Big Town Project Gets New Layout, Has 'Room to Reduce' Cost

North Hampton's municipal complex plan got a new look this week as officials continue to find ways to reduce it's size and cost while also addressing public concerns about the flow of traffic and the aesthetic of the surrounding neighborhood.

A new proposed floor plan was revealed Wednesday, one that departs from the previously-accepted Plan NH design. The new layout and building configuration changes the direction that the North Hampton Fire Department's apparatus bays face, improves the overall flow and design of the campus, and reduces it's size to a selectmen-preferred 35,000 square feet.

Town Administrator Paul Apple said there's also "some room to reduce it even further," which is why consulting architect Ron Lamarre of Lavalle Brensinger will meet with department heads and town staff next week as he readies to present the final complex report at a North Hampton Select Board meeting on Monday, Sept. 4.

"It was really amazing what he did," said Apple of Lamarre's changes to the layout over the past week.

It's still too early to know for sure, according to Apple, whether the project will be able to stay under the $7 million cap selectmen have placed on it. Apple said it all depends of the cost of materials and if the town can buy what it needs while staying under $7 million, which amounts to $200 per each square foot of the campus in a 35,000-square-foot plan.

Apple said Lamarre's plan still has a "tremendous amount of space in storage" among other possible "duplicated" areas of use, which is why Apple believes there could likely be additional reductions to bring the complex under 35,000 square feet.

"It'll be interesting to see how it goes [Wednesday when Lamarre meets with town staff]," said Apple. "I think we still have quite a bit of room to save even yet."

Another one of the things changed within the floor plan is that the curb cut on Alden Avenue along the western side of the campus has been moved closer to the street's intersection with Atlantic Avenue. 

Apple said the old placement of the curb cut "created much objection" in the community due to concerns that public safety vehicles would cut through the residential neighborhood during emergencies. 

Officials have said that wouldn't happen, though, because it goes against the entire approach of law enforcement and fire prevention. That said, Apple said the area is still one of many things the town has to consider as it continues to work toward bringing the municipal complex plan to town meeting in March.

"Clearly we still have some work to do with reassuring people," said Apple, referring to the fact that residents in the surrounding neighborhoods still have concerns about the overall project.