Fatal Overdose Reported At New Concord Homeless Coalition Apartments

CONCORD, NH — Concord police and the New Hampshire Medical Examiner are investigating an overdose death on Pleasant Street ine one of two buildings recently purchased by the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness.

Just before 9 a.m., police and firefighters were sent to 120 Pleasant St., at the corner of Liberty Street, for a report of a man who was blue and cold to the touch. The caller told dispatch it appeared to be an overdose. CPR was performed but they were not able to regain the man’s pulse, according to scanner chatter.

Later in the day, the medical examiner was requested to the property to investigate the death.

The building is owned by the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness and was purchased in early February.

Ellen Groh, the executor director of the organization, said the coalition was “deeply saddened to learn of the suspected overdose death at one of the properties we own.”

She added, “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the deceased. Substance use disorder is truly a public health crisis in our community and our country.”

The coalition will be investigating the details of the case and “will take all appropriate action to address any use of illegal drugs on the property, up to and including eviction,” Groh said.

The coalition purchased the buildings — a main house and a carriage house in February.

Renee Robertie’s revocable trust sold both the 120-122 Pleasant St. property and 12-14 West St., a three-family home, to the coalition during the past nine months. The Pleasant Street property was purchased for $550,000 while the West Street property was sold for $375,000. Both were sold at above their assessed values. Unlike prior purchases by the coalition, Patch did not receive press releases or information about the sales.

During the past few months, the coalition has petitioned the city for variance relief to expand the property — from a main house with four bedrooms and a carriage house with two two-bedroom apartments to eight one-bedroom apartments between the two buildings. The parking lot, which is shared and does not conform with current zoning, would be expanded from eight to 16. Robertie also wrote a letter in support of the variances requested by the organization in December 2021, before the sale was finalized.

At a Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing on March 2, an attorney for the organization argued the buildings were in an institutional zoned district not residential, and called the neighborhood “transitional” in nature, with a number of former single-family homes being converted into apartment buildings.

However, more than a dozen residents spoke out against, signed a petition against, or submitted letters opposing the variances. Those residents raised concerns about density and more than one person residing or crashing in the studio units — something that is known to occur in other coalition housing, according to police reports. Other neighbors also worried about other apartment buildings in the area trying to request the same variances and convert multi-family units into buildings where dozens of people lived which, would be out of character with the neighborhood.

ZBA members, however, disagreed with the residents and approved the variances by variations of unanimous or 4-to-1 votes.

In April, a rehearing request was heard by the board and the members found no reason to reverse its previous decision.

The Concord Coalition to End Homelessness now owns several properties in the city, as part of its effort to focus on its “housing first” strategy to solve the city’s homeless problem, including its office, rooms, and shelter on North Main and Washington streets, a lot on Rollins Street, the Pleasant and West street properties, and 10 Green St.

Groh did not respond to a follow-up email concerning the lack of promotion by the coalition of its recent purchases.

Concord police were unable to comment by post time on how many times they have been to the Pleasant Street property for calls.

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel.