Manchester aldermen in New Hampshire gave a consenting vote to begin the planning stage of a $35 million administration and vehicle storage facility for Manchester Water Works.
The proposal still needs a final vote at the board’s next meeting on Dec. 16, but the approval moves forward a plan to bring all utility operations onto one campus on Lake Shore Road. The new building would sit next to the Massabesic Water Treatment Plant and would replace the outdated facilities on Lincoln Street. The garages built in the 1950s no longer fit the department’s large service vehicles.
The project would be funded through $3.5 million in capital reserves and $31 million in general obligation bonds. According to the MWW director, planned rate increases would come in fiscal years 2027, 2029 and 2031, adding up to about $10 annually for the average customer by 2031. New housing growth is expected to offset some of the cost, along with previously awarded state grants that remain unused.
Several residents and aldermen raised concerns about traffic impacts. Neighbors along Lake Shore Road and Island Pond Road said more vehicles could disrupt the quiet area around Lake Massabesic. Water Works officials said traffic increases would be limited to about one crew’s worth of workers and noted the utility’s long-standing safety practices and regular road maintenance in the area.
If community concerns are addressed and the aldermen give final approval later this month, the project could be completed as early as fall 2027.
Photo by Aleksandar Pasaric from Pexels
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