A major new Planned Unit Development (PUD) may be taking shape in Londonderry, as the Planning Board held a non-binding conceptual review of the updated Brook Hollow plan on May 13. The proposal, led by the Governor’s Hill group, would redevelop the existing Brook Hollow Gravel Pit into a large mixed-use community featuring 1,028 residential units and roughly 99,000 square feet of commercial, light industrial, and recreational space. The project is expected to be built in phases over 15 to 20 years.
Civil engineer Brian Pratt of Fuss & O’Neill presented the revised concept, noting that the development team returned after incorporating feedback from the Board and town staff. “We were here back in 2025 with a similar layout for the Brook Hollow Planned Unit Development,” Pratt said. “We received some feedback, we worked with our team, and we worked with the town staff, and we updated the plan. We’re back to show you the changes.”
The project spans 227 acres in Londonderry and connects to an additional 120 acres across the Auburn town line. The updated plan includes more commercial and industrial space, lower building heights, a proposed daycare, pet friendly amenities, and a broader mix of housing types.
One of the most significant issues raised by the Planning Board involved emergency response times. Because the PUD is located in the far northeast corner of town, the nearest Londonderry fire station is nearly ten minutes away. “The response time is 9 to 10 minutes to get there. The national response time standard is four minutes,” Town Manager Shaun Mulholland said. He noted that Derry has a closer station and that the towns have begun discussing potential partnerships. “For us to build a whole new fire station up there would obviously be very expensive. We should take a very close look at possibly partnering with our neighbors.”
Fire Chief James Young confirmed the estimates and said more detailed data is forthcoming. “We’ve actually been working on some data for response times. We’re going to create some heat maps, and we should have that by the end of this month with more solid data.”
The development’s internal road network will be privately maintained but open to the public. Planning Board member Tony DeFrancesco urged the applicant to clearly outline which services the Town will not be responsible for. “On your graph, I would list out all of the things the Londonderry taxpayers are not going to pay for,” he said. “Culvert work, potholes, paving, repaving, as many things as you can think of, I would put it in that list of things the Londonderry Department of Public Works will not be responsible for.”
Pratt described the project as a “walkable” community and said a full traffic study is underway. “As part of the study, we’re going to identify intersections that are either at or over capacity and the impact this development will have on them,” he said. “This development is committed to paying their fair share for improvements. Any intersection that we blow up, we’ll figure out the improvement and pay our fair share. There are some intersections we’ll have to upgrade right off the bat.”
Auburn Road was highlighted as a particular concern due to existing congestion and the potential for increased traffic. Board Secretary Art Rugg said many residents continue to question the benefit of adding more housing, even with the increased commercial component. “What we’ve heard a lot of, and what I get from people, is ‘What’s the benefit to Londonderry?’ The people looking at it just see more houses,” Rugg said. “In the Southern New Hampshire Planning Region, there are 13 towns, including the City of Manchester. If we take the city out, Londonderry bears the largest number of dwelling units that have been added. We’re doing more than our fair share.”
Representing Governor’s Hill, Bob LaMontagne argued that the project aligns with the Town’s long-term vision. “When I read the town’s Master Plan that just came out, it described this project to a T,” he said. “If you read the Master Plan, that’s what the town’s people were looking for, and that’s what we’ve got.”