Peter Hoekstra
Recent hires, promotions and more
DECCO, Inc., a large mechanical and process piping contractor serving New England, has promoted Mike DiBacco to executive vice president. He first joined DECCO in 2021, with nearly 40 years of experience in the construction industry, including two decades focused on the life sciences market in New England.
Engelberth Construction recently welcomed Peter Hoekstra to the company as director of business development, responsible for generating new project opportunities for the company throughout northern New England. Hoekstra brings over 15 years of sales experience to this role, including positions in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
Hoyle, Tanner & Associates recently announced that senior transportation engineer Jacob Sparkowich, PE, along with transportation engineer Alyssa Smith, EIT, are now certified as Road Safety Professional 1 (RSP1) professionals. This designation indicates a professional who is committed to and has demonstrated proficiency in road safety principles.
Northeast Private Client Group, a real estate firm with an office in Portsmouth, has announced the sale of the Fairways Townhomes located at 86 Church Street in Rochester, NH. Senior associate Francis Saenz, vice president of investments Tim McGeary, and investment associates Patrick Wheeler and Steve Cerrone assisted in the transaction between the seller – SAP Properties, LLC; Bayside Properties, LLC; and Mahanna Properties 3, LLC – and the buyer, H.J. Stabile & Son, Inc.
The plan calls for the demolition of the Cocheco Auto Repair building at 46 Main Street to make room for two three-story duplexes with four townhouse-style residential units. (Courtesy of Wilcox & Barton)
New townhouses to replace dilapidated car repair shop in Exeter
Plans to transform a dilapidated car repair shop on Main Street in Exeter into four new townhouses are moving forward.
The town’s Planning Board unanimously approved the site plan for the project Thursday, Aug. 22, by developer Patrick Houghton. The plan calls for the demolition of the Cocheco Auto Repair building at 46 Main Street to make room for two three-story duplexes with four townhouse-style residential units.
There will be 12 parking spaces provided on-site – two spaces under each unit for eight spaces and an additional four on the ground level on the back portion of the building. Access to the buildings will be through a single entryway off Main Street, requiring vehicles to make a U-turn to exit the area.
The board also granted a waiver for the project to allow workers to grade within five feet of the property line.
Houghton initially requested two other waivers from the Planning Board: one to forgo a high-intensity soil survey and another to be exempt from regulations requiring connection to the existing municipal storm drain system.
Town Planner Dave Sharples explained that, according to town regulations, an intensity soil survey is only necessary if a development does not connect to the municipal sewer system, which does not apply to this project.
Additionally, Sharples noted that a waiver to connect to the existing municipal storm drain system is only required if the runoff exceeds current levels. In a letter to Sharples, Erin Lambert of the Concord-based environmental consulting firm Wilcox & Barton Inc. stated that the runoff from the development will be “lower than pre-development watershed conditions,” thereby eliminating the need for a waiver.
Residents express concerns regarding contamination
A few residents brought up concerns about potential contamination on the site, noting the 0.6-acre property has been used as an automobile shop since the 1960s and includes a junkyard. The site was once a Mobil gas station and, for the last 10 years, has been operated by Cocheco Auto Repair.
Beth Griffin, who lives near the proposed project, said that she was “concerned” with the site previously being a junkyard.
“I know you said everything would be done in accordance with (NH) DES, but can we do a proactive test to see?” she said. “The school is right there, our house is right there… honestly, I wouldn’t have probably bought my house if I knew that it was a junkyard.”
Dave Essence, another neighbor, echoed similar concerns.
“Who knows what’s in there and what’s going to be taken out,” he said. “It might be worth it to do some soil testing.”
Lambert said their review of the property revealed that all the tanks on the property were closed by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) in 2014. The tanks were removed, and the surrounding soils were tested and cleared, alleviating some concerns of neighbors and Planning Board members.
“The contractors and everyone has a responsibility,” added Sharples. “If they start digging a hole and see oil leaking out of the hole, then they have a responsibility to stop and contact (NH) DES… that’s with everything because there’s a lot of stuff out there we don’t know what it is.”
Previously, the project was granted approval from the Zoning Board for three variances: one to permit the “multi-family” use, one for relief from the minimum front yard setback requirement, and the third to exceed the density requirements. — Aqeel Hisham, Portsmouth Herald
Dublin ZBA considering fee hikes and new rules
Dublin’s Zoning Board of Adjustment is looking at some of its fees, although not the application fee itself, and debating if it should rework the application process.
Board Chair John Morris said the newspaper notices and postage fees are up for discussion, and he proposed the newspaper notice fee be raised to $150 from $125. Additionally, the postage fee could be raised to $12 from $7.85. Morris cited rising costs as the reason, saying he does not know when the fees were last raised. According to the zoning ordinance and land use regulations, the Zoning Board is required to post notice of a public hearing in a local newspaper and send a notice by certified mail to residents paid by the applicant.
“I don’t think it’s fair to the town to subsidize these applications,” Morris said.
Zoning Board members Margot Sprague and Jay Schechter agreed with that proposal.
In addition, Morris suggested reworking the application process to clarify that a hearing must happen before any potential site visits. The application will also have to be submitted two weeks in advance of a regularly scheduled meeting with no visit. For applications that request a site visit first, the application would potentially have to be submitted a month in advance. Additionally, Morris said they are not required to perform a site visit.
“If you actually want us to do a site visit first, then you are going to have to agree to delay because we have to arrange time for the site visit, we might have to get the [Conservation Commission] in, we might have to get an expert,” Morris said. “I just felt like it was way too much.”
This proposal comes after Dublin Lake Club submitted an application in which a public hearing and a site visit were on the same day.
Other Zoning Board members in attendance agreed with the proposal, However, Mathew Saveliev, secretary and alternate, noted it could be easier for him to envision the property during the hearing and presentation if he already saw the property. — Tim Bruns, Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
The cottage located at 445 Marcy St., at the corner of Pray Street in Portsmouth, is now listed for sale at $699,000 after the lot was subdivided into two parcels. (Photo by Portsmouth Herald staff)
‘Candy cottage’ in Portsmouth’s South End for sale again at much lower price
The tiny, mid-20th century “candy cottage” property in the city’s South End is back up for sale at $699,000, a sharp price drop from its former $2 million asking price in 2019.
The 84-year-old 445 Marcy St. cottage, a one-bedroom, one-bathroom home, is up for sale once more after its longtime owner subdivided the lot last year, resulting in a cheaper listing than in recent years, according to Great Island Realty agent Emil Uliano.
The 320-square-foot, baby blue cottage attracted attention in recent years due to its small size yet high price tag. It served as a candy shop known to locals as the “Lil’ House” decades ago. The camp-style structure was owned by the Jones family, though it was previously located in New Castle and used as a summer property before the old owners purchased it and moved it to Marcy Street.
For years now, the Marcy Street cottage and parcel has been owned by Jim Sanders, owner and operator of Sanders Lobster Company and Sanders Fish Market a few hundred feet up the street from the home.
Uliano, the listing agent for the property, said Sanders subdivided the lot in two last year. Originally a 0.34-acre property, the 445 Marcy St. cottage and land now sits on 0.14 acres, while a new address, 20 Pray Street, contains the remainder of the land and is not on the market.
“What we have marketed is a very adorable small home, which would be great if someone loves it as is, but it also has potential for renovations or some larger work,” Uliano said Thursday.
The structure and the 0.14-acre lot’s potential for redevelopment is noted in the property’s latest listing.
“Ample opportunity with the lot size to increase the size of the home, bring your builder and ideas,” the listing reads. “Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of Portsmouth’s history and create your own sanctuary in the heart of the South End.”
Redevelopment of the property, however, would first need a stamp of approval from Portsmouth’s Historic District Commission.
The single-story, shingle-style cottage was placed on the market again on July 15. At last assessment, the property was valued at $687,300, per Portsmouth records.
“I get a good amount of calls based on the uniqueness of the property and location,” Uliano added.
Taxes on the property exceeded $11,000 last year, according to the Multiple Listings Service.
“Nestled in the desirable South End, this cottage exudes charm and character,” the home’s listing adds. “Perfectly sized for cozy living, it’s the ideal retreat from the bustling world outside. Situated on a larger-than-average lot for the neighborhood, there’s ample space to create your own oasis. Picture your tiny home surrounded by a lush patio, vibrant plantings, and twinkling string lights — it’s a setting that feels truly magical. Easy stroll to Downtown, Prescott Park and a stone’s throw from the waterfront.” — Ian Lenahan, Portsmouth Herald
