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Developer outlines 40‑unit Union Avenue project to add employee housing and parking; board presses on scale and design
Summary
A conceptual plan for a four‑story residential building on Union Avenue would add about 40 units and 174 parking spaces, with 10 units reserved for restaurant employees. Board members raised concerns about building scale, waterfront views and impervious area; staff said shoreland and alteration‑of‑terrain permits will be required.
Meridian Land Service representative Sam Foyzil presented a conceptual site plan for a mixed‑use redevelopment at 182 Union Avenue that would consolidate nearby lots, add parking for adjacent restaurants and build roughly 40 residential units above covered parking.
The project team described the site as roughly 2.5 acres in an urban commercial (UC) zone and said the plan would provide about 174 parking spaces, including roughly 30 covered spaces under the building. “This proposed plan has a 174 spaces,” Sam Foyzil said. The team listed required permits including a Laconia site‑plan permit, subdivision/condominium approvals, a Laconia driveway permit, connection permits for water and sewer, and a DES shoreland permit because the property lies in the DES Shoreland Protection Zone.
A representative for the ownership group explained that the project began as a means to secure parking for T Bones restaurant and evolved to add housing for employees. “We’re doing this project to give ourselves more parking and to have a place for our employees to live,” the owner said; the presenter added the owners intend to reserve the lower‑level units for employees and limit short‑term rentals.
Board members pressed the team for additional design detail showing how the four‑story massing will fit the street and waterfront context and asked for alternate views that show the building’s visual impact from the water. Members also questioned the building height and suggested strategies to break down massing, such as additional trees and facade articulation. The architect said the rendering is an early iteration and that subsequent design phases will explore materials and massing treatments.
The board encouraged the applicant to bring detailed renderings and materials addressing scale and height at the next meeting and to work through technical reviews with town staff via the TRC process before returning to the board.
