Dover councilor plans 'attainable housing' project on Sixth Street

DOVER — A City Council member is behind a proposal to redevelop a Sixth Street property and create new housing units on the site, describing them as middle-market properties to be sold for less than the average-priced Dover home.

Acting as a private citizen, Councilor Fergus Cullen, along with his wife, Jennifer, are seeking approval from the city’s land-use boards to subdivide a 1.35-acre parcel at 566 Sixth St. into two single-family residential lots, in addition to another lot that includes a single-family residence and two duplex buildings.

An avid runner, Fergus Cullen runs through the neighborhood multiple times each week. He described upper Sixth Street as being populated predominantly with similar ranch-style homes. After the last owner of the home died last year, the Cullens bought the property and set out to redevelop it.

“It’s the number one goal of this City Council and the city of Dover to add more housing and a diversity of housing, including workforce housing,” Cullen said. “As we got into this project, it became more and more important to me that we include attainable units in this project. I wasn’t going to be someone where I said we need more attainable housing but that someone else ought to do it. I had to do it in my own project.”

The estimated cost of construction for the entire project is $950,000, according to the proposal filed with the city. Prices of the homes, if approved, have yet to be determined.

“We’re trying to provide some kind of mix on this property, but it’s not going to be million-dollar homes. That was a choice we could have (made) on this property. Instead we’re trying to do more middle market and more attainable units that will presumably be less than the median price of a home in Dover right now,” Cullen said.

Details of plans to redevelop 566 Sixth St. in Dover

The Cullens purchased the existing circa-1957 home and property last November and have been renovating the structure. The residence has been upgraded from two bedrooms and one bathroom to three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The couple live less than a mile away from the property and envision selling their newly-constructed units for less expensive rates, if the project is approved. The proposal is slated to be heard by the Technical Review Committee on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall.

“The plan we’ve submitted for TRC review is to add two middle-market, single-family homes with three bedrooms and two bathrooms (each), and two duplexes intended to create four lower-priced, more attainable housing units that are smaller in size,” Cullen said Tuesday.

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The units within the Cullens’ proposed duplex buildings would all be built with two bedrooms and a bathroom, spanning 800 to 1,000 square feet each if approved, according to Cullen. The official proposal shows each duplex would have a 988 square-foot-footprint, while the two proposed single-family houses would each have a 1,008-square-foot-footprint.

The property presently has two parking spaces, and the Cullens aim to increase that total to 14. Pending approval, the development would be connected to the city’s sewer and water systems.

“We intend to sell the completed homes, though it is possible we may end up owning and renting some depending on financing and market conditions,” he added.

The Sixth Street site was last valued by the city at $369,300, according to Dover property records.

Civilworks New England, a Dover civil engineering company, is working with the Cullens on the project. The company’s president, Stephen Haight, provided a project narrative in the Cullens’ application to the Technical Review Committee.

Two driveways would access the housing units, if approved, and six rain gardens are included in the site plan for stormwater runoff treatment, according to Haight’s description.

Project will contribute to Dover's growth, Cullen says

The Cullens hope to play a part in adding to the Garrison City’s housing stock little by little.

“If we want our communities to continue to grow, if we want our businesses to continue to grow, communities have to add more housing, more diverse housing,” Cullen stated.

Serving as the City Council’s representative to the Planning Board, Cullen said he will recuse himself from any proceedings regarding his housing development.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dover councilor plans 'attainable housing' project on Sixth Street