Rep. files bill to return panel’s say-so in State School redevelopment

LACONIA — A local state representative has filed a bill aimed, he says, at putting a special commission back in the driver’s seat of efforts to market the Laconia State School property.

The bill, sponsored by State Rep. Gregg Hough, seeks to repeal legislation attached to Gov. Chris Sununu’s 2022-23 budget which gave the governor and the Executive Council the unrestricted ability to dispose of the property.

The complex which consists of about 17 buildings spread over about 250 acres has been largely unused since the State School closed in the 1990s and a state prison which then operated on a portion of the site closed in 2009.

The Lakeshore Redevelopment Planning Commission, created in 2017, had been working to prepare the property for private redevelopment.

Shortly after the rider to the budget passed in June the agency which oversees state property sought bids from brokers who would market the property as is, apart from any work being done by the Lakeshore Commission. The Executive Council awarded the contract to commercial real estate broker CBRE.

The volunteer Lakeshore Commission, which is still in operation but has not met since August, consists of seven members, including two from Laconia.

“I don’t know why Laconia should not have a seat at the table,” Hough said of the process.

Hough said he had added language which would have given the city the right of first refusal over any proposed sale of the State School property. While that language passed in the House of Representatives, it was stripped out of the bill after the bill got to the Senate, Hough said.

He denounced Mayor Andrew Hosmer for saying in the mayoral campaign debate in October that the city's legislative delegation — all Republicans — was silent on the issue when the budget bill was being debated last spring.

Hough called the attack politically motivated, alleging Hosmer, a Democrat, did not want to credit any effort taken by a member of the opposite party.

Hosmer countered that Hough’s criticism was off base.

He said that when when it became apparent that the governor was trying to fast-track the State School land sale and short-circuit the Lakeshore Commission, state Rep. Travis O’Hara, whose district includes Laconia, met with him and City Manager Scott Myers to discuss the situation. At that time Hosmer said he told O’Hara that the door was open for him or any other delegation member to continue the discussion on the matter.

“If the delegation had stuck together and fought this (the outcome) might have been different,” Hosmer said. “They should have stood up to the governor.”

Hough said he puts the odds at 50-50 of the passage of the bill — House Bill 1032 — which has no co-sponsors.

“This is a Hail Mary. But I got to try,” he said.

Hosmer said he was unsure whether Hough’s bill would gain any traction or what impact it would have.

“I’m skeptical if it will be helpful in any way,” he said.

Hough said he feels the same way about Hosmer’s and the City Council’s getting Executive Councilor Joe Kenney to include language in a resolution calling on CBRE to work collaboratively with the Laconia City Council along with the Lakeshore Commission as it looks to find potential developers for the property.

“They put it out like they could actually do anything,” Hough said.