Planning Board

CITY OF LACONIA PLANNING BOARD 6:30 PM City Hall - Armand A. Bolduc Council Chamber Draft Minutes 10/1/2024 - Minutes 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:31PM. 2. ROLL CALL The following members were present Dave Ouellette, Rich MacNeill, Bruce Cheney, Michael DellaVecchia, Charlie St. Clair, and Kristin Bastille. Gail Ober joined at 6:48PM. 3. RECORDING SECRETARY Savanna Brunelle, Admin Assistant 4. STAFF IN ATTENDANCE Rob Mora, Planning Director Tyler Carmichael, Assistant Planner 5. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING B. Cheney motioned to accept the minutes as presented. R. MacNeill seconded. No opposition. 5.I. Draft Minutes 6. CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARINGS, CONSIDERATION, AND POSSIBLE VOTE 7. NEW PUBLIC HEARINGS, POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION, AND VOTE 7.I. PB2025-004; 155 Lake St (283-23-4) M. DellaVecchia motioned to accept the application. R. MacNeill seconded. No opposition. Dave Henrick represented the 155 Lake St project and summarized it. The public hearing was opened at 6:34pm. The public hearing was closed at 6:35pm. T. Carmichael read into the record the conditions of approval: All conditions in this section must be completed at least two weeks prior to commencing any work on- site. Permits and Approvals. The Applicant must possess all required permits and approvals grant-ed by other municipal, state, and federal boards or agencies. All permits and approvals must be in place prior to the signing and recording of the final plans and mylar. Should any permit or approval be revoked at any time during the project, all work must cease until a new permit or approval is obtained. Copies of all permits and approvals must be provided by the Applicant to the Planning Department upon request. Deposit for Inspections. The Applicant must provide the Laconia Water Department with the required deposit amount for inspection services. Sewer Inspection. The sewer service must be cleaned and inspected via CCTV. A certified inspection report must be submitted to the Department of Public Works for review and approval.  Deposit for Inspections. The Applicant must provide the Laconia Water Department with the required deposit amount for inspection services. Sewer Inspection. The sewer service must be cleaned and inspected via CCTV. A certified inspection report must be submitted to the Department of Public Works for review and approval. Final Plans. Four final plan sets must be submitted to, reviewed, and approved by the Planning Department. The final plan sets must include a floor plan for each unit. All conditions in this section must be met during the construction of the project. Water Service Box. The water service box and curb stop must be repaired or replaced. Backflow Device. A meter and testable double check backflow device must be installed. Both the meter and backflow device must be in a heated and accessible location. Water Specifications. All specifications for municipal water service required by the Water Department apply to all construction. All conditions in this section must be met prior to the issuance of any Certificate of Occupancy. Solid Waste. Private solid waste collection must be provided. If a dumpster is used, it must be screened. Water Department Inspection. The Laconia Water Department must inspect and approve all plumbing work. Impact Fees. Impact Fees in the amount of $3,481.37 per new dwelling unit must be paid to the Planning Department prior to the issuance of each Certificate of Occupancy. In accordance with RSA 674:39, the Applicant is exempt from any changes to impact fee rates for 5 years from the approval date. Should the project not be completed during the exemption period, the Applicant must pay all increases to impact fees regardless of vestment status. As-Built Design. An as-built design for each dwelling unit must be submitted to the Planning Department for review and approval in accordance with the City’s policies and procedures at the time of submission. The project and all associated conditions must be completed by no later than October 1, 2029. If all conditions are not met, nor any extension application filed with the Laconia Planning Department, by the completion date, this approval is null and void. R. MacNeill motioned to approve application PB2025-004 for 155 Lake St. D. Ouellette seconded. All in favor, motion passed. 7.II. PB2025-009; 1160 & 1182 Union Ave (327-20-8 & 324-20-1) M. DellaVecchia motioned to accept application PB2025-009. R. MacNeill seconded. All in favor. Sam Foisie spoke on behalf as the engineer for this project and summarized the application including some of the following: landscaping, structure height, parking, water treatment, drainage and snow removal. There was discussion about the driveway entrances and how they’re going to turn onto Union Ave. G. Ober spoke on behalf of the Conservation Commission regarding the recommend conditions provided. Staff had questions about the number of parking spaces and if the workforce housing was going to be deeded and if it followed state regulations. Bill Grenier, a partial owner, spoke on behalf of those questions asked. He assured there was no intention of getting rid of those work force apartments. The public hearing was opened at 7:13pm. Roger and Charity from Spinnaker Cove expressed concerns for this project. The abutters had a list of questions including if the parking garage was going to be enclosed, if a fence could be added to minimize headlight pollution, lighting concerns from the proposed new deck, trash removal location, if the condos were going to be pet-free, additional parking, runoff issues, construction concerns, traffic control, and the HUD going rate for Work Force housing. Sam Foisie did rebuttal to answer some of the questions raised. Chairmen Charlie St. Clair emphasized to deeded and if it followed state regulations. Bill Grenier, a partial owner, spoke on behalf of those questions asked. He assured there was no intention of getting rid of those work force apartments. The public hearing was opened at 7:13pm. Roger and Charity from Spinnaker Cove expressed concerns for this project. The abutters had a list of questions including if the parking garage was going to be enclosed, if a fence could be added to minimize headlight pollution, lighting concerns from the proposed new deck, trash removal location, if the condos were going to be pet-free, additional parking, runoff issues, construction concerns, traffic control, and the HUD going rate for Work Force housing. Sam Foisie did rebuttal to answer some of the questions raised. Chairmen Charlie St. Clair emphasized to ask questions to the Planning Department for some of the questions that could not be answered prior to construction. R. Mora reassured that the developer goes to a pre-construction meeting. Bill Caron from Spinnaker Cove only had concern about the entrances and right turning out of the property. DPW did review the plan and had no issues. Phil Grebner expressed concerns about the height of the building from the level of the railroad tracks. Mr. Grebner also expressed concern and questions about the piping/drainage going under the Spinnaker Cove property. There was discussion about the pipe and the construction that would occur. The public hearing was closed at 7:52pm. R. Mora explained that the applicant did submit a lighting plan, and it is dark sky compliant. T. Carmichael and R. Mora read into the record the conditions of approval and finding of facts: All conditions in this section must be completed at least two weeks prior to commencing any work on- site. Plan Revisions. Plans must be revised and submitted to the Planning Department in accordance with the following: Sheet SP6: Existing water main is 16-inch. Tapping sleeve will be 16” x 12” with a 12” valve. Sheet SP6: Lower fire hydrant must have a gate valve. Sheet SP6: Both hydrants must have protective posts or bollards. Sheet SP6: 6” x 4” reducer must be shown after hydrant branch. Sheet D3: Tee detail – Remove notes 5 and 6. Sheet D3: Thrust Block detail – Remove note 6. Sheet D3: Hydrant detail – 6’ of cover on pipe. Remove stone drip well. Remove poly wrap note. Change Manchester to Laconia. Sheet D3: End of main detail can be removed. Sheet D3: Utility Trench detail – 5’ minimum separation between storm drain. Update Condominium Plan to reflect the two commercial units. Lot Merger. The Applicant must complete a voluntary lot merger application and submit it to the Planning Department for review and approval. These documents must be recorded at the Belknap County Register of Deeds at the Applicant’s expense. Sewer Service. The force main needs to transition to gravity sewer before ejecting into the City sewer manhole. Sewer service and connections must meet all Department of Public Works specifications. Water Deposit. The Applicant must provide the Laconia Water Department with the required deposit amount for inspection services. Third-Party Inspections. A third-party inspection agreement must be in place with the Department of Public Works. Inspections and related reporting must be conducted by a third-party engineer as approved by the Department of Public Works. Condominium Documents. Final Condominium Association documents must be submitted to the Planning Department for review and approval. These documents must be recorded at the Belknap County Register of Deeds at the Applicant’s expense. approved by the Department of Public Works. Condominium Documents. Final Condominium Association documents must be submitted to the Planning Department for review and approval. These documents must be recorded at the Belknap County Register of Deeds at the Applicant’s expense. Erosion Controls. Erosion controls must be in place and inspected and approved by the Planning Department. The Planning Department will perform regular inspections to ensure erosion controls are installed and maintained correctly. Site Security. The Applicant must submit a performance guarantee for site improvement and restoration security in an amount equal to 11% of the total estimated cost for all sitework. This guarantee must be submitted to and approved by the Planning Department. This performance guarantee will be returned to the Applicant once the project is complete. Bonds will not be accepted to satisfy this requirement. Landscape Security. The Applicant must submit a performance guarantee for site landscaping and restoration security in an amount equal to 11% of the total estimated cost for all landscaping or a minimum of $500, whichever is greater. This guarantee must be submitted to and ap-proved by the Planning Department. This performance guarantee will be returned to the Applicant after two growing seasons following the completion of the project. Bonds will not be accepted to satisfy this requirement. Permits and Approvals. The Applicant must possess all required permits and approvals grant-ed by other municipal, state, and federal boards or agencies. All permits and approvals must be in place prior to the signing and recording of the final plans and mylar. Should any permit or approval be revoked at any time during the project, all work must cease until a new permit or approval is obtained. Copies of all permits and approvals must be provided by the Applicant to the Planning Department upon request. Final Plans and Mylar. Four final plan sets and a mylar plan must be submitted to, reviewed, and approved by the Planning Department. The mylar plan must be recorded at the Belknap County Register of Deeds at the Applicant’s expense. Preconstruction Meeting. A preconstruction meeting must be held between the developer and representatives from the Departments of Public Works, Planning, Fire, Police, and Water. Unless otherwise specified, all escrow checks must be received by the respective departments no later than one week following the preconstruction meeting. All other requirements in this section must be completed prior to conducting the preconstruction meeting. All conditions in this section must be met during the construction of the project. Water Specifications. The Applicant must adhere to all specifications as required by the Laconia Water Department. Fire Specifications. The Applicant must adhere to all specifications as required by the Laconia Fire Department. Sprinkler System. The sprinkler system must meet all Laconia Fire Department specifications. Knox Box. A Knox Box must be installed to prevent damage in the event an emergency entrance is needed. Fire Lane. A designated fire lane with the associated signage must be provided in front of building. Right-of-Way Excavation. All excavation within the public right-of-way must only be per-formed during hours approved by the Department of Public Works. Road Resurfacing. Upon completion of all utility work within Union Avenue, the entire road surface from curb to curb must be milled and inlayed between the southern and northern most limits of the project. All conditions in this section must be met prior to the issuance of any Certificate of Occupancy.  Road Resurfacing. Upon completion of all utility work within Union Avenue, the entire road surface from curb to curb must be milled and inlayed between the southern and northern most limits of the project. All conditions in this section must be met prior to the issuance of any Certificate of Occupancy. Impact Fees. Impact Fees in the amount of $3,481.37 per new dwelling unit and $1.49 per square foot of new restaurant deck space must be paid to the Planning Department prior to the issuance of each Certificate of Occupancy. As-Built Design. An as-built design for each dwelling unit must be submitted to the Planning Department for review and approval in accordance with the City’s policies and procedures at the time of submission. The project and all associated conditions must be completed by no later than October 1, 2029. If all conditions are not met, nor any extension application filed with the Laconia Planning Department, by the completion date, this approval is null and void. The application is complete and consistent with State and City land use regulations. The application and site plan were reviewed by the Technical Review Committee (TRC) at its September 17, 2024, meeting. Their comments have been incorporated in the recommended conditions of approval. Bill Grenier came back up to answer questions that the Chairmen asked. There was further discussion about putting a fence on the existing T-bones lot. The architect Ann spoke on behalf of the parking garage and if it will be enclosed or not. M. DellaVecchia expressed his opposition with the building being too high and too big for the lot. The board discussed putting years restriction on the deed for the workforce housing units. T. Carmichael drafted language for an additional approval; At least 20% of the units developed must have deeded covenants guaranteeing their compliance with RSA 678-58-4. These covenants must be recorded with the Belknap County Registry of Deeds at the applicants’ expenses and in force for no less than 35 years from the date each permanent Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the city for said units. G. Ober motioned to approve application PB2025-009 1160 & 1182 Union Ave. with the conditions of approval presented in the Staff Report as amended by the 35-year deeded restriction. K. Bastille seconded the motion. M. DellaVecchia for further discussion about this being at the developers profit not the benefit of the City of Laconia. There was discussion about housing and the density issue. B. Cheney wanted to emphasize there is no recollection of the last time someone came in with an assurance of workforce housing and that it is important to the City of Laconia. 4 in favor, 2 opposed. The motion passed. 7.III. PB2025-012; 24-26 Winter St (426-246-43) G. Ober motioned to accept the application. R. MacNeill seconded. All in favor. Nick King and De were present to summarize the application. The public hearing was opened at 8:29pm. The public hearing was closed at 8:30pm. R. Mora read into the record the findings of facts and T. Carmichael read the conditions of approval. The application is complete and consistent with State and City land use regulations, The Zoning Board of Adjustment granted a variance for density and a special exception for multifamily use at its September 16, 2024 meeting, and the application and site plan were reviewed by the Technical Review Committee (TRC) at its September 17, 2024 meeting. Their comments have been incorporated in the recommended conditions of approval. All conditions in this section must be completed at least two weeks prior to commencing any work on- site. Sewer Service. The sewer service must be cleaned and inspected via CCTV. A certified inspection report must be submitted to the Department of Public Works for review and approval. Final Plans. Four final plan sets must be submitted to, reviewed, and approved by the Planning Department. The final plan sets must include a floor plan for each unit. Permits and Approvals. The Applicant must possess all required permits and approvals granted by  report must be submitted to the Department of Public Works for review and approval. Final Plans. Four final plan sets must be submitted to, reviewed, and approved by the Planning Department. The final plan sets must include a floor plan for each unit. Permits and Approvals. The Applicant must possess all required permits and approvals granted by other municipal, state, and federal boards or agencies. All permits and approvals must be in place prior to the signing and recording of the final plans and mylar. Should any permit or approval be revoked at any time during the project, all work must cease until a new permit or approval is obtained. Copies of all permits and approvals must be provided by the Applicant to the Planning Department upon request. All conditions in this section must be met during the construction of the project. Fire Specifications. The Applicant must adhere to all specifications as required by the Laconia Fire Department. Water Specifications. All specifications for municipal water service required by the Water Department apply to all construction. All conditions in this section must be met prior to the issuance of any Certificate of Occupancy. Construction and Maintenance Assessment Fees. All Construction and Maintenance Assessment fees must be paid to the Water Department. Impact Fees. Impact Fees in the amount of $3,481.37 per new multifamily dwelling unit must be paid to the Planning Department. In accordance with RSA 674:39, the Applicant is exempt from any changes to impact fee rates for 5 years from the approval date. Should the project not be completed during the exemption period, the Applicant must pay any and all increases to im-pact fees regardless of vestment status. As-Built Design. An as-built design for each dwelling unit must be submitted to the Planning Department for review and approval in accordance with the City’s policies and procedures at the time of submission. The project and all associated conditions must be completed by no later than October 1, 2029. If all conditions are not met, nor any extension application filed with the Laconia Planning Department, by the completion date, this approval is null and void. G. Ober motioned to approve application PB2025-012 for 24-26 Winter Street with the conditions of approval presented in the Staff Report. R. MacNeill seconded. All in favor, no opposition, the motion carried. 7.IV. PB2025-013; Endicott St E. The Gardens (164-72-1) K. Bastille motioned to accept the application. R. MacNeill seconded. All in favor. Jason Hill from TF Moran spoke and summarized the application amendment. The public hearing was opened at 8:37pm. The public hearing was closed at 8:38pm. R. Mora read into record the findings of fact and T. Carmichael read the conditions of approval. The application is complete and consistent with State and City land use regulations, The Planning Board approved the current subdivision plat at its September 7, 2021 meeting. The application and subdivision plat were reviewed by the Technical Review Committee (TRC) at its September 17, 2024 meeting. Their comments have been incorporated in the recommended conditions of approval. Plans must be revised and submitted to the Planning Department with the correct abutter information for parcel #164-299-10. An updated Subdivision Plat must be provided to the Planning Department for review and approval. These documents must be recorded at the Belknap County Register of Deeds at the Applicant’s expense. An updated Condominium Plan must be provided to the Planning Department for review and approval.  An updated Subdivision Plat must be provided to the Planning Department for review and approval. These documents must be recorded at the Belknap County Register of Deeds at the Applicant’s expense. An updated Condominium Plan must be provided to the Planning Department for review and approval. These documents must be recorded at the Belknap County Register of Deeds at the Applicant’s expense. The condominium documents must be amended to reflect the change in units and provided to the Planning Department for review and approval. These documents must be recorded at the Belknap County Register of Deeds at the Applicant’s expense. A single master plan must be provided to the Planning Department that correctly identifies the E911 address, Condominium unit number, and subdivision lot number for each dwelling unit. Digital copies of all plans and documents must be provided in addition to the required physical copies. The Applicant must possess all required permits and approvals granted by other municipal, state, and federal boards or agencies. All permits and approvals must be in place prior to the signing and recording of the final plans and mylar. Should any permit or approval be revoked at any time during the project, all work must cease until a new permit or approval is obtained. Copies of all permits and approvals must be provided by the Applicant to the Planning Department upon request. Impact Fees in the amount of $3,814.80 per single-family dwelling unit must be paid to the Planning Department. In accordance with RSA 674:39, the Applicant is exempt from any changes to impact fee rates for 5 years from the approval date. Should the project not be completed during the exemption period, the Applicant must pay any and all increases to impact fees regardless of vestment status. An as-built design for each dwelling unit must be submitted to the Planning Department for review and approval in accordance with the City’s policies and procedures at the time of submission. All conditions from the Notice of Action from the September 7, 2021 approval remain in effect. Jason Hill asked for clarification on the subdivision and condominium plat updates to have them submitted prior to building permits being issued. There was discussion about the impact fees. D. Ouelette motioned to approve PB2025-013 for Endicott Street East with the conditions of approval presented in the Staff Report. B. Cheney seconded. All in favor, no opposition, the motion passed. 7.V. PB2025-014; White Oaks Rd (218-241-8) R. MacNeill motioned to continue application PB2025-014 to the November 4th Planning Board Meeting. M. DellaVecchia seconded. All in favor, none opposed. 7.VI. PB2025-016; 205 Wentworth Cove Rd (152-269-40.8) G. Ober motioned to accept application PB2025-016 for 205 Wentworth Cove Rd. as complete with the findings of fact as presented in the Staff Report. K. Bastille seconded. All in favor, none opposed. James McDonnell spoke on behalf of the application and request for an extension. The public hearing was opened at 8:45pm. The Public hearing closed at 8:46pm. G. Ober asked if there were any complaints for this application. The staff has had no complaints. R. Mora read the findings of fact The application is complete and consistent with State and City land use regulations and the application and site plans were approved by the Planning Board at its October 14, 2014 and its November 6, 2019 meetings. Their comments remain as recommended conditions of approval. T. Carmichael read the condition of approval; The completion date has been amended to October 1, 2029, and All prior conditions of the November 6, 2019 approval apply. R. MacNeill motioned to approve application PB2025-016 for 205 Wentworth Cove Rd. with the conditions of approval presented in the Staff Report. G. Ober seconded. All in favor, none opposed. 8. PRESENTATIONS No presentations.  PB2025-016 for 205 Wentworth Cove Rd. with the conditions of approval presented in the Staff Report. G. Ober seconded. All in favor, none opposed. 8. PRESENTATIONS No presentations. 9. PLANNING DEPARTMENT REPORT R. Mora summarized the Planning Department monthly report. T. Carmichael discussed his findings on workforce and affordable housing. There was further discussion about programs and how to afford housing. 9.I. Planning Department Monthly Report 10. LIAISON REPORTS 10.I. LAKES REGION PLANNING COMMISSION R. MacNeill summarized the LRPC meeting. 10.II. CONSERVATION COMMISSION G. Ober summarized what has happened at Conservation Commission. 10.III. HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION No updates. 10.IV. CITY COUNCIL No reports from City Council. 11. OTHER BUSINESS The new members of the Planning Board were introduced. Dave Ouellette and Kristin Bastille. 12. ADJOURNMENT G. Ober motioned to adjourn at 9:01pm. R. MacNeill seconded. All in favor.