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Committee recommends five‑year RSA 79‑e tax relief for 34 Court Street renovation
Summary
The Keene Finance, Organization and Personnel Committee unanimously recommended that 34 Court Street qualify for five years of tax relief under RSA 79‑e, conditioned on a recorded covenant, after staff found the application met key public‑benefit criteria and the owner promised substantial historic and energy upgrades.
The Keene Finance, Organization and Personnel Committee on May 5 recommended that the structure at 34 Court Street receive five years of tax relief under New Hampshire’s RSA 79‑e rehabilitation tax incentive, conditioned on a covenant recorded at the Cheshire County Register of Deeds.
City Assessor Dale Angel told the committee staff had reviewed the application in full and concluded the project “meets 5 out of the 9” public‑benefit criteria required by the city’s resolution implementing RSA 79‑e and that the proposed rehabilitation costs exceed the $75,000 threshold; staff also noted the project includes at least $5,000 in energy‑efficiency work. Angel recommended granting the full five‑year relief the applicant requested.
Owner Zach Luce described prior success using RSA 79‑e on an earlier project and said the current phase will “completely get the building off of fossil fuels, forever,” adding that a five‑year term helped finance deep preservation work, including stained‑glass and historic wood trim restoration. Committee members asked whether the project met a specific residential energy score metric; Angel replied that the home energy score is primarily residential‑focused and not directly applicable here but that the building nonetheless includes substantial energy improvements.
An unidentified committee member moved to recommend that 34 Court Street qualify under RSA 79‑e, that it satisfy the public benefit requirements of resolution R‑2018‑33, and that five years of tax relief be granted contingent on a recorded covenant; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously. The recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for its consideration.
The committee’s record includes the assessor’s finding that the application “substantially meets 5 out of the 9” criteria and the owner’s commitment to continued historic restoration and energy upgrades. The committee required the covenant to ensure the structure is maintained and used in ways that further the stated public benefits during the tax‑relief period.
