Wendy’s looks to add location on Route 119 in Rindge
The fast-food franchise Wendy’s is looking to build a new restaurant on Route 119 in Rindge, with some members of the Planning Board expressing concerns that the planned building doesn’t go far enough to fit into the style of the area.
On Tuesday night, Jason Hill, a project manager with engineering, surveying and architectural firm TF Moran, representing Wendy’s, presented plans for a new restaurant building. The building would be split into a Wendy’s restaurant and drive-through on one side, and a to-be-determined fast-casual dining restaurant on the other.
Jason Hill of TF Moran presents a depiction of a design for a new Wendy’s restaurant proposed on Route 119. (Ashley Saari/Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)
The lot, next to the Hometown Diner, currently includes a two-family home, which would be torn down to make way for the new construction. Hill said traffic studies suggest there is no need for a turning lane on Route 119, and the business has sufficient sight lines for exiting. He said developers are seeking to start construction on the building this year.
The Wendy’s side of the restaurant is planned to be 2,245 square feet, and the tenant restaurant would have 1,400 square feet. The two establishments would share a 31-space parking lot.
The proposed design of the building is square, with abutments for signage for each of the restaurants. Planning Board members questioned how the design fit into the area of the Gateway Central district, which specifically calls for the encouragement of businesses that fit a New England aesthetic. Select Board ex-officio Bob Hamilton called out the discrepancy, calling the design “not in rural character,” saying, “It’s just a brown box right now.”
The board continued the hearing, proposing Hill return with a more-definitive design for the building or an argument for how the design fit the New England aesthetic and clearer information on seating capacity, as well as some other questions. The board continued the meeting until July 1 at 7 p.m. at the Rindge town office.
— ASHLEY SAARI/Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
Laconia leading in developing accessory dwellings
Laconia is on the cutting-edge of accessory dwelling unit construction, now easier than at any point before, citizens and land developers learned June 4 during a city-hosted information session.
Joia Hughes, the city’s economic and housing development director, started working for the city last fall. She hit the ground running and is working to inform community members about various avenues for housing development available in Laconia.
She said she was tasked “to educate the community on different opportunities that might be available to lessen the burden of the housing crisis in our area.”
A proposed modification to the definition of ADU, which would be enacted by House Bill 577, expands the use by right to include detached units, adds definitions and increases the maximum square footage allowed.
Notably, HB 577 explicitly allows the construction of an ADU at the same time as a principal dwelling unit, or an individual’s primary residence. The bill is on its way to Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s desk.
Matt Mayberry, chief executive officer of the New Hampshire Home Builders Association, told a crowd of about 20 at the library downtown on Wednesday that Laconia is among those municipalities leading the charge toward making ADU construction more accessible in the Granite State.
“I crafted the language, so I know it well,” Mayberry said.
“Laconia is amazing — they’re on the leading edge.”
ADUs are residential living units, located on the same lot as a single-family dwelling, which provide independent living facilities for one or more people, including provisions for sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation on that same parcel. Sometimes referred to as “in-law” apartments, in Laconia ADUs cannot be used for short-term rental.
According to Laconia’s municipal zoning ordinance, ADUs are intended as an option for homeowners to offer separate and independent living space. The appearance and character of ADUs is required to remain single-family in nature, and a single-family dwelling with an ADU is not classified as a two-family dwelling. One ADU is permitted on any owner-occupied single-family dwelling lot, so long as certain conditions are met.
— Gabriel Perry/Laconia Daily Sun
Housing Champions Communities Awarded $5 Million in Grants
The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) has awarded $5 million under the Housing Champion Program to 11 community housing projects.
The Housing Champions program supports local efforts to tackle the state’s housing shortage through innovative policies and community-driven solutions. The 11 projects were chosen from the 18 municipalities designated as Housing Champions in 2024. These communities demonstrated leadership in promoting affordable, accessible, and sustainable housing and are now moving forward with critical infrastructure plans.
Two key grant programs underpin the awards:
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Housing Production Municipal Grant Fund – $1.5 million to support new housing unit development.
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Housing Infrastructure Municipal Grant – $3.5 million to fund infrastructure improvements for housing projects.
Housing Production Grant Recipients: Manchester, Nashua, Salem, Newport
Housing Infrastructure Grant Recipients: Concord, Dover, Lebanon, Manchester, Newport, Rochester, Salem
The four Housing Production projects propose 373 new units. The seven Infrastructure projects fund upgrades to sewer, water, electrical, or fire suppression systems that directly support housing.
“These communities have set a high standard for innovation and collaboration in tackling New Hampshire’s housing challenges,” said BEA Commissioner Taylor Caswell, in press release. “Their commitment is instrumental in creating the kind of vibrant, sustainable communities that New Hampshire needs to grow its workforce and economy.”
Launched in 2023, Housing Champions is part of a statewide initiative to encourage zoning and planning reforms that enable workforce housing. It follows BEA’s $100 million InvestNH program, which began in 2022 and helped create nearly 5,000 housing units.
— NH Business Review
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