Hampton Falls developer scales down Route 1 condo project: Here's the latest plan

HAMPTON FALLS — The fate of the condominium project proposed for the former Faro Gardens site may depend on answers to questions posed by the town’s Zoning Board of Adjustment.

It also may depend on whether the town of Hampton Falls can reach an agreement with Seabrook concerning an extension of its sewer system.

Representatives of Joseph Faro – the owner of the two vacant lots at 12 Lafayette Road (Route 1) – appeared before the ZBA on Thursday, March 28, seeking to obtain numerous variances to make his development possible.

They presented a scaled-down version of Faro’s original September 2022 proposal, which was to build a mixed-use development composed of multiple buildings, including 8,300 square feet of retail space, a 140-seat 11,400-square-foot restaurant, and 164 two-bedroom condominiums, as well as parking for 276 vehicles.

The new proposal presented to the board on March 28 included only 88, one- and two-bedrooms, 55-plus age-restricted condos, with 188 parking spaces and a pool. Missing entirely from the plan are the retail space and restaurant, according to Faro’s architect, Robert Clarke, of Allen & Major Associates. The commercial element was removed, he told the board, to reduce the stress on the site and parking needs.

A major issue with any proposal for the site is wetlands. Although it consists of two lots totaling more than 11 acres, due to its wetlands and related setback requirements, there are less than 2 acres upon which construction can occur.

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Route 1 project needs height, size, parking variances

The newly reduced development may cut its size about in half, but to go forward it still needs eight variances. Those variances relate to the building height and footprint size, the density of dwelling units and number of bedrooms per acre, the building proximity to the wetland’s setback, and the number of parking spaces per condo.

During the two-hour meeting, board members expressed their concern there were not enough parking spaces to accommodate the condo owners, let alone extra for visitors. Clarke said the 188 spaces offered equals a 1.7 space per condo ratio. However, Hampton Falls requires more than two spaces per dwelling unit, and ZBA members offered several ways Clarke could rearrange the parking to include more spaces.

One suggestion was to eliminate the swimming pool, which board members thought might be wasted space. The pool would have only a few months of use given New Hampshire’s climate, they said, and there is an ocean nearby for those who want to swim. The board also suggested a “compact car” area be included using smaller parking spaces, which would up the number of vehicles the site could accommodate. Another suggestion was to include electric vehicle charging terminals in the parking lot.

The critical issue for the development, however, is whether the town of Hampton Falls can strike an inter-municipal sewer agreement with nearby Seabrook. The agreement would be to extend Seabrook’s sewer services along Route 1, contingent upon Hampton Falls providing the infrastructure and accepting related costs. That issue has been an open one between the two towns for two years but has yet to be decided, according to Seabrook Town Manager Bill Manzi.

Sufficient water service to the site is also a concern for the Hampton Falls Fire Department. To ensure enough water and water pressure to fight a fire at a development that size, according to Hampton Falls Deputy Fire Chief Bobby Hudson, the capacity of the current one-inch water main from Seabrook would have to be increased. Another option if that can’t be managed, Hudson said, is to build an underground cistern to store water for use in case of fire, or the creation of a surface fire pond.

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Zoning Board wants more information before making final decision

At the end of the two-hour hearing, ZBA Chairman John DeLeire continued the project to the board’s next meeting in late April. He asked Clarke to bring back answers to several questions. Those included a new parking design utilizing the board’s suggestions, with the goal that parking could be increased to about 200 spaces.

In addition, DeLeire asked for verification by an assessor of what the town can expect in taxes from the development once the condos are sold. DeLeire said he wanted something “in writing” that confirmed Faro’s estimates of around half a million dollars each year.

DeLeire requested information about both the power sources for the development. He also questioned its future management once condos are sold to ensure the agreement Faro makes with the town is followed once he no longer owns the site.

Clarke was asked for more information on the sewer and water issues. If no water and sewer agreements can be struck with Seabrook, DeLeire said there will need to be accommodations included on the site for both.

DeLeire said if the ZBA grants the variances and “bends the rules” and ordinances the townspeople approved at the polls, the board needed more evidence to ensure what Clarke is saying is accurate.

“We’re looking for additional answers so we can move this along with a positive outcome,” DeLeire told Clarke.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Falls developer scales down Route 1 condo project