Laconia Village proposal gets final technical review

The journey from concept to completion will be long and complicated for the team envisioning the largest real estate development in recent city history, so the passing of a major milestone on Tuesday morning was a moment to mark.
The moment came at a meeting of the city’s Technical Review Committee, a board with representatives from all relevant city departments which reviews development proposals before they go before the planning board. Pillsbury Realty Development LLC appeared before the TRC on Tuesday morning for a third and final review of the master plan for the development they call “Laconia Village,” which seeks to build a community on the site of the former Laconia State School.
Pillsbury passed its first milestone last September, when the Executive Council agreed to accept their offer to purchase the 217-acre parcel for $10.5 million. However, the offer was conditional on the developer achieving the permits and approvals necessary to follow its plan.

Representatives of Pillsbury Realty Development, from left, Bob Duvall and Justin Kearnan, present an updated plan for Laconia Village, which would build more than 2,000 residences, as well as commercial, retail and civic spaces, on the former Laconia State School property. In the background are visible other members of the Pillsbury team, from left, lawyer Ari Pollock, civil engineer Jim D’Angelo and project manager Kevin Smith. (Adam Drapcho/The Laconia Daily Sun)

And what a plan it is. Pillsbury proposes building a mixed-use development with roughly 2,000 residences of various sizes and price points, as well as spaces for commercial, retail and medical uses. The plan calls for a hotel, civic amenities including city offices, the preservation of green spaces, and will be laid out for walkability
Such a development would be the most significant in recent Laconia history. As such, the TRC has been examining each draft of the plan as Pillsbury has developed it.
After Tuesday’s meeting, the master plan — meaning the overall development vision for the property — will advance to the city Planning Board for review. Pillsbury isn’t done with technical reviews, though. They will need to return before the board to seek approvals for each of the three distinct development phases.
Pillsbury will be back at City Hall on Monday night, this time for a public hearing about approval of a memorandum of understanding outlining how the city and the developer will work together during the build-out of the development, a process expected to take a decade or more.
Discussion at Tuesday’s meeting focused on two areas of concern not yet addressed in the master plan: water management, especially as it relates to snowmelt, and the best way to route the recreational WOW Trail through the property.
The WOW Trail, which has a planned extension via the Opechee Loop that would connect the Lakeport terminus back to downtown via the former State School property, could pass through the parcel by taking one of three general routes. It could follow along Parade Road, which would be the simplest but perhaps least scenic option. It could climb the hill along Meredith Neck Road before turning left to cross the property, which would be the steepest option. Lastly, it could cross the wetlands at the corner of Parade and Meredith Center roads, which would present a more manageable incline for walkers and cyclists, but would require approval from the state to construct a boardwalk.
Nate Guerette, assistant Department of Public Works director, drew the attention of the meeting to the WOW Trail issue, noting the route indicated on Pillsbury’s plan calls for the trail to cross Parade at the Elm Street intersection, then follow Meredith Center Road until the path is uphill of the wetlands.
“It’s a challenging trek up through there,” Guerette said, noting, “from an engineering standpoint, it’s difficult to put it elsewhere.”
Bob Duvall, an engineer working with Pillsbury, said alternatives were considered but, “because of the extensive wetlands, there’s no path through it.
“We either had to go up Meredith Center Road, alternatively we would go along the frontage of Parade Road and come up Right Way Path. It seemed that the best experience would be to go up Meredith Center Road.”
Guerette pressed, suggesting Pillsbury could build a boardwalk through the wetlands. Duvall countered that the Department of Environmental Services considers projects as a whole, and asking to build in a wetlands might entangle the rest of their plans. “I’d hate for it to push us over a threshold,” Duvall said.
The two compromised by agreeing that Pillsbury would leave the WOW Trail as they have it for now, while seeking DES approval for the overall plan, then go back to ask for an amended plan to re-route the trail through the wetlands.
Guerette also had lingering concerns about snow removal and water management. He noted the plan’s streetscapes showed trees and plantings along sidewalks, and the plans didn’t indicate how those sidewalks were going to be cleared of snow.
“Ideally we’d like to put a one-ton truck down the sidewalk, if there’s room for that,” Guerette said.
“Talking about snow, do we want to discuss snow storage as well?” asked Rob Mora, planning director. He noted that with the number of roads, sidewalks and parking areas on the plan, there would be a considerable need for storage of snow, yet there was no such area designated.
Guerette noted that although the development is expected to result in a net reduction of water flowing off the property, the water flowing onto neighboring lots will be concentrated at certain points, instead of dispersed as it currently is. Duvall offered to show Guerette plans that answered those questions, but Guerette insisted they be included with the master plan.
“I’m not the only one who’s going to want to see that. Neighbors are going to want to see that as well,” Guerette said. “As you know, when you stockpile a lot of snow and it melts very quickly, it creates issues. We don’t see on the plan where you plan to do snow storage, and also if that melt is going to go into your drainage system, or if it’s going to bypass your drainage system.”
After the meeting, Pillsbury’s representatives said they appreciated the technical review process.
“The city’s been great to work with, there’s no other way to put it,” said Kevin Smith, project manager for Laconia Village. “I think the committee has represented the interests of the city very well,” and his team has sought to present a plan reflecting those interests.
“It has been a constructive process,” agreed Duvall.
Jim D’Angelo, civil engineer, said, “We learned a lot about our site, and the city’s needs.”
At least two on the TRC have similar feelings about working with the developer.
“I think they have been an excellent developer to work with,” Mora said, noting whenever someone on the committee brought up concerns, “they addressed all of them very promptly.”
Guerette said, “Both sides have been transparent, hard-working, responsive and fair.”
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