A multi-family residential project off Liberty Lane in Hampton consisting of 248 apartments is being proposed by Tidemark and the Kane Company. (Courtesy Portsmouth Herald)
The developers of a major multifamily residential project off Liberty Lane presented their case to the Hampton Planning Board on Wednesday, Feb. 5, seeking approval for 248 apartments aimed at serving the “missing middle.”
The proposal by Tidemark and the Kane Company involves transforming a 100,000-square-foot building, which formerly housed the headquarters of Wheelabrator-Frye and later Fisher Scientific, into an apartment building. Two new apartment buildings are also planned for the 104-acre site, totaling 248 “quality” apartments with state-of-the-art amenities, including an outdoor pool.
The board made no decision Wednesday and continued the application until its March 5 meeting.
John Bosen, attorney for the property owners, told the board the three buildings would create a new “village-type” neighborhood with amenities open to the public, including a network of multipurpose trails, a dog park and children’s play areas.
“The town of Hampton will greatly benefit from this project by a significant increase in the tax revenue and valuable housing, which is in line with the town of Hampton master plan,” Bosen said.
According to the plans, the former headquarters of Wheelabrator-Frye would serve as the central campus facility for the new community. Designed by the renowned architectural firm Royal Barry Wills Associates and built in 1975, the building would be rehabilitated to include 26 residential units and 10,000 square feet of amenity space.
The amenities for residents include a grand lobby, fitness center, lounge and library.
A multi-family residential project off Liberty Lane in Hampton consisting of 248 apartments is being proposed by Tidemark and the Kane Company. (Courtesy Portsmouth Herald)
Additionally, a new wing would be added to the building, comprising 66 units that offer views of the large pond at the center of the property.
The two new buildings would have 78 units each, with balconies and Juliet balconies.
“We wanted to create the concept of a neighborhood, and essentially the (new) buildings are clustered around the existing building,” said Chris Lizotte of Procon.
Outdoors, plans call for a gated pool, courtyards, amphitheater, and outdoor spaces for barbecues.
Lizotte noted the 248 units would be 11% studios, 43% one-bedroom, 43% two-bedroom, and about 2% three-bedroom apartments.
Neil Hansen of Tighe & Bond said that their study assessed the traffic impact of the new development, concluding that it would be “almost equivalent” to if the office building were still in use.
The development is projected to generate 98 additional trips during the weekday morning peak hour, 94 during the weekday, and 93 trips during the Saturday mid-day peak. The main entrance to the development would remain the existing one off Library Lane.
There was some talk from Planning Board members regarding the additional road into the property from Towle Farm Road. While the developers are proposing to convert the road into one-way road access, board members thought it would be less confusing to residents to keep it a two-way.
A multi-family residential project off Liberty Lane in Hampton consisting of 248 apartments is being proposed by Tidemark and the Kane Company. (Courtesy Portsmouth Herald)
Bosen said the apartments would be for those who make between $67,000 to $100,000 a year.
However, he said, pricing for the apartments has not yet been established.
“Primarily because things can change between now and the time we put a shovel in the ground and the time we ultimately get a certificate of occupancy,” he said. “It’s just too soon to set the rental rates. I can tell you that my team here is fully vested in making this project work for local people and yet have a high-quality look and feel for the project. We are value engineering this project so that we could avoid the type of pricing that you see in Portsmouth right now.”
Bosen said the average rent for a studio in Hampton is $2,300 and $2,700 for a one-bedroom.
“We are seeing rents in Portsmouth at $4,000 a month,” he said.
Bosen noted that the Hampton 2023 Data Housing Report showed that the town lost 270 units of housing between 2010 and 2020.
“This project will help alleviate that loss creating high-density, multifamily, year-round housing,” he said. “We also believe in supply and demand. By adding 248 units of housing, it will have a positive impact on bringing housing projects down throughout the entire town of Hampton.”
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