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Portsmouth council unanimously approves conditional use permit for Missy Elliott Boulevard development
Summary
The council voted 7‑0 to adopt a conditional use permit that allows construction of 394 for‑sale dwellings (reduced from 427) on a 30.49‑acre site at 109 Missy Elliott Boulevard; the applicant said changes respond to updated stormwater rules and include three for‑sale product types and price ranges aimed at entry‑level buyers.
Portsmouth’s City Council voted unanimously July 14 to approve a conditional use permit for a multi‑phase residential project at 109 Missy Elliott Boulevard.
Melissa Venable of Land Planning Solutions, representing the property owner Ella Holmes, told the council the revised phase 3 plan reduces the number of proposed housing units from 427 to 394 to make room for a larger stormwater management pond required under updated regulations. Venable said the application proposes three for‑sale product types — condominiums (flats converted to for‑sale units), three‑story townhomes with rear garages, and stacked two‑bed townhomes — with unit sizes ranging roughly from 900 to 1,600 square feet. Price estimates presented by the applicant ranged from the low‑$200,000s (stacked townhomes and smaller units) up to about $300,000 for the largest product.
During council questions, Councilman Dodson and others pressed the applicant and City Manager Steven Carter about long‑term stormwater pond maintenance if homeowners’ associations dissolve, alley widths shown in original drawings (12 feet) versus current engineering (20 feet), and whether council action that night would approve final engineered drawings. Carter and the applicant clarified that a conditional use permit approves the land‑use entitlement, not final engineering, and that many modern developments rely on HOA maintenance agreements overseen by the city. Venable said current engineering shows 20‑foot alleys and that the design changes preserve the project’s urban‑design intent.
Two public commenters raised traffic, school capacity, and general neighborhood‑character questions and requested more detailed project documents; council members asked staff to follow up with residents. After public comment the council moved to adopt the CUP resolution; the clerk recorded the vote as adopted, 7‑0.
The council’s approval allows the developer to proceed toward engineering plans and permitting, subject to the standard engineering review and conditions that will be applied before building permits are issued.
