CLAREMONT — The Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously denied a request for a rehearing of its January approval of a variance for a slaughterhouse at Granite State Packing on Sullivan Street.

Before Monday’s vote, Vice Chairman Mike Lemieux, who chaired the Jan. 6 meeting, said he read the appeal and the Planning and Zoning guidelines on conflicts of interest. He said he believes if it goes to court, a judge would come to the same conclusion that the board had.

“The decision was not made in haste,” Lemieux said. “We are all independent thinkers and made the decision based on the information given us.”

Brian Gobin, who owns rental property that abuts Granite State, had argued in his Jan. 28 appeal that a rehearing should be held due to “technical errors.”

Gobin alleged that one board member who voted for the variance had a conflict of interest because she raises birds for slaughter and that City Manager Yoshi Manale told an opponent of the variance last fall it was “already a done deal.”

Lemieux said Monday that the city manager does not employ members of the zoning board.

“I’m not influenced by his comments and nobody ever approached me,” Lemieux said.

On Gobin’s point, also alleged by others, that a slaughterhouse in a community increases violent crime, Lemieux said he looked up the data and said Springfield, Vt., where a slaughterhouse operates, has a lower crime rate than the national average.

No public comment was permitted before the board took its vote. Gobin has 30 days to appeal the ZBA decision in Sullivan County Superior Court.

Granite State still needs site plan approval from the Planning Board but has not yet submitted an application.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.