Learn First, Then Build Second

Pause new co-living approvals in Portsmouth until we have real-world results

We support smart housing. But the very first co-living project approved after the City’s May ordinance was allowed at 125 residents—even though the ordinance caps buildings at 80. The on-site management requirement was also reduced from four to one.

That’s a 56% increase in residents and a 75% cut in oversight—on Day One.

Two more co-living proposals are already queued: 134 Pleasant (55) and Market Square (16). Approving them now would lock in a major shift downtown before we’ve learned anything from the first, extra-large project.

By the numbers (what’s at stake)

• Waiver over the cap: 125 vs. 80 residents (+56%).
• Oversight cut: 4 → 1 on-site managers (–75%).
• Downtown impact (using Master Plan + Census):
  • Downtown Planning Area baseline ≈ 1,839 residents ( 1,108 units × 1.66 people/household).
  • The 125-resident building alone is ~6.8% of that baseline.
  • All three projects together (125 + 55 + 16 = 196) = ~10.7% growth concentrated in just three buildings under one developer.

Why a pause is reasonable

• Measure twice, permit once. Learn from the first approval before building the second.
• Ordinance integrity matters. If core limits and management ratios are waived immediately, public trust in planning collapses.
• Livability & historic character. Noise, light, smoke, and parking pressures land first on abutting homes and the downtown public realm.

What we’re asking for:

Adopt a time-limited pause on new co-living approvals (including 134 Pleasant & Market Square) until the City:

1. Publishes a 12-month impact report on the 125-resident project, covering: parking utilization/spillover, late-night activity and roof-deck operations, light trespass to abutting windows, smoke/air-quality complaints in the enclosed courtyard, on-site management responsiveness, and public-safety/service calls.
2. Reaffirms ordinance integrity: align approvals with the 80-resident cap and on-site management ratio (no core waivers).
3. Implements enforceable safeguards for any future proposals:

• Roof-deck hours, smoke-free outdoor areas facing residences, and light-trespass limits verified at abutting windows.
• Transportation-demand measures with monitoring, quarterly reporting, and corrective triggers.
• Meaningful remedies (including permit modification or revocation) for repeated violations.

Learn first, then build second. Portsmouth deserves planning that respects our ordinances, our neighborhoods, and our historic downtown.
Add your name to support a short, data-driven pause—so the second co-living project is informed by what we learn from the first.