The Manchester Heritage Commission on Oct. 22 approved a regular-review building permit application for the annex at 150 (Tax Map 276) that will add a new pedestrian entrance and canopy on the east side, and a loading dock with canopy on the west side to serve a planned freight elevator.

Commissioners said the work is intended to restore use to an underused south annex of the mill complex and to provide egress and freight access for a larger redevelopment of the building. The applicant described a planned freight elevator and associated changes as the primary driver of the alterations.

Applicant Brian Ladd, director of property management and development for DECO, told the commission the elevator and related alterations are “about $500,000 investment in the building to be able to move material to the 5 floors that are there.” He said the east-side change will provide a safe egress path: a concrete pad at the existing doorway, short stairs and a small awning to create an exit at grade. On the west side, he said the project will cut a new, roughly 6½-to-7-foot overhead opening in the brick to create a loading-dock approach and install a docking pad oriented at an angle so trucks can access the new opening.

Ladd said the decommissioned freight elevator historically served the north/south circulation and that the new elevator will be a hydraulic system with its machinery at the second floor; the project will retain visible historic elevator mechanics in place. He also described options for awning color (white or green) and said the project team intends to match other mill-yard treatments. Ladd said the project team plans to salvage and reuse brick where possible and will work with a mason familiar with prior work at the mill yard.

Commissioners and staff asked about truck circulation and clearance in the narrow drive between buildings, and about steam/utility lines that cross the alley. Ladd said truck drivers currently navigate the route and that the project team will confirm clearance with drivers and with building inspectors; he said the team did not include final truck turning templates in the packet but could provide measurements on request. Concerns about pipe/steam clearance were raised and noted as a matter for the building department to confirm.

No members of the public on Zoom asked questions during the public-comment portion of the item. After discussion the commission called for a motion; a commissioner seconded by Arthur moved to approve the application as drawn and the commission approved the motion by voice vote. The chair announced, “Motion approved. You guys are all set.”

The applicant said the annex will be used for storage by an affiliated Merrimack group in the near term and could be opened for tenant use later, at which point signage or other tenant changes would return to the commission for review.

Work that was described but not yet represented in final construction drawings included exact truck-turning templates, final roof/awning materials and final paint colors; commissioners requested those details be provided to staff as part of final coordination with the building inspector.