Conway officials: preserve or build housing on surplus land?

The plan for a dozen acres near North-South Road in Conway to be discussed Oct. 24

Conway town and state officials will discuss on Tuesday, Oct. 24, what to do with about a dozen acres of state surplus land near the North-South Road. If the town doesn’t want the land for use as buffers, the parcels could be used for housing, it was suggested.

The land is on the west side of the North-South Road and includes the yellow condos adjacent to Settlers Green that are in disrepair.

The meeting will take place at 4 p.m. at town hall. Executive Councilor Joe Kenney (R-Wakefield) and DOT Commissioner Bill Cass will be attending.

The state of New Hampshire acquired the parcels as part of the North-South Road project. The North-South Road is now a town road.

There are two parcels up for grabs (the town gets first refusal on purchasing the land). The first, a 6.83-acre parcel described as “multiple remnant parcels of the former Puddin Pond Hill Homeowners Association,” is on the opposite side of the road from Pudding Pond.

The second parcel is 5.93 acres with two “condo-style” buildings at 95 Common Court.

In August, selectmen refused the offer on both, but eventually Selectman Steve Porter convinced his colleagues to reconsider the Pudding Pond property and at least find out how much the state wants for it. Porter believes this land should be a “buffer” of greenery along North-South Road.

In a letter dated Sept. 7, NHDOT Administrator of the Bureau of Right Way Stephen LaBonte told Porter the state is looking for $500,100 for the Puddin Pond land. He said access will be from Barnes Road, not the North-South Road.

In a second Sept. 7 letter, Labonte asks for $1,046,100 for the second parcel of 5.93 acres with two “condo-style” buildings at 95 Common Court. Access would be from Common Court, not the North-South Road.

Selectmen have voted to refuse the Common Court land but have not made it official by sending notice to the state.

Both of LeBonte’s letters close the same way.

“Under RSA 4:39-c: I, the Department is inquiring whether the Town of Conway is interested in the property before offering it to the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority. I request that the town respond to me in writing within 30 days concerning their interest in purchasing this property for the appraised value,” said Labonte. “If the town is not interested, the Department will proceed with selling this parcel to NHHFA (pending Governor and Executive Council approval). “Conway Planning Board member Mark Hounsell said during a Sun-TV interview that the he would like to see the North-South Road “parkway” protected from development. Hounsell said houses could go on top of the hill.

 “Wouldn’t that be something that we could sell some to someone from Swampscott?’ joked Hounsell. “Why can’t we keep it for ourselves?”

Now, the town doesn’t have an official definition of “parkway” but one is going to be discussed by the planning board on Thursday, Oct. 12,  starting at 6 p.m. at the town hall if the planning board decides to move it forward.

The proposed definition reads as follows: “A landscaped thoroughfare, most commonly a road with no curb cut and/or crossroad access, that has a protected vegetated buffer along either side for the purpose of maintaining scenic beauty. Vehicles with more than two axles are prohibited from driving on parkways.”

Selectman Carl Thibodeau hopes the Sun will do a Tele-Talk about the surplus lands. He would like to see the on the west side of the North-South Road turned into housing and land on the east side (pond side) preserved.

“The residents should be given an opportunity to weigh in and your Tele-Talk is the best medium I can think of,” said Thibodeau.

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