MCINTOSH LAND USE QUESTIONED

Dover To Examine How Former Motel Became College Dormitory

DOVER - The McIntosh College campus on Silver Street, currently under
scrutiny by police, has some land-use issues to sort out next week.

The city's Technical Review Committee will meet next Thursday, Sept. 5, to
decide whether the conversion of the old Holiday Inn Express into a
dormitory constitutes a change of use and should be examined by the
Planning Board.

McIntosh also wants to raze portions of the old single-story motel and make
room for new kitchens and classrooms for its Atlantic Culinary Academy.
College President David McGuire has said those additions will cut down on
traffic from culinary students who currently must travel to the Rutland
Street campus for some of their courses.

It is unknown what effect, if any, Tuesday's police raid will have on the
decision. Nine McIntosh students were charged with selling or possessing
drugs as the result of a two-month undercover investigation by the police
department and New Hampshire Attorney General's Drug Task Force. Chief
William Fenniman believes the dormitory should be seized under federal drug
forfeiture laws. McIntosh owner Career Education Corp. leases the property
from McIntosh Properties LLC, whose president is former school owner Robert
DeColfmacker.

The police department has a representative on the Technical Review
Committee, but Fenniman declined to comment on the change-of-use issues
until the school has a chance to make its presentation.

McGuire said he plans to go forward with the meeting, which is scheduled
for 1:30 p.m. at the City Council conference room.

Dover Planning Director Steve Stancel said McIntosh came before the
planning board when it wanted to build the Atlantic Culinary Academy and
when it expanded the former Holiday Inn Express.

The school did not seek approval when it leased out the entire new portion
of the hotel as dormitory space, but Stancel said it is unknown if Planning
Board approval was required. That will be sorted out by the Technical
Review Committee, which is made up of representatives of the police,
planning and fire departments, city engineer, code enforcement officer and
others.

Whether it is considered a hotel or dormitory, the use is allowed in that
zone, Stancel said. After the city received complaints from Silver Street
neighbors last fall, the current inquiry was started to determine if the
impacts from the converted hotel were more than what was approved for the
site, Stancel said.

"The use itself is allowed, now we have to look at the impacts," Stancel said.