[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6013111,"mediaKeyId","5793857-13bce599c5d396c074b19850f41c8740","parentId",5793857,"title","Nashua ZBA OKs larger DPW sign at 848 West Hollis after board finds material change in prior denial","audioSeconds",4214,"startMs",236000,"endMs",4450000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5793857-13bce599c5d396c074b19850f41c8740&start=236&end=4450","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5793857-13bce599c5d396c074b19850f41c8740/thumbnail_236000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6013111/New-Hampshire/Nashua-ZBA-OKs-larger-DPW-sign-at-848-West-Hollis-after-board-finds-material-change-in-prior-denial","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6013111-730f193f8d8fbf805d8b2c93dc9b9763/orig.mp4?Expires=1770584966&Signature=lSh~at0Zjj1a9VJl4rVbL9UBi~qIRoegR4t4YNpx1QoAWYdQyjRLKMdzm~wOH4pG9pbIabWn-5vkcjS8bKdgET994AVZNp4hGG2PzRXB4J2hrLGzISz0rwQQjjKvOXHOLyvLQL20Ap6Ge7oChq2GtezcyK6Mw89DtjTuUepEZ3MwGO8cIoD8kEACWfueAheQ-0uP0zvNyUnVHZe0EIbiMeUAxz50HTeKPRjzmouYbY2X4PTGwRU7DTlhWqp9l32fn3ZoCE5bKPJwEycumfe~9MCqSPoIhHAMdBVtThzWt0REcReC3oxpQyeQdKuHz0iHTBu-ynIe~ya~cvbxgHBu8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Nashua NH","date","2025-09-10T01:40:39Z","article","The Zoning Board of Adjustment granted the City of Nashua a special exception on Sept. 9 to install a larger monument sign for the Department of Public Works at 848 West Hollis Street, after the board first found a material change in circumstances from a previous application that had been denied. The board approved a 33.8-square-foot sign, 9 feet tall, in a R-30 zone where 10 square feet and 6 feet height are normally permitted, with a condition limiting summertime illumination.

The finding that the Dover v. Fisher criteria had been met came at the start of the hearing. Vice Chair Josh Neely moved that the board conclude a material change had occurred and the board should hear the case; the motion was seconded and carried, enabling the city’s new application to proceed. Attorney Andrew Prolman, representing the Division of Public Works, told the board the key difference from the earlier proposal was that the new sign contains \"no EMC\" (electronic messaging center), a factor he said was central to the prior denial: \"There's no EMC in the sign,\" Prolman said. \"...I really think that there is a material difference due to the EMC going away, which was the crux of our conversation.\"

Why it matters: the DPW building sits well back from West Hollis Street, and city officials and several aldermen told the board the setback and the speed of traffic on Route 111 make a larger, visible sign a public-safety feature. \"This is a reasonable sign so that people can see it from a distance, and people can see where to turn,\" Prolman said. Director of Public Works Lisa Foto described a range of services at the site and said many residents and contractors \"drive right by and they don't see\" the existing small sign; she added the proposed sign features downward-facing, minimal lighting and is needed for safety during snow operations and night meetings. Alderman Richard Dowd and Alderman Michael O’Brien also urged approval, citing civic pride and driver safety.

Opponents, several of whom live in the immediate neighborhood, said the sign is out of character with the residential district and raised concerns about scale and light. \"The requested sign is not in keeping with the residential area and will take away from the ambiance of the neighborhood,\" one resident wrote to the board; another speaker said, \"We're taking West Hollis Street, which is a residential area, which is becoming more commercial,\" and urged the board to reduce the sign's size.

What was requested and what the board decided: the application sought special exceptions from land use code section 190-101 Table 101-7.1 to exceed the maximum ground-sign area (10 sq ft permitted; 33.8 sq ft proposed) and height (6 ft permitted; 9 ft proposed). Prolman described the sign as masonry to match the DPW building and said it had been designed to minimize light spill: \"The sign is intended to be downward lit, and it is proposed to be on 24/7,\" he said, but added the city was \"flexible on the summertime hours.\" The board approved the special exception with a condition governing illumination: lighting may be 24/7 outside the summer window; from May 1 through September 30 the lighting is to be turned off by 10 p.m.

Board discussion emphasized safety, visibility at higher travel speeds on the highway, and the mixed commercial/residential character of the corridor. Several members said they were persuaded the sign would not be out of character with other large signs along West Hollis and that the absence of an EMC addressed the principal objection from the earlier denial. The board recorded the special-exception approval and noted the standard appeal period applies.

Background and next steps: attorney Prolman and Director Foto said the sign has been part of the site's planning process and that masons saved original block from the building to face the monument sign. The board read numerous emailed comments into the record, including support from Paul Shea (vice chair, Board of Public Works) and opposition from multiple Ward 5 residents and an alderman. The board's approval does not automatically change any other site conditions; construction and permitting must proceed through the usual building-permit process and are subject to the 30-day appeal period.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","GOV Zoning Board 9 9 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Zoning Board of Adjustment granted the City of Nashua a special exception on Sept. 9 to install a larger monument sign for the Department of Public Works at 848 West Hollis Street, after the board first found a material change in circumstances from a previous application that had been denied.","taxTitle","Nashua Boards & Commissions, Nashua, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire","taxId",68336,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6013103,"ZBA denies Nashua homeowner’s request to encroach into rear-yard setback after neighbors cite privacy and procedural concerns",0,7336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5793857-13bce599c5d396c074b19850f41c8740&start=7336&end=7336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5793857-13bce599c5d396c074b19850f41c8740/thumbnail_7336000.jpg","/articles/6013103/New-Hampshire/ZBA-denies-Nashua-homeowners-request-to-encroach-into-rear-yard-setback-after-neighbors-cite-privacy-and-procedural-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6013103-9dc70cca1099abcdf98a33a55f994c99/orig.mp4?Expires=1770584966&Signature=kkcODsA6qRMUZsBVtgAZqpG56BIHKrE5o4KbKVD-rPqKGBpnIOosTrsfvxsDv0NAcEQb-aE9NlUdyK3OOow7soiKizp20uo962Tb6yCPvj8CiXhDjFfhp1xxT4-gzE2z7vvq2LGfis1bBdfhGi6rbsOd-BJegKIpxDkj1TLQVS0krxf0WtlC~EWyhUe2CECyAJecvJ8M1BpY4xShQaKFV-8PrlLtWfDDzIVRPcbISb27G73FFuP1gktifcnc2JWEBb0X57A~BXpftbfTjQgHUnTkVrrurwvh~krd5FoVUAyKO~yx-XUMmHT71snt9AMZh26njEr2apH5c20A4fhITA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Zoning Board of Adjustment denied a request Sept. 9 from homeowner John Chatfield to build an attached two-story addition that would encroach three feet into the 30-foot required rear-yard setback at 20 Jill Drive in Ward 9. Neighbors and several board members said the record did not demonstrate the statutory hardship required for a variance and raised concerns about privacy and topography.

Chatfield told the board he proposed a 28-foot-8-inch by 16-foot addition to enlarge a kitchen and add a second-floor master bathroom and that the addition would be centered on the rear of the house. \"Granting the request variance will not be contrary to public interest. It would add value to the neighborhood,\" Chatfield said in his application remarks. He also told the board he had investigated smaller alternatives and could reduce the depth if necessary.

Neighbors who live immediately behind the property testified that the lot’s higher grade and the short distance between the buildings create direct sightlines that would materially affect privacy and light. One abutter who identified herself as the owner of 94 Nottingham Drive said the back corner of Chatfield’s home already sits about 40 feet from her rock-wall property line but that the existing topography makes the addition visually intrusive: \"Reducing the setback will place the new second-story addition... closer to my property, and it will significantly increase the sense of encroachment,\" she said. Miles Shannon, another abutter, told the board there was a procedural deficiency in the application materials as filed: \"The state law is very clear that there needs to be some sort of hardship... and this is not even completed,\" he said, noting a missing page in the uploaded packet and saying Chatfield had not set out a clear, property-specific hardship.

Board members said they require a demonstration of unnecessary hardship tied to the land or structure before granting a variance under the state statute and the local land-use code (section 190-16, Table 16-3). Several members noted Chatfield’s own testimony that a smaller addition would be possible: \"He said if he absolutely had to, he could still pull it back,\" one member observed, and that undercut the claim of an unavoidable hardship. On those grounds, a motion to deny the variance carried.

What this means: the denial prevents construction as proposed; the applicant may revise the plan to meet the 30-foot setback, reapply with additional supporting evidence of a property-specific hardship, or appeal the ZBA decision to the appropriate court within the statutory appeal period.

Procedural note: neighbors raised a concern about the application packet uploaded to the city’s materials (they reported a missing page in the packet emailed to abutters). The board provided a copy of the missing page during the hearing but the procedural gap was cited by abutters as part of their objection. The board’s denial focused on the lack of a demonstrated, unique hardship rather than on the procedural deficiency alone.","The Zoning Board of Adjustment on Sept. 9 denied a variance request from John Chatfield to encroach three feet into a required 30-foot rear-yard setback at 20 Jill Drive for a two-story addition after neighbors raised privacy concerns, topography issues and a procedural problem with the submitted application.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":79,"_43":90,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6013106,"ZBA allows fourth wall sign for dealership at 140 Daniel Webster Highway to improve visibility",5488000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5793857-13bce599c5d396c074b19850f41c8740&start=5488&end=5488","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5793857-13bce599c5d396c074b19850f41c8740/thumbnail_5488000.jpg","/articles/6013106/New-Hampshire/ZBA-allows-fourth-wall-sign-for-dealership-at-140-Daniel-Webster-Highway-to-improve-visibility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6013106-e363c85627c33e00fb17bb79ef674cdd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770584966&Signature=SukGC54Aph~~SbvHVgp-iBYr~M85utrO-LW-Kwm0YH5HVAdNeQVAK1HwdTOJxjbbj3wTQia32jiJ67f0XA0OdiMGSAuFN83DN-St0Tz96O-Wg0XfRX4pVh-HXPGEmDIwKjxwRodkMv6mFTQWk0AkRn8RfOov4tmwUunsD1dhrv~10r2IbT7kaBrdRpEuan1PWaGK07qYX2oL1yhsU9471QwVEt0Y6uXS9yM7VYOhm5XzJsJypP9Z4f~WNqbne1lAP054N5JXEH9LAAj5ljLdgVPNLIroKY8RHXmudYFT5bmcLzxxqwTmez9k6aAg5VO3UsjRuvMf46hsK5r8glGEUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a variance Sept. 9 allowing McThompson Realty, through applicant Harvey Signs, to install a fourth wall sign at 140 Daniel Webster Highway so the dealership can display the Genesis emblem in addition to existing Hyundai branding. The board cited the building’s angle, setback and visibility constraints along Daniel Webster Highway as justification for the extra sign.

The applicant, Michael Harvey of Harvey Signs, told the board the building sits at a 60-degree angle to Daniel Webster Highway and is set back nearly 200 feet, with a heavy treeline that reduces brand visibility. \"This makes brand exposure difficult for a car dealership with multiple brands,\" he said, and argued the fourth emblem is necessary for safe customer egress and wayfinding to the single entrance on Rockmey Drive. Harvey noted the proposed signs would total 124.8 square feet, below the 150-square-foot aggregate allowed by the code.

The request sought a variance from Land Use Code section 190-108(c)(2) to exceed the maximum number of wall signs (three allowed; four proposed). Board members said the site’s unusual orientation and setback made the additional emblem reasonable. \"That building is in a really strange orientation and a difficult location,\" one member said, noting visibility problems from the highway; another observed the proposal keeps the total permitted signage area below the limit and is consistent with automotive branding requirements.

No members of the public spoke in opposition at the hearing. The board approved the area variance; the applicant was reminded of the 30-day appeal period during which the decision may be challenged.","The Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a variance allowing McThompson Realty/Harvey Signs to install a fourth wall sign to add the Genesis emblem at 140 Daniel Webster Highway, citing the site's unusual orientation, setback and wayfinding needs; total wall-sign area remains under the code cap.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Nashua ZBA OKs larger DPW sign at 848 West Hollis after board finds material change in prior denial

ZBA denies Nashua homeowner’s request to encroach into rear-yard setback after neighbors cite privacy and procedural concerns

ZBA allows fourth wall sign for dealership at 140 Daniel Webster Highway to improve visibility