Strafford Delegation puts the $170 million county rest home proposal to rest

Republicans have been adamant that they, too, desperately want to fund a new nursing home, but that Maglaras and county leadership are set on building what they call a "Taj Mahal" facility. (Courtesy rendering)

DOVER - It's back to the drawing board for Strafford County leadership and the Strafford Delegation after a vote was defeated to build a $170 million nursing home on the county farm not far from Riverside Rest Home in Dover.
The vote was along party lines with Democrats voting in favor of the plan and Republicans voting against it.
Because the delegation was voting on bonding money for the project, a two-thirds vote was required for passage, but fell short 21-15.
Republicans shored up support for defeating the $170 million price tag after visiting a 103-bed Carroll County-run nursing home on Friday that was built for around $20 million in 2011.
After the tour many state reps are convinced a new Riverside Rest Home in Dover should be able to be built for less that $100 million instead of the $170 million County Commissioners want to spend.
The proposed cost for the nursing home that was being pushed by County Commissioners and Democrats was $170 million, but when bonding is included with today's high interest rates, the total cost will be around $300 million, according to members of the delegation who were opposed to the commissioners' plan.
The Ossipee facility, While Mountain View Community, has a 103-bed capacity and Riverside Rest Home is slated for 215 beds.
Strafford 4 Rep Len Turcotte was among the bipartisan group that toured Mountain View.
"I've been visiting a lot of local privately run nursing homes and the Carroll County nursing home we visited looks like a privately run upscale model," he said earlier this week. "It's one of the top-tier facilities I've seen."
Turcotte said he'd run the figures for inflation, and in today's numbers Mountain View could be built for under $30 million. Given that, he said he feels confident that a new Riverside Rest Home can be had for under $60 million, not the $170 million sought by Strafford Commissioner including board Chair George Maglaras.

Republicans have been adamant that they, too, desperately want to fund a new nursing home, but that Maglaras and county leadership are set on building what they call a "Taj Mahal" facility. Republicans are also suspicious of excessive funds paid to Warrenstreet, the architect for the proposed $170 million project, that many say were never appropriated by the county delegation.