Developer's plan for condos on Doe Ave gets pushback from neighbors

LACONIA — A developer's plan for 40 new homes at The Weirs is getting pushback from those in the neighborhood, who say it will create too much congestion.

A public hearing regarding the condominium development at 59 Doe Ave., previously the site of the Craft Beer Xchange, Home of the Witches Brew Pub, was rescheduled to be held at the Planning Board meeting at City Hall, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1. 

Kevin Lacasse, chief executive officer of New England Family Housing, entered a contract to buy the 2.9-acre property late last year. Since then, he has spent months working with city leaders and engineers to prepare for the build.

Llise Cangialose, a longtime resident of Doe, expressed concern about the development — which will be two buildings of 20 units each — to city leaders. She requested information from both the city and New England Family Housing, including impacts from increased traffic, emergency vehicle access, drainage, and pedestrian safety.

Cangialose said her parents Bart and Renee Cangialose, who also live on Doe, are abutters who received a letter in the mail nine days prior to the original hearing, scheduled for Aug. 4. This was the first time they learned about the development.

One of Cangialose’s greatest concerns is pedestrian safety. She described the neighborhood as a highly congested road with no sidewalks and no yellow dividing line. At the top of Doe, after a steep, three-block hill, is a sharp, 90-degree corner with limited visibility. Cangialose thinks once drivers reach the crest of the hill, there is only about 20 feet of sightline.

When Cangialose asked city leaders about sidewalks in the neighborhood with the new development coming in, they suggested connecting a sidewalk to Tower Street, which she thinks is too steep and physically challenging for the older population to climb, and “completely unusable” during the icy, winter months.

“My invitation is open. I would love for any of the city planning board members or the developer to come take a walk around the neighborhood, during a weekday and then also during a weekend if they would like, just to see how they feel about trying to navigate these roads,” Cangialose said.

As it is a requirement for the planning board application, Lacasse hired independent traffic engineer TEPP LLC to conduct a traffic study on Doe and the surrounding area. From the study as well as discussion with city leaders, Lacasse said they plan to modify the top of Doe, where it currently curves, with potentially a “T” intersection, with clearly posted signs for improved traffic flow.

Cangialose is displeased with the traffic study. She said it was completed during the late winter and early spring months — the Weirs Beach off-season — missing the tourism in the summer, especially increased foot and vehicle traffic during Laconia Motorcycle Week.

According to the traffic assessment submitted June 23, by Kim Eric Hazarvartian, “TEPP LLC anticipates no significant area traffic impact due to the project.”

Cangialose said she thinks the study actually reveals a massive increase in congestion. It is projected peak-hour traffic will go from 20-22 vehicles, to roughly 112-126 vehicles.

“That's 5.6 times the traffic density. And you're talking about, again, a road that they're planning on doing no infrastructure work to,” Cangialose said.

She noted the neighborhood is already struggling with sewer and water infrastructure. During the summer season this year, Cangialose said there have been traffic cones over a loose manhole cover, forcing cars into a single lane. This makes a steep, narrow road even narrower, leaving little room for pedestrians. Cangialose expressed concern about no discussion of adding sidewalks or widening the road as a solution.

Cangialose noted that in 2008, during the development of the nearby Cumberland Farms, a heavy rainstorm completely washed out the Weirs Beach boardwalk.

“This development that they're going to do, they're going to clear away even more trees, more property, and it says that they're going to have a holding pond for runoff water. But I know that the city planning board did ask them to expand the holding pond,” Cangialose said. “I still fully believe that there's going to be erosion that's going to deeply affect the people at the bottom of the hill, and also potentially affect the lake levels.”

Lacasse said an engineer put together a storm water mitigation plan.

“Basically, any water that's captured that would fall onsite is going to be retained onsite, underground. It's kind of almost like a huge septic system,” Lacasse said. “It's for storm water to re-infiltrate back into the ground, as opposed to running off the site.”

The 40-unit development project will also include plenty of parking for residents and their guests, attempting to keep vehicles off the narrow street. The two buildings will each have their own underground, heated parking garage and elevators. The city requires a “minimum of just over one space” per unit. Lacasse exceeded this mark, and each unit will have one underground garage spot and one ground level parking spot, plus overflow parking.

Cangialose said she thinks a large development with such a high demand for parking spots does not fit the feel of the small, peaceful neighborhood.

Lacasse and New England Family Housing are developing another complex in The Weirs near High Octane Saloon called Stonewall Corners, consisting of over 50 townhome units.

“It's going to really sandwich this small community neighborhood between two really big condo developments,” Cangialose said.

"I'm going to continue to work, to fight for something that makes sense for the neighborhood, makes sense for the community. And to bring these safety concerns to the neighbors, to the people in our community, being the city council, who's supposed to protect the residents and the people who are supposed to look at these issues and ensure that the [city] is developed in a way that aligns with their plan.”