Washburn: 'I Don't Think We Can Have Too Much Housing...' Really?

We dodged a zoning bullet when the Zoning Board of Adjustment by majority vote denied a variance to rezone land to accommodate 140 residential units.

Phew!

The denial vote should have been unanimous. The state housing shortage cannot be solved by building more units in Concord. And, you need to understand why we are in desperate need of light industrial expansion as to more residential units. Light industrial expansion places little demand on additional municipal and school district services. Residential expansion places greater demands.

One of the tools in the city council toolbox is RSA 79, which allows the deferral of payment of municipal, school district, county, and state property taxes if certain conditions are met, with the additional service costs then shifted to existing property owners.

BAE is the patron saint of Nashua when it comes to expanding light industrial jobs.

Dean Kaymen serves the same role in Manchester.

Concord has no such advocate.

In decades past, a notable Concord elite boldly proclaimed that he “never wanted to see a lunchpail on Main Street.” With most of our current development on land zoned for light industry being developed for office space, that vision continues.

Concord is well served by the interstate, rail, an airport, sewer, and an award-winning public water system. With only 221 acres remaining to be developed, you might think the city would be actively promoting its availability. But no, to the appreciation of Main Street, the city spends $150,000 on the mayor’s pet project, supporting the arts instead of promoting an expanded light industrial base.

AI will be changing employment prospects. 30% of many office jobs will be lost to AI. An estimated 70% of new jobs will involve AI technicians. Covid caused an expansion of computer-related jobs in off-site locations. The current demands for these types of skills are temporally oversubscribed.

If Londonderry can receive plans for a major light industry expansion, without regard to housing needs, Concord should position itself for such expansion. We already have sufficient housing projects in the pipeline. A little city hall attention to what we really need for tax and employment base expansion would be appreciated, but perhaps I ask too much.

Seeing a lunchpail on Main Street would mean someone was going to or coming from a job, and that is a worthy goal.