Portsmouth council approves conditional use permit for Newport Phase 2 attached housing

Portsmouth — The Portsmouth City Council on Jan. 13 adopted a conditional use permit (UP-25-11) permitting attached housing — townhouses and condominiums — at 3741 Elliott Avenue as part of the long‑planned Newport Phase 2 development, approving the item by an electronic vote of 7–0.

Tim Culpepper, principal with Canopy Development Group, told the council the Newport master plan dates to 2004 and called Phase 2 a long‑awaited step to complete an originally three‑phase project. The company acquired Phase 2 at a tax auction in January 2025 and said the updated site plan submitted in May 2025 was found by the city zoning administrator to be in substantial conformance with the original design guidelines in June 2025.

“Entry‑level pricing for Newport will be in the high $200,000s,’’ Culpepper said, and he estimated average prices would fall in the mid‑$300,000 range. He described the project as delivering affordability through design — density, a mix of housing types and proximity to…