The New Ipswich Zoning Board re-granted a special exception Thursday to a general auto repair and welding business on Turnpike Road.
The application, submitted by Joseph Edwards, was seeking an auto body welding business in an existing garage at 3 Peterson Road, at the corner of Turnpike Road, in the rural district.
Engineer Ed Rogers, presenting on behalf of Edwards, told the board the town had already granted the special exception in 2017, but the permission had expired after two years of not being acted upon. Rogers said the plan had not substantially changed, with the exception that Edwards had already completed some of the work required by boards in 2017, such as seeding and loaming an area of the property, and adding a bathroom to the garage.
Rogers said the business was easily accessible with frontage on Turnpike Road, and that it fit the character of what people expect to see on the state highway.
“Not unexpectedly, many businesses are on Turnpike Road,” Rogers said.
The business was proposed to run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Rogers said the focus of the business would be on welding and auto body or frame repair, and that other types of common repairs, such as oil changes or radiator repairs, which have the potential to generate waste fluids, were unlikely to occur. Fluids from brake repairs would be disposed of by turning them in to AutoZone.
Customer traffic was not expected to exceed three or four vehicles per day.
Baord Vice Chair Walker Farrey pointed out that auto repair was one of the specific uses allowed in the rural district by special exception, and the state highway is a good location for such a business.
“I think Turnpike is a great place to have it,” agreed member David Lage.
No abutters spoke at the meeting, or offered any feedback by written comment.
The board approved the special exception, with conditions that any hazardous waste be handled with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services best practices, and that a proposed dumpster pad be relocated to an alternate area on the property. The board approved the special exception unanimously.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.