The Union-Leader covered a conference on housing and Mike Cousineau has a good article (here it is) about the reality of converting buildings into housing:
If you change a building’s use, the owner must comply with the regulations for the new use. That may mean more parking or setbacks from neighbors for housing than under the building’s current use. “Then the abutters come out and sue you,” Kozak said.
On one project, Kozak said, “There was a concern of the neighbors that there’d be people on the weekends having barbecues and parties. They would destroy their peace and quiet.”
“Just to put a finer point on it, the people who were complaining about the people who might live there were complaining about the things that they themselves would do at their own homes,” said New Hampshire Housing’s Ben Frost, who drew laughs from the crowd.
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