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Board approves duplex conversions in Governor's Crossing to speed development
Summary
The Laconia Zoning Board approved a request to allow duplex units in the Governor’s Crossing subdivision, a change the developer says will reduce blasting costs, produce lower-priced homes and speed completion of the long-running development.
Attorney John Cronin told the Laconia Zoning Board that the owner of Governor’s Crossing seeks relief to replace several planned single-family lots with duplexes to avoid extensive rock blasting and make units more marketable. Cronin said the duplexes would be comparable in size to the single-family houses and likely sell for roughly $450,000–$500,000, creating a product that the market can absorb more readily than $700,000–$800,000 houses.
The proposal affects lots in the back corner of the subdivision (Thistleway and Sterling Drive) that Cronin described as isolated and requiring significant site work. He said an appraiser, Mark McKean, concluded the conversion would not diminish surrounding property values and argued the change would increase impact fees and the city tax base. “This is a mechanism that Jack believes will get to the finish line faster for the benefit of everybody,” Cronin said.
Board members discussed the change and noted that any approved variance would return to the Planning Board for site-plan amendment and technical review. Several members said the duplexes appear consistent with neighborhood character and could help complete a project that has been under development since the mid-2000s. One member noted that wetlands and lot sizes are not expected to be materially affected by the change.
The board voted to approve the application (ZB 2026-060) permitting the duplex configuration, with the understanding that the Planning Board will review any required site-plan amendments and infrastructure details before construction proceeds. The decision included the board’s findings that the change would not alter the essential character of the neighborhood and that the hardship arguments (steep ledge and blasting costs) supported relief.
Next steps: the applicant must submit amended site plans to the Planning Department for review and any required conditions prior to building permits or construction.
