PEMACO project gets permission from City Council

LACONIA — The proposal by a developer to absorb a small portion of the municipal parking lot on Pleasant Street, resulting in a redesign of the lot, took a step forward at Monday’s City Council meeting, though the project still needs approval from the Planning Board.

The proposal was brought by PEMACO Realty Holdings, an investment corporation formed for the purchase of the Pemaco Building, built in 1926 and housing 622-634 Main St. The building is bordered on two sides by the municipal parking lot with entrances on both Main and Pleasant streets.

The owners of the building would like to develop the second and third floors of the building to contain apartments and commercial spaces. One of the commercial occupants would be the firm Misiaszek Turpin Architects. Sonia Misiaszek is one of the owners of PEMACO Realty Holdings, as well as a partner in the architecture firm.

The development plans require the construction of an elevator shaft, and the developers propose doing so on the north side of the building, with 621 square feet of land currently owned by the city and used as part of the sidewalk and parking lot.

The plan includes a proposed redesign of the municipal lot, which currently has four access points — two on Main Street, and two on Pleasant. The redesigned plan eliminates one of the access points, and scrubs out four parking spaces to make space for the elevator shaft and rerouted sidewalk. However, the redesign also finds room for more spaces elsewhere in the parking lot, as well as more diagonal parking spaces on Main Street, and therefore would result in a net gain of six parking spaces downtown.

City Council voted unanimously to approve the proposal, though that was just the first of two steps needed for the project. As City Manager Kirk Beattie explained, the proposed land transfer would constitute a lot line adjustment, and any such action is ultimately approved by the Planning Board. The city council had to weigh in first as the legal owners of the land in question.

Prior to the vote, the concept was commended by two city residents.

Pat Wood said he thought it was “a great plan for the city of Laconia. It fits in with the plan of upgrading things downtown. It’s an opportunity for a business owner, property owner, to make substantial improvements to a building that will add positive things to the city of Laconia.”

Warren Clement concurred. “I strongly endorse this project.” He noted that the building, which sits in the heart of downtown, is “barely used except on the first floor. You spent $18 million on the theater to create a better downtown to attract investment, to attract business, and it worked. I strongly encourage you to continue that.”

Clement is part of the Celebrate Laconia, which sponsors events and betterment projects in the city, and he said the organization recently voted to support the project.