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Resident warns Liberty Utilities permit halt could stall Laconia Village project
Summary
A Ward 1 resident told the council that Liberty Utilities is no longer issuing natural gas permits to new construction in Laconia, which he said risks stalling development including the Laconia Village project; councilors said they would investigate and some flagged ongoing infrastructure work.
At the public-comment portion of the Feb. 9 meeting, Patrick Wood (Ward 1) said Liberty Utilities is no longer issuing natural-gas permits to new construction in Laconia and urged the council to act. "This is going to cause serious issues to the City of Laconia and one that is huge is the Laconia Village project, they need natural gas for that project," Wood said, asking the council to marshal a coordinated response beyond a letter to the governor.
Councilor Bogert later noted he has been working on natural-gas infrastructure and is clarifying the cost to bring pipe from Loudon to Laconia. Manager Kirk Beattie said legal and administrative processes are in motion on other permitting questions cited in public comment. The council did not take formal action at the meeting but members signaled interest in follow-up work to address the infrastructure and permitting concerns raised during public comment.
