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. In applying for a density variance, Granite Earth LLC points out the property's immediate area is characterized by a mix of commercial and mixed-use developments, as well as a school campus. To the north is a mixed-use development with 23 apartments on the upper floors of its building, including 16 two-bedroom units, per city assessing records. The properties across Fir Street and North Hampshire Lane are part of the Massachusetts School of Pharmacy campus. Across Elm Street from the site are a mixed-use building with 52 residential units in addition to commercial units, a mixed-use building with seven commercial units and 22 apartments, as well as a parking lot. 'The proposed density, particularly given the use of one-bedroom apartments, will not be out of character for the area,' the application states. 'The variances will allow for the replacement of an older, single-use structure will a new mixed-used building. As such, the variance will not only not diminish surrounding property values, but would likely increase the value of surrounding properties with its new development.'
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Community invited to ‘Imagine Urbana' during public hearing
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Urbana residents are being asked to give their input on the city's plan for the next two decades. The public is invited to a public hearing to comment on a draft of the Imagine Urbana Comprehensive Plan. It'll take place March 13 at 7 p.m. at Urbana's City Hall, located at 400 S. Vine Street. This meeting comes after an 'extensive' community engagement process, public meetings reviewing an initial draft, and a revised draft of the long-term plan. PREVIOUSLY: Urbana looks for public input on strategic future plan 'When finalized, Imagine Urbana will serve as the City's guide for City policy, infrastructure, and planning decisions in the years ahead. It provides the framework to promote quality of life for residents through innovative, sustainable, and fiscally responsible growth and development,' Mayor Diane Wolfe Marlin said. 'As we enter the final review and approval process of Imagine Urbana, we invite residents to participate in the Public Hearing on March 13.' In the newest draft of the plan, there are four 'big ideas' for Urbana's future. Urbana is a Place for Everyone Urbana is Both Financially and Environmentally Resilient Urbana is a City of Connected Neighborhoods Urbana Embraces its Cultural Vibrancy and Character 'March Forth' campaign raising money for Marching Illini And, each big idea will be accomplished through a series of 'big moves' and 'little moves.' These include: Address Urbana's Diverse Housing Needs Urbana will conduct multiple housing studies to fully understand the market. They'll also expand affordable housing and invest in services for low-income residents. Align the Zoning Ordinance with Imagine Urbana The city will rewrite/ update its Zoning Ordinances. Address the Needs of Individual Areas Develop a framework for small area plans which address the needs of individual areas and neighborhoods. Make Downtown the Economic Driver of the City Refine TIF guidelines, explore the construction of a long-term structure for large community events, and connect walkways and bike paths to the downtown. Expand Urbana's Arts and Culture Program Increase funding for arts grants and public art installation and maintenance, host one large 'signature event' annually, and streamline event permitting. Make Walkability a Priority Focus on making streets and parking lots safer for people walking and biking, extend the Kickapoo Rail Trail through Downtown Urbana, and update the brick sidewalk ordinance to prioritize safety and function. Promote Incremental Development Right now, building on the outskirts of the city is easier than redevelopment. The City of Urbana wants to change that by providing incentives for entrepreneurs to start and grow their business, allow small-scale businesses and housing in the same neighborhood and develop a fiscally responsible annexation policy. Invest in Financially and Environmentally Resilient Infrastructure Encourage the use of native plants and trees in all developments and infrastructure projects, and align city policies to address utility and stormwater vulnerabilities. Enhance Urbana's Economic Vibrancy Make local businesses aware of federal, state, and local business resources, identify resources for non-traditional Urbana businesses (home-based, online, food trucks), recruit a grocery store and essential services to Northwest Urbana. Support Community Health, Safety, and Well-Being Prioritize equitable access to resources like education, employment opportunities, housing, health care, transportation, and recreational facilities for all residents. Advance a Healthy, Clean, and Green Community To become more sustainable, Urbana will rewrite the city's Climate Action Plan, plant trees in all vacant city tree sites and support the installation of renewable energy generation systems. You can read more details about the plan here. If you would prefer a PDF copy of the draft, you can request one by emailing ImagineUrbana@ or calling 217-384-2316. Residents can also email their comments on the draft to that same email address, or directly online. Instructions on how to comment online can be found here. Andrea Ruedi, senior director for integrated strategy development, also encourages residents to attend the public hearing. What were the top 10 consumer complaints in Illinois in 2024? 'Input from the hearing will be used to refine Imagine Urbana for the Urbana Plan Commission's final review. Next, the Plan Commission will endorse and recommend approval to the City Council Committee of the Whole,' Ruedi said. 'The Committee will then provide input, make any modifications, and ultimately make a recommendation to City Council for approval of the new Imagine Urbana Comprehensive Plan.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
