HAMPTON -- A major housing development on Liberty Lane is moving forward after the town's Zoning Board approved several wetland buffer variances for the project.
The project proposed by One Liberty Property Subsidiary, LLC calls for transforming the existing 100,000-square-foot building on the property that once housed the headquarters of Wheelabrator-Frye and later Fisher Scientific into an apartment complex.
Two additional apartment complexes are also planned on the 104-acre site for a total of 248 apartments. These complexes will feature public amenities such as walking trails open to the public.
The site is owned by Tidemark and the Kane Company, which purchased the property in 2019.
"We plan to repurpose the existing building that will serve as a central campus facility," said attorney John Bosen, representing the owners of the property. "There will be two other buildings that will house the main residential units."
The town's Zoning Board agreed the five criteria were met and that the proposed project was not contrary to the spirit of the ordinance. Hampton voters approved a new zoning overlay district specifically for the property in 2023 to allow residential development and other uses on the 104 acres previously not allowed.
New bar on North Beach: 935 Surf Shack opens at Ocean Beachside Inn
Bosen told the board the project will bring much-needed modern year-round housing to Hampton as outlined in the town's master plan and the 2023 Hampton house data report, which calls for 1,052 homes to be built in the next 10 years.
The majority of the apartments will be one and two-bedroom, with a "small amount" of one and two-bedroom dens and studios. The property is 20 minutes from downtown Portsmouth, 40 minutes from the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, and less than an hour to Boston.
"The existing characteristics of the neighborhood would not be altered in any way," he said. "This project will essentially comprise of its own neighborhood."
Bosen said the existing building on the property "is pretty special" and the owners have made great efforts to preserve it.
Designed by the renowned architectural firm Royal Barry Wills Associates and built in 1975, the building has served as office space but is currently vacant.
"We focused on preserving that building rather than having it demolished, which would have been more convenient perhaps and cost-effective," he said. "We appreciate the history of that building and the architectural beauty, and we worked hard to preserve that building, which will serve as a central focus of the new campus."
Zesto Pizza in downtown Hampton sold: Meet the new owners behind the counter
Bosen explained that when the existing building was built it caused a small man-made wetland to form, roughly 340 square feet.
"Much of the relief that we seek this evening is associated with that area," he told the board.
While the proposed development does not encroach on natural wetlands, Bosen said the eastern corner of the building does impact that man-made wetland area.
"The project overall will result in a significant reduction of impervious surface, and they plan to introduce a modern stormwater management system where none exists currently on the property," he said.
Board members expressed concern about the impact on wetlands but noted the project would still need to gain approval from the state Department of Environmental Services.
"They're going to scrutinize this project more than we could ever scrutinize this project with regard to the (wetlands concerns)," said Zoning Board member Tom McGuirk. "...I'm less unconformable because (the wetland) is man-made."
More: Seabrook committee rejects leaving SAU 21 despite concerns over student performance
The project still needs to go before the town's Planning Board.
Earlier this month, developers presented their latest plans for the site to the board during a conceptual design review. These reviews allow developers to gauge the board members' and town officials' reactions to a project.
The new plans are a scaled-down version of the original proposal, which included four apartment buildings with 100 units each, 34 townhouses, and 205,000 square feet of "commercial flex space." The updated project still features amenities such as walking trails, a pool, and an amphitheater, but no longer includes the restaurant space and dog park.
Developers stated that the apartments will be market rate, targeting middle-income tenants and families.
"There are plenty of luxury condominiums on the beach, and there are low-end units, but this is a product that's being designed for what we consider the 'missing middle,'" Bosen said. "We think it's a very important unrepresented segment of our population."