120-plus apartments and more in Exeter: Developer has big plans on Portsmouth Ave.

EXETER — A well-known Seacoast developer is proposing to build more than 120 housing units as part of a mixed-use development at 76 Portsmouth Ave .

Green & Company of North Hampton has requested a design review and will present its plans to the Exeter Planning Board at its next meeting Thursday, July 11 at 7 p.m.

The space is currently home to Federated Auto Parts. It is located between Thirsty Moose Taphouse and Service Credit Union, across from the Exeter Commons shopping center.

Details of development plan for 76 Portsmouth Ave. in Exeter

The plan for the nearly 7-acre lot calls for constructing three four-story buildings with 121 two-bedroom apartment units, converting the existing Federated Auto Parts structure into a 4,680-square-foot commercial space, and constructing a triplex (a single structure with three housing units) at the rear end of the lot on Haven Lane.

Parking spaces would be under each residential building as well as outside, according to the application.

Green & Co. is also behind the proposal to build 59 condo units at 13-15 Stoney Brook Lane on the Exeter-Stratham town line and many other Seacoast developments completed and in progress, including several in Portsmouth .

Exeter zoning change makes apartments project possible

Green and Co.'s proposal for 76 Portsmouth Ave. in Exeter was made possible following town voters’ overwhelming approval to expand the mixed-use neighborhood development (MUND) zone to Portsmouth Avenue, from Green Hill Road (where Walgreens is located) to the Exeter-Stratham town line. While commercial businesses were allowed in the area, housing previously was not.

Town planner Dave Sharples earlier this year said expanding the zoning could create more housing opportunities beyond the downtown area. The mixed-use neighborhood development zone was also added to a portion of Epping Road, the half-mile stretch between Great Bay Kids Co. and Front Row Pizzeria.

According to town zoning, for the project to be approved, Green & Company would only need to offer at least 10% of the total units as affordable housing.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: 120-plus apartments and more in Exeter: Developer has big plans on Portsmouth Ave.