HANOVER — Since Cutting’s Northside Cafe closed two years ago, the space it occupied on Lyme Road has remained empty.
Now, a former art teacher from Norwich plans to use a portion of the building as a teaching studio for children and adults in the Upper Valley.
But first, she needs permission from the town to open an art studio at 62 Lyme Road because retail use is not permitted in the district without a special exception to the zoning ordinance. The Zoning Board of Adjustment is scheduled to consider the case at a meeting in two weeks.
Jenny Ellis worked for 20 years as the art teacher at Rivendell Academy in Orford before leaving last year with the goal of opening her own studio. Despite the positive experience she had at the school, she was ready for a change in approach.
“I never want to grade a piece of artwork again,” said Ellis. “I just want to make artwork for the joy.”
She happened to stroll by the Lyme Road building months ago and considers it a perfect spot for after-school art classes, specifically for children in 3rd through 8th grades. The property in question is across from Richmond Middle School and within walking distance of the Ray School on Reservoir Road.
“The great benefit is that parents don’t have to leave work to pick up their kids to bring them to this after-school spot,” Ellis said, adding that classes would be available to children outside of Hanover, too.
The building sits in a residential and office district, which is specifically designated for housing and office suites. However, the zoning board can grant a special exception so long as the use would not have an adverse impact on surrounding properties, town facilities or services and roads, Hanover Zoning Administrator Bruce Simpson said Monday by phone.
The building has historically been mixed use, with an apartment on one side and Cutting’s on the other. Bobby Oakes, owner of Lebanon-based Acorn to Sky Investments — a property management company — purchased the building from Brian McGuiness for $700,000 in October 2024, according to town property records.
While the building operated under a special exception for the restaurant in previous years, Oakes reapplied since the art studio would be a change of use.
“We’ve had a couple restaurants that were really interested, but we figured this would be the best use,” Oakes said, referring to the visual appeal of a creative space and limited traffic.
Ellis agreed to a five-year lease for the studio space at $3,000 per month, she said Monday by phone, which she added is pending zoning board approval.
Oakes said he is waiting to rent out the vacant apartment until the commercial space is filled.
The building does not require much work, said Ellis, who expects to start offering trial classes for friends and family about a month after zoning approval.
Ellis plans to offer mixed-media classes, involving ceramics, painting, collage, drawing and printmaking. She wants to teach techniques, while also letting students find their own styles.
“The idea is it’s a studio for exploring and expressing,” said Ellis.
The projected cost is about $250 for a six-week course, she said.
With the AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon and CraftStudies in White River Junction, Ellis plans to provide a similar service in Hanover, leaving those art businesses the space to welcome the same volume of customers.
“There’s room for all of us, but not on each other’s laps,” said Ellis.
After-school classes would begin in the fall, but Ellis isn’t sure what the enrollment window will look like.
“The problem is I can’t advertise for that yet until I know if I have the space or not,” she said. “A lot of parents are already signing their kids up for the fall.”
The first hearing for the special exception is scheduled for May 28 at 7 p.m. in Hanover Town Hall.
