New construction up the hill from Weirs

[newbie]

Both roads on the north and south side of Pickerel Cove are private roads.

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by newbie

Both roads on the north and south side of Pickerel Cove are private roads.

Not according to the Laconia map that shows them as public.

Harglen Lane, the road on the north side of Pickerel Cove has a green Laconia street sign and it does not say 'private' in small letters underneath Harglen Lane.

It runs about 1/4 mile to the end where it abutts the railroad track with enough room to make a u-turn in a car, plus there's no 'no trespassing' signs at the end, next to the railroad track. It looks like a well maintained, smooth compacted sand and gravel type road with some expensive waterfront homes.......nice neighborhood!

Even if it is a private road, does that mean it can exclude use by pedestrians or bicyclists as opposed to motor vehicles, who use it to access the proposed W.O.W. Trail to be built on the inside area of the rr right-of-way?

Behind the two-acre lot that is home to the City of Laconia, Hilliard Rd Brush Facility (unpainted wood & brush under 3" Dia only), on adjacent and nearby Hilliard Rd, there is acres and acres of undeveloped sloping wooded land that seems to be undeveloped all the way back up to Route 3, close to the entrance of theMeredith Bay, aka Akwa Soliel, developement.

I believe these undeveloped woods are the proposed area for the new to be constructed Akwa Woods-Del Bocco Vista developement, or something?

Having easy access to the W.O.W. Trail via Harglen Lane would seem to be a very nice amenity for the local residents. A nine mile long , pedestrian, bicycle, roller blade, non-motorized waterfront paved trail running from Laconia to Meredith and straight through the Weirs.

So.....what's not to like? Could be a great way to work off some excess weight....on a bicycle.....while on a commute or a trip to Laconia- Main St.

[Just Sold]

Today's Laconia Citizen:

Weirs project revised to expand unit size


Laconia:

By RON TUNNING Special to the Citizen

Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Developer Skip Kelly won approval last night from the city's Planning Board to add a three-bedroom model to his list of cottages being built in his Weirs Beach Village project located on Endicott Street North.

The three-bedroom units will be constrained in size to a basic "living space" footprint of no more than 1,000 square feet, and can represent no more than 20 percent of the total number of units approved for construction.

The board also limited the number of bathrooms per unit to two, and restricted garages to a dimension no greater than 24 feet by 24 feet, large enough to accommodate two vehicles.

In seeking the Planning Board's endorsement of the change, Kelly explained that in the current market he's finding a demand for three-bedroom units in a project originally conceived as affordable, modular housing offering a typical floor plan of one or two bedrooms averaging a little less than a 900 square foot "living space" footprint. To conform with the "living space" footprint, additional square footage will be provided in second-level loft areas.


Kelly acknowledged that adding a third bedroom will likely increase costs from $139,900 for a two bedroom to $169,900, which raised concerns among some Planning Board members that the elevated prices undermine the commitment to provide affordable housing.

City Planning Director Shanna Saunders, however, observed that by restricting the number of three-bedroom units in the project "we can keep it as affordable housing."

Planning Board member Warren Hutchins concurred, noting that even a $169,900 price tag was low. "You don't find many new homes being built for that," he said.

Board members Jerry Mailloux and Tobias Paddock, however, were not convinced and voted against the motion to approve the three-bedroom units.

Attorneys Pat Wood and Rob Dyer, along with engineer Steve Smith requested that a public work session be conducted before final language is adopted on a new "Steep Slope" addition to the city's planning ordinances. All three stressed the importance of seeking input from a wide range of people and businesses who would be impacted by any new requirements or processes enacted. The Planning Board agreed to conduct such a public session sometime following its next meeting in January.

The board was equally amenable to a request by the Remington family to adjust lot lines on its subdivision on Pendleton Street. The alterations merely shift square footage from lots 2 and 7 to lots 1 and 6 in order to accommodate the residences planned for the site.

A bit less agreeable was the design review of the Meredith Bay Mid Rise Condominiums on Scenic Road, part of the development originally known as Akwa Vista. While the developer was praised for having incorporated into the plan single-level units in three, five-story buildings, concerns about the absence of any plans for sidewalks along Scenic Road were aired by board members Mailloux, Hutchins and William Contardo.

While acknowledging that constructing sidewalks would be challenging and expensive, the board strongly recommended that the developer return with a plan to better accommodate pedestrian traffic.

Two abutting homeowners raised the issue of storm water runoff arising from the project and developments further up the hill. Philip Asack of 639 Scenic Road complained that storm water is threatening his property, backing up his septic system.

"I've been there over 25 years," he explained, "And I never had this problem before."

"Ever since Akwa was built, water has consistently been coming down the hill," added Mark Ortolani of 596 Scenic Road. "This last rain washed away my driveway."

The Meredith Bay developer promised to address the board and abutting property owners' concerns as design plans evolved.

[mcdude]

Some Weirs Blvd. project concerns lessened

Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Although they've yet to see the formal application, members of the Planning Board reacted favorably Tuesday to a preliminary version of a 291-unit condominium project on Weirs Boulevard.

Since 2004, Brady-Sullivan Properties of Manchester has been looking to build the "Langley Cove" condominium community on the boulevard, but it has been stymied by board concerns about steep slopes, over-density and the threat posed by storm-water runoff from the property into Paugus Bay, which is the source of Laconia's municipal water supply.

Planning Board Chairman Kyril Mitchell told the developer's representatives that what was presented Tuesday evening was "quantifiably better" than what it last saw in 2008 when Brady-Sullivan had presented plans for a 341-unit project.

Tim Sheldon, Brady-Sullivan's director of development and design, said his company — which in 2004 envisioned 375 residential units on the 66-acre property at 553 Weirs Blvd. (the developer now also owns an additional 17 adjacent acres on White Oaks Road) — listened to what the board had to say and took it to heart.

"We seem to be at kind of a tipping point," Sheldon said, in terms of Brady-Sullivan having addressed board concerns about slopes, soils, watershed quality and reduced project density.

The plans before the board Tuesday for a design review, during which board members and the public can make suggestions to a developer before his or her returning with a formal site plan application, reflected "what you've been telling Brady-Sullivan for four years" Sheldon said.

According to a slide show presentation, the new Langley Cove project has a 70-percent reduction in the amount of development that would take place on steep slopes, a 44-percent reduction in impervious surfaces and a 154-percent increase in total green space.

"This is a much-improved plan," Sheldon summed up, noting that there was less development of the site and fewer total units and "most of our buildings are off the steep slopes."

Read entire article HERE

[tis]

That's kind of too bad. I hope the Weirs doesn't turn into all condos eventually. I suppose if it was residential all along and then they wanted to turn it into the Weirs as it is now, people would have a fit. But to be honest, the Weirs is the Weirs, the way I always remember it and I hate to see it change. I think Old Orchard Beach in Maine is going the same way and I see it with sadness.

[Resident 2B]

I believe this is in the area of Christmas Island, about a mile away from Weirs Beach. There are other developments and potential developments much closer to the Weirs.

R2B

[Island-Ho]

At just under 1/4 acre per unit it still seems way too dense for the area. It's less than that per unit if you consider the 'green space'. Just imagine all the new traffic headaches this will create. More traffic lights anyone?

[Lakesrider]

Ummm...A 3 bedroom at 1000sq ft? You are kidding right? What? Are the bedrooms are going to be like 8'x8'? I have what I consider a very small two bedroom at 1200 sq ft. My second bedroom is only 10'x11' and I can barely squeeze in a queen bed and a night stand in there.

[tgresla]

I almost got in on the Shaker Hills project but my neighbor talked me out of it GOD BLESS HIM. When you carefully looked at the proposal he pointed out a few very 'optimistic' numbers. Then then real estate crash happened and the rest is history