BY SUSAN WARE
Residents of the Mount St. Mary’s Condominiums are gearing up to fight a proposed 73-unit building with underground parking that Brady Sullivan LLC wants to construct 100 feet from the historic landmark’s back door.
On Friday, Aug. 3, residents rallied in the ballroom to strategize against the developer, who also built their units.
“We all feel like we were lied to. Around here, we call them ‘Shady Sullivan,’” said Lori Dupont, a Mount St. Mary’s resident with a wooded view that could soon look out onto an apartment building.
Dupont and others allege they asked Brady Sullivan’s sales team if there were plans to build directly behind their building, especially in light of the heavy construction going on at University Heights next door. Dupont said they all were told no.
“There are a lot of people here that can attest to being deceived by Brady Sullivan’s sales staff. We asked if anything was ever planned to be built directly behind Mount Saint Mary and our saleswoman looked us dead in the eye and said ‘no, never,’” said resident Sean Joncas.
For Dupont, the construction of these apartments will mean a change of quality of life – more traffic and congestion, and a cherished wooded view that will no longer exist.
“The sales staff assured me that if they ever built behind us, they would leave a 150-foot tree line and that it would be something decent. Now, if this thing gets built, my unit will be worthless,” she said. In September the Planning Board asked Brady Sullivan LLC to have an independent study done as to how these two buildings would affect property values at Mount St. Mary’s. Dupont said they are still waiting for results.
When asked about residents’ claims that sales staff deceived them, Arthur Sullivan, principal and partner at Brady Sullivan LLC, said he has no idea what they are talking about.
“I don’t know anything about that. I don’t remember ever making any promises of that nature,” said Sullivan.
Dupont said she has contacted all of the 73 units in Mount St. Mary’s and said all are on board.
“We are going to fight this tooth and nail. We were promised one thing, and now we are getting something else. I’m really angry about this, angry that I am going to have to look at a Brady Sullivan slum everyday,” said Dupont.
John Deachman, an attorney for Brady Sullivan LLC, said he has met with residents several times and their input is critical to this plan. Deachman said there are several plans on the table, because they are looking at what the best option is.
“We want to find a project that meets as many goals as possible,” said Deachman.
As for the residents’ claims that sales staff deceived them, Deachman said he knows nothing about that.
“I don’t have any idea what they might have been promised because I wasn’t involved,” he said.
Joncas and Dupont said meetings with Brady Sullivan LLC representatives have been fruitless.
“We’ve yet to have a proper representative from Brady Sullivan come to a meeting at the building or the town. All we get is a Brady Sullivan lawyer that is quick to say he doesn’t know anything and an engineering team that takes notes but has yet to apply any of our suggestions,” said Joncas.
Engineers for Brady Sullivan LLC are preparing to go before the Technical Review Committee in September.
Although discussion of this plan began last fall, it’s still in the beginning stages, said Deachman.
“I think it’s shameful what Brady Sullivan is doing here and elsewhere. The beauty of one of Hooksett’s most historic pieces is at stake for greed. This new building, given its sandwiched location, will become a slum. I think if the town of Hooksett has any interest in preserving this area or dignity they’ll tell Brady Sullivan to get lost,” said Joncas.