Hampton Beach Sea Ketch restaurant eyes major expansion: Here's the plan

HAMPTON — One of the beach’s most popular restaurants is expanding as the owners of the Sea Ketch are building next door to extend two of its decks.

The northern corner of G Street and Ocean Boulevard is currently a brick lot known for its retail tent market next door to the Sea Ketch. The restaurant owners bought that lot and are preparing to build retail space with the extended decks above.

The project requires variances from the town's Zoning Board due to an electrical transformer that would need to be put in place in violation of a setback. Board members told the owners of the Sea Ketch at their March 21 meeting they saw no reason to reject the project. However, they delayed approval until its April meeting due to a clerical error in the application.

“Sounds to me like this is going to sail through when we see you again,” Zoning Board Chair Erica DeVries told Sea Ketch owner Kevin Brown and his attorney Bob Casassa.

The project will include a new entrance on the corner of G Street. The Sea Ketch would have a roofless deck similar to nearby Bernie’s Beach Bar built on top of commercial space. The construction is slated for Oct. 24, according to Brown.

“It’s going to finish off, to a certain extent, that portion of Hampton Beach,” Casassa said.

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The Sea Ketch celebrated its 50th season two years ago. Over the years it has built its decks to now four stories, popular for watching the fireworks on Wednesday nights.

The property next to the Sea Ketch has been vacant since a fire destroyed the hotel that once existed there in the 1970s, according to beach business owner and Selectman Chuck Rage. Since then, retailers like jewelry and clothes sellers have used the space to do business with beachgoers.

The owners of the Sea Ketch purchased that lot in 2019. The following year, Casassa said, they got plans approved for a hotel to be built there.

Casassa said then “COVID hits,” stalling the project. It gave the owners time to reflect on how to best use the parcel, which led them to shift towards building more deck space. The retail space on the bottom will be leased, while first-floor restaurant seating will be moved upstairs to make room for even more commercial space.

The building itself meets setback requirements, Casassa said, but not the transformer required by Until. He said the utility company is unable to provide power via wire on G Street, meaning they would need the transformer on their property.

Casassa said the G Street property impacted by the transformer’s setback violation has historically supported the Sea Ketch with worker housing and already has a sewer easement. He said an easement for the transformer could be sought as well if the variance is approved.

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Board members praise Sea Ketch for new proposal

ZBA members had few questions for the Sea Ketch owners after hearing the presentation. They praised them for staying within the zoning’s height limitations and for adding an elevator that goes to the third floor. The top fourth-floor bar will still require stairs.

The approval could not be granted that night because the application had a typo regarding which variances were sought. Zoning Board members said Casassa needed to withdraw the application without prejudice and reapply due to the need for proper notice of hearings. Each member said they believed the five criteria for the variances were met and were prepared to give it approval.

Rage, who abuts the Sea Ketch, said it was good for the beach to see a new project on the corner of G Street. He and beach restaurateur Tom McGuirk said the property was in good hands with the Sea Ketch.

“We have an opportunity to expand that location. We have a first-class operation next door that wants to expand,” Rage said. “I can’t see any reason why this wouldn’t be granted.”

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach Sea Ketch eyes major expansion: Here's the plan