EXETER — A developer’s plan to convert a historic Front Street mansion that dates back to the 1800s into a multi-family residence has hit a minor speedbump.
The town Planning Board voted unanimously Thursday, Feb. 8, to table Steve Wilson’s proposal to transform 81 Front St. into six condo units until Feb. 22. Board members said they want to see a formalized plan for the two parking lots proposed, as well as the layout for a driveway to connect the lots if Seminary Lane is unavailable.
The proposed project calls for retrofitting the eight-bedroom, nine-bathroom single-family mansion into six, two-bedroom condos. When complete, the 24,000-square-foot space would have 14 on-site parking spaces — two for each unit and an additional two for guest parking.
According to plans filed with the town, nine parking spaces would be in the front of the property, while the remaining five would be at the rear. However, since those two spaces are not connected, residents who need to access the rear parking will have to do so through a driveway connected to Lincoln Street School, also known as Seminary Lane.
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Town Planner Dave Sharples said the issue is that Seminary Lane is a private driveway owned by the school district. He said Wilson would either need approval from the school district or propose an alternative access.
“In order to effectuate this site planning and get to those (five parking stalls in the rear), there is no other way to get there except over Seminary Lane,” said Sharples.
Wilson told the board he intends to use Seminary Lane to access the rear parking lot “because there is no objection from the School Board.”
“If they send me a letter and say you can’t use it anymore, I’ve illustrated that I would install a driveway, although that’s highly unlikely,” he added.
Wilson said a “connector” could be constructed, if needed, connecting the parking lots. The connector would allow for the rear parking to be accessed from the Front Street entrance, eliminating the need to use Seminary Lane.
However, Nancy Belanger, the Select Board representative to the Planning Board, said the board should not approve a site plan dependent on the use of a private road.
She told Wilson that he should build the connector and not have it as an alternative plan.
Jen Martel, a member of the Planning Board, said she doesn’t “feel comfortable voting positively” until Wilson provides the board with a more specific plan of the road connector and parking layout.
Wilson agreed to have an engineer draw up plans for the parking lots, as well as the connector driveway. However, he reiterated, he does not want to construct the paved driveway unless it's needed.
“We are not doing the work (on the building) next week,” Wilson said. “Let’s take the time and do it right.”
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Historic mansion has transformed over the years
Wilson previously received approval from the town’s Zoning Board for a variance to convert the single-family home into a multi-family residence, despite neighbors' opposition. Part of the conditions for zoning approval was that the property be owner-occupied if the units were rented, and for the site plan to be approved by the Planning Board before moving forward.
Wilson purchased the property for $1.8 million in August 2023.
Built in 1823, the home sits on 1.8 acres of land with features such as a three-car parking garage, an in-ground pool and hot tub, and a spa house with locker rooms.
The property first served as a home and a medical office for the Gorham family in 1823 and then the Otis family. It was transformed under the ownership of Michael Dingman, who bought the property in 1987 and expanded the building to create more space for his staff and security guards, as well as a pool and a pool house. He added three more kitchens, for a total of four, and 10 more bathrooms, for a total of 13.
Phillips Exeter Academy acquired the property in 2018 for possible use for faculty housing, but the private school decided not to follow through with those plans. The home was put on the market, where it lingered for three years until it was purchased by Wilson.
The Planning Board will reconvene on Feb. 22 to continue their discussion on the project.
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