The 1913 Boscawen Library is for sale. (Courtesy of Katie Phelps)
Boscawen’s historic library building for sale for $350,000
For $350,000, Boscawen’s historic library building could be yours.
Designed in 1913 by famous New England architect Guy Lowell, the building is listed on the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s “Seven to Save” collection of historic properties and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Though the building has been largely unoccupied since the town library moved to the municipal building in 2003, it is in good shape and boasts cathedral ceilings, original lighting fixtures and white oak wood paneling.
“The library was built as a solid masonry building with thick sidewalls supported by cut granite foundation walls and footings,” the town’s sale listing states. “The poured concrete floors are supported by heavy I-beams and finished with an elegant terrazzo.”
After exploring how to re-purpose the 3,182-square-foot building to fit Boscawen’s needs, town leaders ultimately determined the costs of bringing it into ADA compliance were prohibitive.
“It just required a lot of funding to bring it up to the form we could use as a municipal building and we just couldn’t do that,” Town Administrator Katie Phelps said.
The building could be converted into office space or into a residential property, Phelps said. New owners must commit to maintaining the exterior facade of the structure.
The town is accepting offers on the building until December 10. More information can be found at https://www.boscawennh.gov/home/news/1913-library-offered-sale. — Jeremy Margolis, Concord Monitor
Seller’s market continues in New Hampshire with rising housing prices
New Hampshire recorded its most expensive October in history, as single-family home prices held above half a million dollars for the eighth consecutive month, reaching a median sales price of $500,750.
Despite a modest increase in inventory, with 2,354 homes available at the end of the month, the market remains firmly in favor of sellers, according to the New Hampshire Association of Realtors.
This October also continued a 57-month streak, with home prices climbing compared to the same period the previous year.
Balanced conditions of typically between five to seven months’ worth of homes available haven’t been seen in the state since October 2016.
Across New Hampshire, regional differences remain stark.
Rockingham County recorded the highest October median sale price in the state at $628,000, while Coos County saw the lowest at $297,450.
In Merrimack County, the median price hit $470,000 — lower than the state average but still up by 9.3% over last year.
Closer to the capital, local towns saw varied price points too.
Concord recorded a median of $465,500, while nearby Bow reached $599,900. Hopkinton saw even higher prices, hitting $712,000, with Boscawen on the lower end at $390,000.
At the end of October, Concord had 38 homes available for sale, while Hopkinton had just 2, Bow had 7 and Boscawen had 4. — Sruthi Gopalakrishnan, Concord Monitor
17 Progress Avenue in Nashua for sale
Prolman Realty, Inc. has been selected by 17 Progress Avenue LLC to market for sale 17 Progress Avenue, according to Mark Prolman, the exclusive broker. The 18,600-square-foot office/industrial building consists of 8,200 square feet of Office and Technical, 6,800 square feet of Warehouse and 3,600 square feet of Mezzanine.
The building has been occupied by J. Lawrence Hall/DENRON, a leading HVAC contractor in southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts since 2011. The property is situated between Exit 4 and 5 off the F.E. Everett Turnpike and Northeastern Boulevard, providing access to the Highway System.
Prolman Realty is offering the property at $2.5 million.
36 Granite Street
Variance request for Granite Street property again denied after tense Zoning Board hearing
The Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) on Tuesday night once again denied a variance request for a second principal structure on a single lot at 36 Granite Street. Tensions were high with disagreements between board members and the applicant’s attorney, Chris Swiniarski, and comments were shouted out from the audience during testimony from both Swiniarski and an individual who spoke in opposition to the request.
The application requests a variance from Land Use Code Section 190-17 (B) to allow two principal structures on one lot, where only one is permitted, with access through Davis Court, a paper street. According to Vice Chairman Steven Lionel, the application has come before the board several times in different guises, the first time being in 2005.
More recently, the applicant applied for the variance on July 23, 2023 and a hearing was held on September 26, 2023 at which the application was denied. The applicant later filed for a motion for a rehearing, which was also denied. In January 2024, they filed an appeal with the Housing Appeals Board (HAB), which held a hearing on the merits in May.
The HAB found that the rulings of the ZBA under variance criteria to be unclear and conclusory, and that the decision made by the ZBA was “inadequate to allow the Applicant to pursue meaningful judicial review.” The HAB reversed the decision and remanded the matter back to the ZBA.
The board asserted that the benefits sought by the applicant could be achieved by some other feasible method – which is part of the variance criteria. Lionel mentioned how alternatives were proposed when the case was previously before them, such as extending the house and adding units to it.
Swiniarski argued that this was not part of state variance criteria.
“That’s not true. I’m not sure who gave you that, that’s wrong,” he said.
“If the city is not going to respect the order of the Housing Appeals Board and they’re going to follow a different way of thinking on the basis that this is what we’ve done and this is what our council have told us, then we will end up back there, but the board’s not going to look favorably on that we’ll be seeking our costs to do that at that point, because it’s not fair,” he added.
Those who made testimony in opposition to the request said that it would be in discordance with the character of the neighborhood and an increase in traffic, loss of trees and privacy.
The ZBA ultimately decided that the variance request did not meet the necessary criteria as there was no hardship, the spirit of the ordinance was not observed, and the variance would be contrary to the public interest. — Mya Blanchard, Nashua Ink Link
DEW Construction announces several employee promotions and new hires
DEW Construction announced the promotion of three key team members and the addition of two new employees to the company.
With over 28 years of experience in the construction industry, Matt Cadieux has been promoted from Senior Superintendent to General Superintendent. Matt’s journey with DEW began more than 24 years ago as a Carpenters’ Helper. Since then, he has advanced through various roles including carpenter, foreman, assistant superintendent, and senior superintendent. In his new role, Matt will oversee field personnel from DEW’s Williston office, manage field planning, and ensure successful project execution. His leadership, dedication, and problem-solving skills make him an excellent fit for this critical role.
Chris Bertrand, with over 30 years of industry experience, has been promoted to Vice President of Business Development for the Northern Region. Chris has been with DEW for 17 years, advancing from Project Engineer to Vice President of Field Operations throughout that time. Chris’s deep knowledge of DEW’s operations and culture, along with his strong client relationships, will be instrumental in driving the company’s business development efforts across the Northern Region.
Conor Donnelly, who has been with DEW for nearly a decade, has been promoted to Vice President of Preconstruction. With over 18 years of industry experience, Conor’s career at DEW includes roles as MEPF Engineer, Preconstruction Manager and Director of MEPF Services. In his new role, Conor will oversee the estimating, preconstruction, and MEP departments developing strategies to manage risk and protect project margins. Conor holds a B.A. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vermont and is a member of ASME, ASHRAE, and ASHE.
DEW welcomes Nicholas Wright as a Project Engineer. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Nicholas will support project managers and superintendents in coordinating resources for smooth project execution. He will play a critical role in ensuring project quality, adhering to schedules, and maintaining safety standards.
Charlie Burzlaff joins DEW as a Superintendent, bringing decades of industry experience. A graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Construction Management, Charlie’s expertise spans government, public, and private sector projects. Charlie is supervising the River Lofts at Cable Mills project in Williamstown, Massachusetts, managing field staff, coordinating subcontractors, and ensuring timely, cost-effective project completion while maintaining a safe work environment.
