State agencies seek $25 million in pandemic aid for building projects
State agencies are looking to invest some of the remaining federal pandemic aid in several initiatives, including a new 911 center in Laconia and a replacement for the Sununu Youth Services Center. Several requests are scheduled to go before the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee on Friday.
The Department of Safety wants to use $5.6 million to replace the 911 center that sits on the former 218-acre Laconia State School campus, which the state is selling to a Londonderry developer. The new center, which will continue to house the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid, is slated for land adjacent to the campus.
Lawmakers previously set aside $13 million in federal money for the project.
Despite halving the size of the new 18-bed youth development center, construction estimates continue to be well above the $21.6 million lawmakers approved in 2023. The Department of Health and Human Services has asked to use $5 million in federal money to cover the $30.5 million bid it received.
Lawmakers previously approved the use of $6.5 million in federal money to close the gap. The new center, which the state intends to add to its behavioral health hospital in Hampstead, would replace the existing 144-bed Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester.
A proposed community facility in Belmont with a child care center would get $750,000 under a proposal from the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery. The center, which is to be run by the Boys & Girls Club of Central New Hampshire in the former Gale School, would add 35 child care slots to mitigate the state’s dire shortage of child care, according to the request.
The same state agency has asked to use $13.7 million for several other building projects.
Nearly $3.5 million would go toward deferred maintenance at the State House and Annex buildings. Strafford County would get $1.4 million for a new courthouse roof. And about $686,000 would be put toward ventilation improvements at the men’s prison in Concord.
About $2 million would be used for a new eight-bed therapeutic transitional housing program and approximately $3 million would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to renovate its behavioral health facility in Hampstead. — Annmarie Timmins, NH Bulletin
SVN The Masiello Group appoints Brian Dano, CCIM, as new managing director
SVN The Masiello Group, a leader in Northern New England real estate since 1966, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Brian Dano, CCIM, as its new managing director. With a proven track record as a top performing broker and a strong vision for growth, Dano is poised to lead the company into its next chapter of success.
Dano, who has been part of SVN The Masiello Group since December 2020 as a senior commercial real estate advisor, brings a wealth of expertise and a deep understanding of the commercial real estate landscape. His background includes transacting over 57 deals and generating significant volume, highlighting his ability to deliver results and drive business forward.
In his new role, Dano plans to enhance the commercial business through three strategic initiatives:
Standardization for Scalability – Implementing efficient and effective processes to ensure consistent quality across operations.
Recruiting Top Talent – Attracting and retaining the best professionals in the industry to strengthen the team.
Enabling Top Talent – Providing the necessary tools and resources to empower team members and foster their success.
“I am excited to take on this new role and build upon the strong foundation of our existing culture,” said Dano. “Together, we will focus on expanding our geographic reach into Vermont and Massachusetts, as well as pursuing mergers and acquisitions to bolster our property management services. Our affiliation with the SVN brand will continue to be a cornerstone of our strategy, leveraging a national network of over 200 offices and 1,600 trusted advisors.”
Dano holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Massachusetts and has completed advanced studies at Boston University and Harvard Business School Online. His dedication to the industry is further underscored by his active membership in several professional organizations, including the New Hampshire Commercial Investment Board of Realtors and the National Association of Office and Industrial Professionals.
The approximate outline of the property in southern Manchester where 220 proposed housing units are planned.
Proposed 220-unit South Mammoth development gets variances okayed
One of the largest remaining parcels of land in Manchester is a step closer to being transformed from a woodland area to a brand-new residential neighborhood.
In a 4-1 vote, the Manchester Zoning Board of Adjustment on Thursday approved a pair of variances needed to build a brand-new development near the confluence of South Mammoth Road, Corning Road and Lucas Road. The proposed development, which would be constructed by the Stabile Companies of Nashua, would hold 220 townhouse-style units in the approximately 34-acre lot.
Representatives of the applicant said that their hope to pursue townhouse-style homes instead of subdividing the parcel into single-family detached homes was primarily economical. They informed the board that they would need to build approximately 42 homes worth over a million dollars each, which would cost more to build and be harder to sell given that many area residents cannot afford homes as it is given the local housing shortage.
They also discussed several meetings with residents of adjacent neighborhoods and streets to modify the proposal, adding a 50-foot woodland buffer along most of the lot as well as a pocket park, additional parking for drop-offs, and more gaps in between buildings to maximize green space.
It was also noted that while much of the area nearby is single-family residential, there are also other condominium developments nearby, such as a development built by the Socha Companies further down South Mammoth Road. The lot is also connected to city sewerage, leading the Manchester Planning and Community Development Department to initially propose changing zoning for the lot to a higher-density residential purpose. Representatives of the applicant also noted this, stating that if the draft zoning ordinance change proposal remains in place, this proposal could theoretically add several hundred more units by right.
Some of the neighbors said that they appreciated efforts by Stabile to listen to their concerns, they added that their concerns had still not been met.
While representatives of Stabile said that the comparable nearby higher-density neighborhoods would make this development in line with the area, several people in opposition said that those developments had already changed the nature of the area and this proposal would change the area further. In particular, residents on Lucas Road were frustrated with the feeling that they would be sandwiched between the Socha property and this new development. Lucas Road residents were also concerned that an emergency exit to the development heading onto their road would eventually be transformed into a third entrance and exit.
Some residents on Country Farm Road, a street behind the property, expressed concerns with the heights of the building, and some residents on Corning Road were concerned with traffic safety, especially with additional traffic at Corning Road’s irregular intersection with Sheffield Road near South Mammoth Road, as Sheffield Road already has drawn safety concerns.
Residents also spoke at length for concerns about local wildlife that would be impacted by the new housing and that the proposed green space, forested areas and wetland buffers would not be enough to cause a significant disruption to that wildlife.
Frustration from the neighbors rose to the point where several neighbors refused to limit their commentary to the board’s three-minute limit and some others yelled insults at the board, with one resident being asked to leave.
The variance requests, which sought relief from height in stories, minimum building lot area and floor area ratio, were approved on a 4-1 vote. Greg Powers, Raymond Hebert, Craig St. Pierre and Max Latona voted in favor of the requests, while Kathryn Beleski voted in opposition.
This development will also need review from the Manchester Planning Board and Manchester Conservation Commission. — Andrew Sylvia, Manchester Ink Link
