Flying into the Lebanon Airport these days, a passenger couldn’t help but notice two large mill-like buildings under construction off the left wingtip, over by Exit 18 of I-89. Have the woolen mills started to return to New England? No, not woolen mills. They’re actually two new apartment buildings designed by a local architect (who’s also an avid history buff) to resemble the old mill buildings that defined the skyline of downtown Lebanon in the last century before enormous fires rewrote the architectural signature of the city.

But what about those apartment buildings? They’re massive. Their scale is imposing. How many units are there? What are they like? Is there really a need for so many apartments? This article will try and answer some of these questions, and speak to the underlying issue of this region’s housing crisis.

The Apartment Buildings:

They’re called Emerson Gardens, and were designed by Frank J. Barrett. When they’re done, the earth tones of the exterior finishes will blend the buildings into Lebanon’s other landmarks – Rogers House, City Hall, and Lebanon Towers. There are 160 units. Each unit will have two large bedrooms and two baths, plus a living room/dining room/kitchen area and one underground parking space. They could accommodate a small family but they’re specially designed for two unrelated singles to share. Marketed in the $1100-$1300 price range, these units ‘pull’ the red-hot rental market toward the affordable end of the price spectrum.

To bring the region’s housing and job markets back into equilibrium, the Housing Needs Analysis report indicates we will need to build at least 3,000 more units by 2010.

Although neither hospital has signed a master lease, these units should be attractive to young medical personnel: the bus stop of the region’s fare-free transit system is a short walk away. Other amenities – CCB, downtown restaurants, Opera House, farmers’ market, etc. – are just around the corner.

The Need:

The Upper Valley’s economy is booming. Over 6,000 jobs were added in the 1990s and unemployment rates are at record lows. (All statistics in this article are from the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission’s “Housing Needs Analysis”, August 2002) But during that same period, when the population was also growing along with the jobs, the pace of housing production throughout the region was not keeping up. To cite one specific example, in the Hartford-Lebanon Labor Market, the number of rental units actually dropped by 64 units between 1990 and 2000. One outcome is that housing prices skyrocketed, and working people had to go further afield to find affordable housing.
Longer commutes have become the “MO” which, in turn, impact family budgets adversely, not to mention quality family time or time given to community activities.

To bring the region’s housing and job markets back into equilibrium, the Housing Needs Analysis report indicates we will need to build at least 3,000 more units by 2010. Teachers, police officers, firefighters, and health care workers – all people we want as neighbors – won’t be able to live close to where they work until we do.

It’s a Regional Problem:

The benefits of a strong economy are obvious. Businesses that are doing well can support the assets that make this a great place to live. Community sports teams, after school activities, theatres and galleries, and health care and fitness programs are but a few of the programs underwritten by the private sector. But high turnover caused by long commutes, or recruiting failures due to housing ‘sticker shock’, can cause a company to re-think its commitment to this region, leading them to place their ‘growing edge’ jobs in other regions with more abundant housing.

And yet, the aspects of Upper Valley that have held so many natives here, or attracted so many to relocate here – the wooded hills, the scenic vistas, the country roads – are the very aspects that are imperiled if the number of houses that are called for are allowed to be built willy-nilly. When confronted with this dilemma, an ad hoc group of civic and business leaders got together to think outside the box. Their solution? Describe the need for our regional economy to remain strong (more housing), then define the way the housing is to be built to retain open space.
Enter Upper Valley Housing Coalition:

The ad hoc group organized a Housing Summit in November, 2001, to describe the extent of the region’s housing crisis. About 200 people from across the region spent the day together wrestling with the stark reality that the jobs/housing equation was seriously out of balance. The old free-market law of supply and demand needed a kick in the pants. To provide that kick, it was agreed to form a public-private partnership (now called the Upper Valley Housing Coalition) that would list the attributes of the kind of housing development we wanted to see, then promote them far and wide.

The “Endorsement Guidelines” – a sort of Good Housekeeping ‘Seal of Approval’ – have become a measuring stick against which housing developments proposed by private companies can be evaluated. Many of the standards are common sense (for example, higher density housing is to be built on existing water and sewer lines with excess capacity) but over time the cumulative sum of the standards result in beneficial outcomes for our region: attractive, clustered housing close to town centers.

The Coalition’s First Steps:

Emerson Gardens was the region’s first development to be endorsed by the Coalition. And, for a number of reasons, it was permitted in record time. It increases Lebanon’s tax revenues without costing the city additional expenses. Its tenants will be a boon to downtown businesses.

Another early endorsement was given to Bill Bittinger’s Reed Court development, located just off Mt. Support Road in Lebanon. Containing 24 units on just two and one-half acres in an existing neighborhood, Reed Court is an excellent example of an ‘in-fill’ project that preserves open space elsewhere in town. The dense settlement pattern (10/acre) allows the developer to achieve affordability that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. In many respects it is the harbinger of the region’s future settlement pattern.

The Upper Valley Housing Coalition (UVHC) has a long list of goals it wants to achieve in the months ahead. UVHC wants to educate and inform citizens about the need for more housing. It wants to work with civic leaders serving on lay boards to develop and implement the kind of thoughtful zoning regulations that create strong neighborhoods. UVHC will work to educate developers about the kind of housing that is wanted and needed in the region.

A Collaborative Effort:

UVHC has attracted the support of area businesses, banks, and institutions that understand the need for a group focused on getting affordable housing jump-started. It works closely with the regional planning commissions, municipal offices, and private planning groups. State agencies and commissions have also been generous in their help. Twin Pines Housing Trust, a nonprofit developer and manager of very affordable housing, has also been incredibly generous, offering counsel gained from years of experience in the field.

The Upper Valley is still years away from seeing the number of houses built that are needed to rebalance the jobs/housing equation. But an important start has been made, and the region is seeing more housing developments that are priced for the working families entering the permitting pipeline. The prospects for a sustained – and sustainable – regional economy are looking brighter than ever.

For more information contact the UVHC at (802) 291-9100 or at www.uvhc.orgLen Cadwallader is Executive Director of Vital Communities, a nonprofit organization based in White River Junction that works on regional quality of life issues. He lives in Hanover with his wife, Mary Ann.