People and Property: Real Estate and Construction News From Around NH

Audra Spaulding

Becky Cannon

North Branch Construction welcomes new hires                                   

North Branch Construction recently welcomed Becky Cannon, project coordinator, to the team. Cannon brings a background in project and contract management, logistics, training and customer service.

North Branch Construction also welcomed Audra Spaulding in the role of human resources assistant. She brings experience in working with people in the health care, social services and hospitality industries that will serve her well in fulfilling her role in human resources and recruiting at North Branch Construction.

“Becky has rapidly become an integral part of our project coordinator team. She brings a range of skills and experience that will enhance our ability to provide high value, quality and service to our clients,” said Joseph H. Campbell, North Branch Construction president. “Audra brings great experience in new hire recruitment, onboarding, and HR administration that will directly benefit the future growth of North Branch Construction.”

Bill to loosen eviction guidelines passes House

A bill that would ease New Hampshire’s eviction process will now head to the Senate after House members passed the measure 194 to 180 on Thursday. 

Today, if a landlord wanted to terminate a lease with a tenant at the end of the contract, they are required to provide a “just cause” – like needing to renovate the unit, renting to a family member or evicting the tenant for a lease violation. The proposal, House Bill 1115, would eliminate all of this, allowing landlords to terminate a lease without reason.

This bill would encourage landlords to take a “risk” when renting to tenants, more likely to accept someone with a poor rental history, knowing that they could terminate the contract at its conclusion if needed, according to Rep. Bob Lynn, a Windham Republican who is the bill’s sponsor. 

The root cause of homelessness in the state is the lack of available housing, according to Lynn. Current laws do little to incentivize landlords to want to rent units, he said, when the state is in dire need of more options. 

“How does it help to encourage landlords and investors to give us more housing for rent to make crazy rules like this that just impose really frankly stupid burdens on the landlord,” he said. “It doesn’t make any sense.” 

But in an executive session earlier this month, House Judiciary voted to kill the bill 12 to 8.

This came after a marathon hearing where advocates hedged that this bill would increase homelessness in the state, making renters more vulnerable in a tight market that has a vacancy rate of less than one percent. 

That was the argument that Rep. Cam Kenney, a Durham Democrat, presented on the House floor. 

“This bill would make an already dire issue much worse by increasing homelessness,” he said. “Any eviction in this housing market is likely to result in some period of homelessness.” 

In landlord and tenant contracts, landlords have the upper hand, said Kenny. With such low housing stock available, tenants lack bargaining power, knowing that there are few options available to them. Landlords may have a dozen new prospective applicants at a moments notice. 

And that doesn’t mean that landlords don’t have options if they’d like to find a new tenant, he continued. The landlord can raise the rent by any margin, they can rent to a family member or occupy the unit themselves, if they’d like to terminate a current rental agreement. 

“We all know that there are times when a landlord needs to evict a tenant and there are many lawful reasons that allow them to do that,” he said. “They just have to have some legitimate reason because it should not be easy to take away someone’s home.” 

But on the House floor, legislators revived the proposal at Lynn’s request. 

It’s not the first time the bill has passed the House. Last year, it was approved on a 211-157 vote, but later died in the Senate. 

“Some of the reason this bill failed in the other body was a claim that because we have such low vacancy rates that this will result in increased homelessness,” said Lynn. “This whole homeless argument, I suggest to you, is a nice soundbite but doesn’t actually make any sense.”  — Michaela Towfighi, Concord Monitor

Prolman Realty, Inc. authorized to offer competitive lease rate reduction of high-bay industrial/office space to $6.75 PSF NNN with operating expenses at $1.79 per square foot.

According to Mark Prolman, “208,520 square feet is now being offered at a rate the Industrial Market has not seen in years. The updated and attractive space consists of 64,458 square feet of 32-foot clear high bay, 129,928 square feet of manufacturing/warehouse mezzanine with 11-foot and 12-foot clear, and 14,134 square feet of office space. The space has 2,000 amps of power, 10 loading docks, 1 drive-in, ESFR sprinkler, etc.”

The entire space is available for immediate occupancy. The below market rate is available until May 30, 2024. For additional information, contact Mark Prolman at 603-880-6655.

Wedding and events space in historic Portsmouth building closer to reality

The owner of a historic Frank Jones Brewery building received a conditional use permit for parking on the property, supporting her plan to convert what had been second-floor office space into a wedding and events venue.

The city Planning Board voted to grant the permit to Jewell Court Properties LLC to allow 205 parking spaces where 242 are required in the city’s growing West End.

Jessica Kaiser is the principal of Jewell Court Properties and is also the founder and owner of Hawthorn Creative, which previously used the second floor of the building she owns at 33 Jewell Court for office space before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Hawthorne Creative is a “marketing firm that supports the wedding and event industry,” according to attorney Christopher Mulligan, who represented Kaiser at the recent Planning Board meeting.

Mulligan told the board before it granted the conditional use permit that people who use the events space will be contractually obligated “to employ valet or shuttle parking services to mitigate the impact on the existing parking.”

The city’s Board of Adjustment previously granted Kaiser a special exception for the wedding/event space.

The approval allows her to hold events with up to 250 people, but Kaiser estimated most wouldn’t exceed 160 guests.

She estimated there will be 25 to 35 events each year.

She noted during the recent Planning Board meeting she expects summer to be the busiest season.

Kaiser decided to change her building’s use as the demand for office space dropped and the need for wedding/event space increased, she said.

“I know the industry, I know events and events planning inside and out, and I’ve been living here for more than 20 years,” Kaiser said during a recent interview. “This space is meant for celebrations, it’s meant for this community to come together in a historic venue.”

Developer Eric Chinburg, who is also president of the condo association where Kaiser’s building is located, told the board in a letter that the association approved the new venue.

“It is with great enthusiasm that we support initiatives that enhance the community experience and provide unique spaces where individuals can gather and celebrate,” he said. “The historical nature of the property will be preserved and will allow (access) to a stunning historic event space, unlike anything else being offered here in Portsmouth.”

“I feel that the addition of a historic event venue would reinforce our commitment to building out the West End as a thriving area of town that offers a diverse mix of services,” he added.

Planning Board member Joe Almeida said he supports the project, and that it makes sense to have people shuttled to the venue space.

City Councilor Beth Moreau, who also serves on the board, made the motion to approve the conditional use permit request.

Board member Jayne Begala cast the lone no vote against granting parking CUP. — Jeff McMenemy, Portsmouth Herald