KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow.com) Keene City Council had a full agenda at their meeting on Thursday night, highlighted by a public hearing on a potential amendment to the zoning map which would turn the intersection of Winchester Street and Pearl Street from low density to commerce.

City Planner Mari Brunner said that according to the 2025 master plan, the future land use map designates the properties along Winchester Street as “corridor-oriented commerce,” with a mix of residential and light industrial uses.

The properties are situated on the corner of Pearl and Winchester Street, where there’s a mix of residential and commercial uses, said John Noonan, project manager.

The petitioner has the intent to own these lots and develop the lots as a commercial use or mixed use, he explained, adding that the residential homes on these lots have been vacant for years and have fallen into disrepair.

The area that would go from low density to commercial was originally eight properties that totaled just around 2.65 acres, though after a previous public comment, the Planning Board and Planning, Licenses and Development Committee created an “A” version of the ordinance which removed three of the properties, bringing the total area that is being considered to roughly 1.6 acres.

During the public comment portion of the discussion, Sally Rose, a resident of Pearl Street, raised concerns over why the area wasn’t being turned into more housing. “Why are we trying to take any valuable land that could be used for housing and make it commercial … that’s a neighborhood that [has] history … it’s a fabric of Keene.”

Rose wasn’t alone in her sentiment, as other members of the public raised concerns over morphing the zone into a commercial area. These concerns include the potential for more traffic on Pearl Street, public safety and drug use in the area, light, noise, and environmental pollution, in addition to limiting the opportunity for housing. “Kids literally get on [school buses] right where they want to make it commercial,” one Winchester Street resident said.

Some residents did express support for the potential rezoning, including Mike Pappas. “I would look at [the commercial area] as more of a buffer,” Pappas said. “There has to be some trust factor … the end that faces Winchester Street, that just reeks of commercial … this is, to me, the perfect opportunity to have a buffer from Winchester Street. You have a business, and [then] a buffer.”

The matter now goes to the Planning, Licenses, and Development Committee next week. Public comment will not be accepted at that meeting, but written comments can be submitted to the City Clerk’s office until Tuesday.

The meeting began with a presentation from the Southwest Region Planning Commission, which provided the City Council with updates on the Community Block Development Grant projects and other happenings in the region. SWRPC also included an update on the State’s 10-Year Transportation Improvement Plan. Many projects have been delayed due to a $400 million revenue shortfall.

In Keene, three projects have been delayed with no timetable on when they would begin. These projects include Route 10 from Route 101 to Market Basket, corridor improvements to West Street, and Route 101 and the intersection with Swanzey Factory Road.

Keene City Council is next in session on Thursday, Dec. 18.