If deemed surplus, city seeks to sell three more properties to further grow Affordable Housing Trust
If deemed surplus by the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen, the City of Manchester looks to sell three vacant parcels of land with the intention of adding the proceeds going into the city’s affordable housing trust.
The first, located on Smyth Road, is located across the street from St. Paul’s Methodist Church. This parcel of land, approximately .7 acres, is completely vacant and has been owned by the city since 1955.
The other two parcels of land are conjoined near the intersection of Sheffield and South Mammoth roads, just to the west of an expected residential development that drew opposition from neighbors.
These two parcels, a combined 41 acres, have been owned by the city since 2001 and 1960 and are mostly within the FEMA floodplain zone buffering Cohas Brook, with a small branch of Cohas Brook bisecting the two properties.
The move followed a sale of surplus land to enhance the city’s affordable housing trust in 2024 where an auction recommended by Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais saw the sale of multiple properties
The recommendation on whether to deem the properties surplus will be determined by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Committee on Lands and Buildings on Tuesday, May 20. — Andrew Sylvia, Manchester InkLink
Bill Ashford, PE
Bill Ashford joins Hoyle Tanner
Bill Ashford, PE, has joined Hoyle Tanner as a senior transportation engineer. Bill is a results-driven, client-focused manager who brings more than 35 years of experience leading large-scale transportation projects throughout New England. Known for his exceptional leadership and technical expertise, Bill has successfully managed complex, multifaceted projects that required oversight of consultants, contractors, and fast-track schedules, often in close coordination with government agencies.
Bill is regarded for his ability to manage budgets and schedules with precision while fostering strong client relationships that prioritize project goals and deliverables. His collaborative approach ensures that all stakeholders remain informed and aligned throughout a project’s lifecycle. Beyond his technical skills, Bill is a champion of technology-based solutions. He prioritizes greater efficiency, repeatability, and accuracy across teams.
Bill brings direct program management experience to Hoyle Tanner having served as lead support on major transportation and infrastructure initiatives including the $750 million I-93 Improvements in New Hampshire and other high-profile assignments for NHDOT, MassDOT, and CTDOT.
“Bill’s addition to the transportation team brings decades of proven project management and technical expertise that will benefit both our clients and team.” said Todd Clark, Principal Transportation Engineer.
The Exeter Planning Board recently granted final approval for plans to transform a long-vacant plot of land at Portsmouth Ave. into six townhouses. (Courtesy of the Town of Exeter)
Exeter OKs plan to transform Portsmouth Avenue vacant lot into townhomes
The town Planning Board recently granted final approval for plans to transform a long-vacant plot of land on Portsmouth Avenue into six townhouses.
The board voted 5-2 to approve the site plan for the proposed development by StoneArch Development Corp. at 57 Portsmouth Ave. It also approved three waivers for the project.
The plan for the 0.3-acre site, situated next to the Hampton Inn & Suites and across from the Ira car dealership, calls for two structures, each housing three units, for a total of six townhome-style condominiums.
John O’Neill, a co-owner of StoneArch Development Corp., previously stated that each of the 1,960-square-foot, three-story units will feature a garage on the first floor, living and dining rooms on the second, with two bedrooms and a study on the third.
The second structure will be built behind the first and will include two additional guest parking spaces, bringing the total number of parking spaces to 14.
Read the rest of this story at Portsmouth Herald. — Patrick Cronin, Portsmouth Herald
Badger Peabody & Smith Realty ranks as one of nation’s top-producing brokerage firms in RISMedia’s 2025 Power Broker Report
Badger Peabody & Smith Realty, headquartered in Franconia, NH, recently announced its ranking as the No. 796 real estate firm in the United States in sales volume, according to RISMedia’s 37th Annual Power Broker Report. Badger Peabody & Smith Realty reported a total sales volume of $375 million in 2024, representing 859 closed residential transactions.
RISMedia President and CEO John Featherston praised Badger Peabody & Smith Realty for its placement in this year’s Power Broker Report. “Congratulations to the outstanding brokerage professionals who comprise the Top 1,000 firms according to sales volume in RISMedia’s 2025 Power Broker Report,” says Featherston. “Through navigating the historic changes in our industry over the last year, along with continued economic and inventory challenges, you led your management teams and sales associates through arguably one of the most challenging years in the history of real estate, yet continue to set the bar higher for our industry.”
“Despite the continued challenges reflected in this year’s report, Power Broker sentiment slants toward optimism for the remainder of the year—although continued positivity depends on a lot of unknown factors. And as always, our Top 1,000 adapted, innovated and persevered to carry their firms to the top of the chart, despite these challenges,” Featherston added.
The Top 1,000 2025 Power Brokers collectively engaged in more than 3.5 million transactions in 2024, through the commitment of more than 640,000 agents in over 9,000 offices.
“We have a great team of agents over our eight offices and their commitment to our clients and customers is unwavering. They consistently go above and beyond to deliver results and help their clients either sell their property or purchase one. We are pleased to be an integral part of our local communities, and pleased the efforts of our agents are recognized at this level.” said Andy Smith, Broker/Owner of Badger Peabody & Smith Realty.
Courtesy of Fieldstone Land Consultants
Cottage-court project to add 29 single-family homes in Keene
A Jaffrey-based developer hopes to begin construction on 29 single-family homes on vacant land near Cheshire Medical Center in Keene in September.
The new homes are the sixth approved cottage court in Keene since the city began allowing this kind of development last May in an effort to address a scarcity of housing. These dwellings, clustered around a shared open space, are generally smaller than a standard single-family home. Across the six cottage-court projects, the planning board has approved 70 new units of housing.
Michael Guitard, owner of Guitard Homes LLC, got the greenlight for his project from the Keene Planning Board on April 28.
Guitard’s three-phase project on Court Street could take up to six years to build, with each phase lasting roughly two, he said. He hopes to price the homes below the median for single-family homes in the state, which was about $515,900 for most of 2024, according to the N.H. Fiscal Policy Institute. That figure is significantly higher than what it was in January 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, when the median was below $300,000. In 2024, the median price for a single-family home in Cheshire County was $375,000, according to the organization.
Guitard said homes in his cottage court will measure from roughly 700 square feet to 1,390 and could cost between roughly $299,000 to somewhere in the range of $400,000.
This is the first cottage court Guitard is developing, after building several other single-family homes throughout the Monadnock Region.
He originally planned to build standard single-family homes, and said he would have been able to construct far fewer houses had he taken that route.
“We are excited to see this project moving forward,” Keene’s Senior Planner Mari Brunner said in an email. She noted only three to four homes would have been possible on that site if cottage courts were not allowed.
Guitard said the possibility of building a cottage court came on his radar after he approached the planning board.
“Everybody involved thought it would be more beneficial for the town to have more housing,” Guitard said, noting he likes the idea of being able to help more people own homes, and “… it kind of evolved from there.”
Guitard’s project comes in the midst of a statewide housing crisis affecting people across income levels. More of all types of homes are needed, but the lack of affordable housing is particularly acute.
While cottage courts are not strictly considered affordable housing, they are generally regarded as a more affordable option.
Guitard noted that homes that cost more to build see higher returns.
“So part of this is agreeing to do it,” he said of his project. “I want people to have affordable homes just like everybody else.”
He said the city’s regulations on cottage courts are designed to give developers some relief on costs, though it makes construction just a bit less expensive.
City councilors’ decision to allow cottage courts in Keene came after research on city housing needs found high demand for the smaller format housing that cottage courts can provide.
The cottage-court concept is newer, Guitard said, noting many towns and cities across the state are adopting policies and adjusting land development codes to allow the structures.
According to the city’s website, this type of development can generate more density, while simultaneously preserving balance “with adjacent houses in terms of size, scale, and architectural character.”
The five other approved cottage-court projects in Keene would bring a total of three additional units at High, Roxbury and Elliot streets, two at 15 Colony Court and 36 on Drummer Road. — Sophia Keshmir, Keene Sentinel
