Resident council at Maynard Homes voice concerns and desires for NHRA’s redevelopment

Street view of Major Drive. Photo/Tonia Knisley

NASHUA, NH – Tonia Knisley has lived at Maynard Homes in Nashua, off and on, for more than 20 years.

“It has always been just an amazing community where so many people from different colors and different cultures actually live together and get along just like everybody should,” Knisley said. “Because we lived on that same strip together, we would have barbecues all the time and … share each other’s food and culture and our kids played together.”

The proximity of the neighborhood to Joyce Park Sanctuary allows for a close connection with nature, and the relationship among the neighbors was conducive to sport games, activities and lunches among the kids during summer vacation.

The layout of Maynard Homes, consisting of 160 units across about 20 single- and two-story and duplex-style apartment buildings with backyards, lent itself well to such interaction.

So when residents heard of redevelopment plans in June 2023 that would put this connection at risk, many became concerned.

Redevelopment plans

Currently, the redevelopment is scheduled to be done in two phases. During phase one – from 2024 to 2028 – 70 units will be demolished and 213 units will be built. During phase 2 – from 2027 to 2030 – 40 units will be demolished and 146 units will be built.

The result will be four five-story buildings – two with 73 units, one with 75 and one with 68 – and two three-story buildings each with 35 units for 359 total.

Residents have been told they will meet with relocation specialists who will find suitable living accommodations for them during construction, and pay for moving costs.

Maynard Homes is the latest project being undertaken by the Nashua Housing and Redevelopment Authority (NHRA). The developer is Tremont Development Partners.

Bronstein Apartments was redeveloped into Manahan Manor in 2021 and occupancy began in fall 2023. This project was carried out by Boston Capital, the former parent company of Tremont Development Partners.

Although the Monahan Manor building is still owned by NHRA, it is managed by Maloney Properties.

James Tollner, chairperson of the Commissioners of the NHRA, had said at a meeting on July 21, 2023, that the NHRA will mirror the redevelopment process for Maynard Homes that was used for Monahan Manor – which has sparked concern among its residents.

“The Monahan Manor building [has] 216 units and 168 are supposed to stay income based … but they also have 35 units that are the median area income and 10 that are fully market rate, which means that people who are making 80 percent of our annual median income qualify for that kind of housing,” Knisley said. “When I’m seeing families that make that much money are also going on a housing list with families that make 30 percent or less, I’m wondering how that’s going to affect the lower income families because they are actually competing with each other.”

Like Monahan Manor, the redeveloped Maynard Homes will start off with one-year leases. After the first year, the leases will be monthly. Tonia and other residents are worried they will feel less secure since the rent could be raised each month when the lease is up.

Maynard Homes is currently income-based housing. After redevelopment, it is believed that it will no longer be income-based, but that Section 8 and tenant protection vouchers will be accepted; however, that remains unclear.

The Voices of Major Drive

The redevelopment news motivated Knisley to ramp-up the resident council – The Voices of Major Drive – she had formed previously.

“My original motivation [to start the council was] not only to have the residents’ voices heard about maybe things that are going on in their apartments, [but] … bring back that sense of community … as the residents came and went we were losing that connection …”

She attended workshops, seminars and Zoom meetings to learn how to effectively communicate on the redevelopment and teamed up with Victoria Markiewicz of Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP).

“[GSOP] is a faith-based grassroots organizing nonprofit,” Markiewicz said. “We go to the community and ask them what they think their biggest issues are and then we help train them to become community leaders so that they can accomplish their goals.”

Using their voice

Knisley, Markiewicz and other members of the resident council have attended the Commissioners of the NHRA meetings and have met with the executive director of the authority, Lynn Lombardi, to express their concerns, desires and redevelopment ideas.

“I’ve been doing research myself to look for actual different design ideas because I just feel like this is an opportunity to do something that we haven’t seen before, that we could incorporate the resident ideas with,” Knisley said.

Many residents would like to see the duplex-style homes carry over into the new development instead of four- and five-story buildings.

“Right now we’re able to let our kids go out and ride their bikes just from the backyard and we can be at our kitchen sink doing dishes and still be able to see the children,” Knisley said. “I know that there is a big worry about that disconnect – especially with parents with small children because if you’re up on … the third, fourth or fifth floor, you’re too high up.”

Residents have expressed their desire for gardens, storage space, a dog park and smoking areas, which they feel are not possible with the current design plans. The implementation of solar panels is something else they would like to see.

They also hope to maintain their access and connection to nature, especially with Joyce Park Sanctuary.

“I know none of us that have that connection want to lose it,” Knisley said.

In some respects, Knisley feels that NHRA has been supportive of the resident council but not always receptive and open to their ideas.

“Lynn [Lombardi] has been really great. She just sent us some information about a workshop … for resident organizers which will connect us with trainers that will work with us … and it will also help us get to know the resident toolkit a lot better, which will make us better organizers and better connectors with residents,” Knisley said. “So far as ideas or expressions of … input when it comes to the building or the design, that’s where we’re meeting more of a blockage.”

Markiewicz added, “Ideas [were] brought up [like] heat pumps, solar panels, community gardens, … fruit trees instead of pine trees … [and] trails to the sanctuary [and] I felt personally … very brushed off, like … they did their due diligence by listening to us, but they have no interest in, or motivation to, actually incorporate any ideas.”

After asking if the residents could be more involved with meetings, Markiewicz felt they received pushback and was told those meetings were private.

Attempts by the Ink Link to contact Lombardi and NHRA for comment for this story were unsuccessful.

“It’s just upsetting,” Knisley said. “You have an actual situation where there are low-income residents where you could totally and completely utilize some of these ideas that would save residents money in the future. … We’re all very talented, active individuals and to not utilize us is, I think, a resource that they’re not tapping into.”

Recently, Knisley and The Voices of Major Drive were able to arrange monthly meetings with Lombardi.

Through all her efforts, and with the help of Markiewicz and GSOP, Knisley and the Voices of Major Drive have found the confidence to use their voice.

“I was coming from being a community member who’s poor and disabled and I just didn’t know where my role would be or how my voice would even be used … or if it would even be a help or not because when you’re coming from my position, it just doesn’t seem like anything interesting that anyone wants to hear about, but sometimes it is,” Knisley said. “We all have so many different talents, [and] that we’re able to support each other and give each other that information that we’re missing, I [find] that awesome.”