Newport's Zoning Board of Adjustment approved plans for an automobile sales and repair facility at 880 John Stark Highway on Oct. 21, imposing operating restrictions after neighbors raised concerns about noise from diesel engines and truck activity.

The board approved the application with hours limited to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Outdoor work would be prohibited after 6 p.m., according to MeetingWatch's account of the meeting.

The approval is a zoning special exception, not final site-plan approval.

Three requests approved for the property

Property owner CPMX LLC, represented by Jonathan Grenier, sought three related special exceptions for the Rural Commercial property.

According to Newport's official public notice, Case 2026 requested permission for a mobile home sales lot.

Case 2027 covered the automobile sales and repair facility, while Case 2028 sought permission to operate both businesses on the same parcel.

The zoning board approved all three requests at its Oct. 21 meeting, MeetingWatch reported.

The mobile home sales approval limits the site to four display models at a time, prohibits storage of used mobile homes and does not allow the displayed homes to be occupied as residences.

The mixed-use approval carries the same operating restrictions imposed on the automobile sales and repair facility.

Neighbors raise noise concerns

Residents expressed concerns about diesel engine revving and truck activity associated with the proposed repair business.

The board addressed those concerns by restricting operating hours and outdoor work, according to MeetingWatch.

Residents also questioned public-notice procedures during the meeting, saying delayed delivery of notices could make it difficult to respond to land-use decisions or pursue appeals.

Board representatives discussed the distinction between mailing notices and residents receiving them, along with the deadlines for challenging decisions.

Site-plan review follows

The property's next scheduled step was a Newport Planning Board hearing on Oct. 28.

The town's hearing notice identifies the property as Map 235, Lot 021-001, and describes a final site-plan review for automobile sales and repair alongside a mobile home sales lot.

The outcome of that hearing has not been established in the available records.

Newport's Planning and Zoning Office can be reached at 603-863-6278 or [email protected] for information about the applications and their status.