NEW LONDON — Twin Pines Housing has proposed to build 60 workforce housing apartments on County Road near New London Hospital.

If approved, the project known as Long Meadow Commons would be the first for the nonprofit organization in New London and Merrimack County. The proposal comes at a time when Upper Valley communities are trying to address a shortage of workforce and affordable housing options in the region.

“They need that first home, that first apartment, someplace they can live where their career grows and they can move into something bigger, something better,” Peter Nichols, who chairs New London’s Housing Commission, said of many people who struggle to find housing.

The one- and two-bedroom apartments would be spread among four buildings on roughly 8 acres of land that is currently owned by members of the Cricenti family. Andrew Winter, executive director of Twin Pines, said the sale of the land is contingent on the Planning Board’s approval of the project. A historic barn on the property would be made into a community building where residents could gather and Twin Pines would have a small leasing office.

“From our perspective and in conversations with residents in town, there was strong support for housing in this location given its proximity to both the hospital — which is located directly across the street — as well as being adjacent to the New London Shopping Center,” Winter said. The buildings could also connect to town water and sewer, and Twin Pines has been in talks with town officials about capacity. “For those reasons it’s really just an ideal site for this kind of density.”

Each roughly two-story building would have 10 one-bedroom and five two-bedroom apartments. They would be open to people earning 60% to 80% of the area median income in Merrimack County. That equates to $43,980 to $58,650 for a single person and $62,820 to $83,750 for a four-person household, Winter said. Rents would be roughly $1,200 to $1,400 for one-bedroom units -and $1,400 to $1,800 two-bedroom units. The one-bedrooms would be 610 square feet, and the two-bedrooms would be 760 square feet.

The project is currently in its preliminary site plan review with the Planning Board, which is scheduled to resume its discussion of the project at its Nov. 15 meeting. If it receives preliminary approval from the board, Twin Pines could submit its final application in mid December.

“We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to put together not just the permits, but the necessary financing with an eye toward getting into construction next spring and be in a position to lease units in the spring of 2024,” Winter said.

If the project is approved, it would be the first designated workforce housing development in New London, said Adam Ricker, New London’s planning and zoning administrator.

Winter estimated that around 100 people would live at Long Meadow Commons. According to the 2020 census, New London’s population is 4,268.

Many residents and area employers expressed support for the proposal during a Planning Board hearing Oct. 25. The first to speak was Tom Manion, CEO and president of New London Hospital. The hospital, which is part of Dartmouth Health, has 82 different positions that pay below the 80% threshold that a single person needs to earn to qualify to live at Long Meadow Commons. The hospital has 285 employees in those positions, Manion wrote in an email this week.

“To put a finer point on it, that’s roughly half of our employees,” Manion wrote. “These are EMTs, licensed nursing assistants, child care teachers, social workers and many more.”

The lack of workforce housing in New London has made it difficult for the hospital to recruit employees.

“It is a fairly regular occurrence for candidates to decline our offers due to their inability to find affordable housing near our organization,” Manion wrote. It is not uncommon for employees to live 30 minutes to an hour away from the hospital. “On the rare occurrence an affordable home comes on the market in or around our community, it is under contract within a matter of days.”

Colby-Sawyer College President Susan Stuebner echoed Manion’s concerns during the hearing. Of the college’s 290 full-time employees, only 32 are able to live in New London, she said.

“Many positions are hard to fill due to the housing costs here in New London,” Stuebner said.

And it’s not just incoming workers who are struggling to find housing; it’s people who are already employed in the community, said Laurie Schive, who co-owns Blue Loon Bakery with her husband, Mike Morgan. All of the bakery’s employees could qualify to live at Long Meadow Commons.

“People are living here, they’re trying to make ends meet, they’re trying to make it work,” Schive said during the hearing. “Having something like this in the community is going to be a tremendous benefit to those people who are already here and working.”

Many residents also spoke in favor of the project, including Louis Botta, an abutter.

“I am absolutely ecstatic,” Botta said during the hearing. “It is about time. It is welcome. I fully support it.”

Some residents expressed concerns about pedestrian safety and traffic. New London Place, a senior living facility, will be built nearby on County and Parkside roads. Twin Pines is currently working on an updated traffic study. Ricker, the planning administrator, said there may be state funding available to put toward adding sidewalks.

Nichols cautioned that, while the 60 units would be helpful, they won’t solve or cover all of New London’s workforce housing needs.

“I’m concerned that some people in town might say, ‘Oh, good, we’ve got Twin Pines, we’re all set,’ ” he said.

Winter said he was encouraged by the public’s response at the meeting.

“This project is very much trying to meet a clear workforce need so I think that seems to have resonated with many in the community,” he said.

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.

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