Path seen for housing and buffer on state land

Conway Town Planner Ryan O’Connor Tuesday explains to Conway Selectmen and state officials that there’s an aquifer under North Conway and green space helps protect it. (Photo by Daymond Steer)

Town and state officials see a path for the town to get both housing and a buffer of land with the parcels the state wants to sell near the North-South Road and Common Court. The state acquired the property as part of the North-South Road/Bypass project. The town gets first refusal on purchasing the land, which includes a 6.8-acre lot described as “remnant parcels of the former Pudding Pond Hill Homeowners Association,” which is across North-South Road from Pudding Pond.

The other parcel is 5.93 acres with two condo buildings at 95 Common Court, which is across from Settlers Green and the North Conway Grand.

NHDOT Administrator of the Bureau of Right Way Stephen LaBonte told selectmen the state wants $500,100 for the Puddin’ Pond land and $1,046,100 is the asking price for the second parcel.

If the town isn’t interested the DOT would offer it to the New Hampshire Housing Authority.

Selectmen, DOT Commissioner Bill Cass, Executive Councilor Joe Kenney (R-Wakefield), state Sen. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro), Rep. Mark McConkey (R-Freedom), Housing Authority Executive Director Rob Dapice, several planning board members and MWV Housing Coalition representatives attended Tuesday’s selectmen’s meeting about the land.

At the selectmen’s meeting on Oct. 24, Town Planner Ryan O’Connor gave a slide show on uses for the land.

“To maximize the buildability, the town is suggesting the Puddin’ Pond lot be used as green space to support the condo property by a transfer of development rights,” said O’Connor. “This would balance the goals of housing with the environmental protections and viewshed protections of the North-South Parkway.”

“Our goal is to figure out how to balance development rights with some of the environmental concerns that have come up lately,” O’Connor said.

An aquifer under the North-South Road is one environmental concern.

O’Connor and Deputy Town Manager Paul DegliAngeli said that the Pudding Pond parcel could remain untouched as a green space credit to allow for the construction of 71 units. A majority of the Pudding Pond is not buildable, they said.

Town of Conway, State of New Hampshire and federal officials are looking at plan to use the Puddin’ Pond Land abutting the North South Road as green space while the Condo property could be developed for up to 71 housing units. (TOWN OF CONWAY MAP)

The town hopes the state will put deed restrictions on the condo lot, including that it can only developed only for housing and that a 250-foot buffer from the North-South Road be maintained, said O’Connor. The planning board would like to be involved early in the design process of any new housing development

Selectmen voted 4-0 to keep working with the DOT and New Hampshire Housing Authority to make the housing and the green space happen. Selectman Ryan Shepard was absent.

DegliAngeli said questions remain about whether the DOT is willing to put deed restrictions on the the lots and then if the Housing Authority would be willing to buy both lots, knowing it can’t build on the Pudding Pond lot but that by preserving that lot more housing density would be available on the other lot.

Depice said he’s willing to look into whether such an arrangement is feasible for the Housing Authority but said he would give a “nod to the concept.”

“We’re sensitive to the community’s need to balance priorities for green space and preserve a sort of parkway experience on North-South Road,” said Depice. “We’d be open to those conversations, absolutely,“ he added.

Depice said any housing that the authority helps to bring to fruition would be for workforce housing.

That would be a “win” for the parties involved, said several attendees including Bradley, planning board member Mark Hounsell, Selectman John Colbath and DegliAngeli.

The bypass project was dissolved in 2020 after expected traffic growth never materialized. The state acquired 157 properties. So far, 10 were sold, 49 are “processing,” and the DOT has $27.8 million to pay back the federal government. Lands deemed surplus are to be sold to help pay back the federal government.

Bradley said he, Kenney and McConkey would make sure that state agencies pay attention to this new plan.

McConkey said he chairs the Legislature’s Long-range Capital Planning and Utilization Committee and that the committee could decide whether the project is worthy to go to the governor and Executive Council or if there too many questions. He said the committee won’t be able to support letting go of the land at a fire-sale price

But, he said, “I believe you’re moving in a great direction.”

McConkey also chairs the House Public Works Committee.

Kenney said whether the state sells the land or not is up to the governor and council.

He hopes local and state officials will come to an amicable agreement. “I want everyone to be happy with the disposal of this property,” said Kenney.

Bradley said maybe U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) could use her influence in Washington to reduce the DOT’s debt so these plans are workable.

Chuck Henderson of Shaheen’s office said the senator is listening, too.

“Everyone on our staff thinks about housing every day,” said Henderson.

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