Portsmouth Housing Authority project at church gets key approval
PORTSMOUTH — A proposal to build 44 new work-force housing units at the site of Christ Episcopal Church at 1035 Lafayette Road recently received a key endorsement from a city committee.
The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) voted unanimously to recommend granting site plan approval for the project and moving it along to the Planning Board for its final land-use board review.
In addition to the new Portsmouth Housing Authority four-story, 44 unit work-force housing project, the redevelopment plan includes the renovation of the first floor of the existing church into office space for Haven.
Haven will convert and renovate the first-floor of the existing church into office space for their new headquarters, according to statements by the development team and documents filed with the city. Haven’s mission, according to their website “is to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking, and to support and empower all women.”
Haven will also "construct a 7-unit transitional housing addition to the north of their new office,” plans state.
“The lower level of the existing church will be renovated for Little Blessings Child Care Center. The Christ Episcopal Church will be relocated to the existing rectory building on the southern portion of the site,” according to documents filed with the city by Patrick Crimmins and Neil Hansen of Tighe & Bond, who are working with Haven, the Portsmouth Housing Authority and the Christ Episcopal Church.
New COAST bus stop coming to 1035 Lafayette Road
The redeveloped property will continue to be accessed via the existing driveways at 1035 Lafayette Road.
Hansen, who represented the development team at a recent Technical Advisory Committee meeting, asked committee members to move the project to the Planning Board in August.
The development team said “it’s critical for them to be at that meeting so they can get their funding in place to actually construct the project next year,” Hansen said.
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He added that COAST (the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation) has agreed to put a bus stop on the property.
The site is located on a busy stretch of Route 1 near multiple retail stores and restaurants.
“As of right now, the plan is that COAST will be bringing its route on to the site to service that stop location, which is in front of the existing church building,” Hansen said.
PHA Executive Director Craig Welch could not be immediately reached for comment. He previously noted the development team is committed to preserving and honoring the African Burying Ground at Langdon Farm, which is located on the church property.
He called it a “really important piece of history,” adding, “there’s actually 14 sets of remains on the site and … it’s really informed a lot of the site plan.”
A mix of housing units on church property
In terms of the new housing, Welch stressed “100%” of the 44 housing units proposed to be built in a new building off Route 1 on the church property" would be work-force housing.
Sarah Hourihane, the principal of Lassel Architects, who’s working on the new residential building, said it would be as high as four stories but also step down in spots to three stories.
Hourihane told the committee previously there will be 33 one-bedroom units, nine two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom units in the new building.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth Housing Authority project at church gets key approval
