Neighbors say Porsche dealership sign is too large and bright; Zoning Board approves variance

Neighbors and developers sparred over lighting and scale for a proposed Porsche dealership sign at 9 Northeastern Boulevard, but the Nashua Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a variance for 237.16 square feet on Nov. 26.

Applicant representative Jillian Shedd of Northpointe Construction Management told the board the lettering on each face totals about 91.5 square feet, but that a rear backer accounting for roughly 145.6 square feet pushes the total beyond the 150-square-foot allowance in the Highway Business zone. "That backer... is really, in my opinion, what's pushing us over the square footage size," Shedd said.

Two nearby residents testified in opposition. Chris Farris said the proposal was excessive and primarily benefited the dealership: "I think it's kind of excessive to have a sign larger than the rule as 150 square feet... The only person that benefits from this is the Porsche dealership," he said. Jenny Santiago told the board the added lighting would block views from her home and make daily living "miserable." Both asked the board to require a smaller sign.

Board members pressed the applicant on illumination and mitigation. Shedd said the lettering will be LED and that the project can incorporate dimmers; she also noted site lighting plans submitted to the planning board. Deputy Planning Manager Carter Falk told the board any lighting must meet the city’s property-line illumination limit (about 0.2 foot-candles).

Despite residents’ objections about proximity and glare, board members repeatedly pointed to the dealership building’s large massing, its dual frontage on Northeastern Boulevard and the Turnpike, and precedent for larger signs on large commercial facades. Several members observed the overage is mainly attributable to the rear backer rather than the letter size on the street-facing façade. The board voted unanimously to approve the requested variance but declined to set a specific dimming standard; members instead urged the applicant to be neighborly and to pursue reasonable measures to reduce nighttime impacts.

The board noted a 30-day appeal period and reminded the applicant that zoning approval does not substitute for building permits or other city approvals.

Provenance: Discussion and testimony on this item appears in the meeting record beginning when the case was read into the record (case read SEG 512–546) and runs through deliberation and the motion and vote (final motion and vote discussed SEG 1194–1271).