Martingale Wharf deck expansion approved in Portsmouth
PORTSMOUTH — Owners of the Martingale Wharf restaurant and bar have received the final land-use board approval needed to expand their existing overwater outdoor deck and add a new public access deck overlooking the Piscataqua River.
Richard Desjardins of McHenry Architecture, who represented developer Mark McNabb and McNabb Properties at a recent Historic District Commission meeting, said the “owner and design team is not aware of any other private land owner designing and getting regulatory approvals to actually create a permanent easement and donating private property for a public deck on the Piscataqua River.”
He added that the outdoor deck will be “the only full handicapped accessible way to the waterfront, and this will be done by utilizing the Martingale elevator.”
In terms of the deck expansion, Desjardins said it “consists of two additions.”
“The west addition next to the River House deck is 712 square feet with 420 square feet for a public deck, with 23 feet of frontage on the Piscataqua River and a 73 square foot planter,” he told HDC members. “The Martingale dining portion would be roughly 219 square feet, that is all on the west side of the deck.”
The east side will be an 883 square foot addition that will “be specifically for the Martingale dining,” Desjardins said.
HDC member wants public to know about Martingale deck project's accessibility
Before the HDC voted to grant the certificate of approval needed for the project, HDC Vice Chair Margot Doering pressed McNabb’s representatives to make sure residents would know about the public access deck.
“This wonderful wheelchair accessible location for viewing, what signage do you have planned for the street side of the property so this is something people will actually notice and take advantage of,” she asked. “I don’t think we’ve seen anything like that.”
Desjardins replied they have not yet put together “a signage package.”
But the owners are planning signage for the main Martingale entrance, as well as the stairwell, he said.
Doering stressed she wanted “to be sure that people don’t misinterpret or feel shy about utilizing that access.”
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“Because sometimes if it’s not well-known or very, very specific, people feel, 'Do I have to have a reservation, do I have to be going to the restaurant, to take access to the deck?'” Doering said. “It would be disappointing if Mr. McNabb has gone to all of this generosity and it is then not taken advantage of or people are not aware or comfortable enough to take advantage of it."
Access during business hours
Marie Bodi, the chief executive officer of McNabb Properties, said “part of the easement that is created with the city” for the deck will include access to the elevator during business hours.
The restaurant and bar’s occupancy permit will remain at about 325, Bodi said.
Desjardins, in response to an HDC question, said “the owner wants to put a max capacity on” the outdoor deck.
“He would not like any parties being thrown there. It’s going to be limited to 50 people,” Desjardins said.
That led Commissioner Jon Wyckoff to ask, “Who is going to be the one to come out and tell everyone to get off?”
Desjardins replied any issues with occupancy on the public access deck would be addressed by the Fire Department.
The deck expansion previously received HDC approval in April 2022, he said.
But “there was an extensive approval process with the Department of Environmental Services, which has caused our approval to lapse,” he explained.
The project also received a previous Planning Board approval but then also lapsed and McNabb Properties received a second site plan approval from that board in March.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Martingale Wharf deck expansion approved in Portsmouth NH
