Littleton College Expansion
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 02 April 2019 01:28
- Written by Taylor Girard
Littleton-a community college in New Hampshire is looking to upgrade its facilities.
The White Mountains Community College campus of Littleton is hoping to be approved from Littleton's Zoning Board, on an application that would redevelope the Hitchiner Property off of Beacon Street.
The property used to where the old Littleton Hospital and former manufacting complex once stood, and the college is hoping to use the buildings and property as a new campus for White Mountains Community College. If this application is approved, over ten thousand square feet will be reserved for classrooms. An additional eighteen thousand square feet of space will be reserved to add sixty student apartments for the college, and the community too.
A student intern for the Littleton Town Offices thinks this will bring some vibrancy back into downtown. "A college in town would be a huge driver for population growth, cause we have an influx of young people coming in that potentially stay here and become part of the community. And this added to the rails to trails project already connecting another project, its really gonna mix everything together and really create a more blended and walkable pedestrian friendly community that really connects the whole municipality altogether." said Joe DePalma.
The rails to trails system is an old snowmobile and bike track, and the town is hoping to expand this as well and have it go through the new college campus. "The rails to trails exist, they tore up the old railroad tracks and converted them into snowmobile and ATV trails and currently that only extends from Woodsville to Industrial Park. But, this summer they hope to expand the trail system from Industrial Park to the Hitchiner complex, the future of the new community college. It would really connect these two new things in downtown by having snowmobile traffic going through the campus as well."said DePalma
Johanna Ray, the Zoning Board adminstrator for Littteton says this project hasn't been approved yet, but if it is downtown will likey add traffic lights back on the intersection of Beacon Street and Union Street to account for the new campus and snowmobile traffic. "If this is approved, they would have to apply for a building permitt, cause they wanna add on and then there's a lot of technical review with the state fire marshall's office and I believe the fire department and fire chief will do a review of this plan." said Johanna Ray.
Although across the Connecticut River community college's are expanding, the local Community College of Vermont's campus in St. Johnsbury has no plans on expanding its campus. "Its actually really interesting that you bring up a New Hampshire college expanding, especially when you see so many colleges have actually closed in recent years" said Leanna Porter Coordinator of Academic Services.
The Hitchiner property was reserved in May and if the appliction for redevelopment passes construction will be begin this summer and will be completed by next summer in 2020.
