By Alex Malm
During the public comment portion of the Monday night, July 11, meeting of the Town Council, a resident raised concerns in regards to negotiations between the town and Gilcreast LLC on the property at 35 Gilcreast Road.
The topic was brought up by resident Christine Perez, an abutter, who lives at The Nevins development.
She explained that she had concerns with the potential development of the property which is 23-acres of land and backs up to the Nevins community open space.
“I am saying it publicly because I want it on record,” said Perez.
Perez said that she wanted to see a fence of some sort there to determine where the Gilcrest property ends. She said that in some places it is 100-feet away from the property line and in other areas it is more.
In March, voters narrowly passed an article that authorzed the town to negotiate the release of the land from conservation for no less than two million dollars.
Town Council Chairman John Farrell said that he thought that they weren’t negotiating any more with the company.
“We’re no longer negotiating,” said Farrell.
Londonderry Town Manager Mike Malaguti said that part of the issue is that the parcel has a conservation easement and since it was thought that it couldn’t be developed it wasn’t part of the sewer plan and they have a lack of capacity.
He said until last week they thought the project was on hold.
“They are now trying to determine if there is a way to do the project with septic,” said Malaguti.
Malaguti said they are still not sure if anything is developed there.
“It’s a big open question at this time,” said Malaguti.
Farrell said that if it goes forward they will have to be sensitive to the concerns of the residents in the Nevins.
Malaguti said that Perez talked to her about it and they received a letter from the homeowners association.
“There’s been some internal deliberations within the Nevens community,” said Malaguti.
Town Councilor Jim Butler asked what kind of fencing they would be looking to have there.
Perez said that one concern is people putting things in their area and they don’t want people coming through to their open space or starting fires. She said that the land is owned by the Nevins.
“It’s not town land,” said Perez.
One concern that was brought up is that work has taken place on the property even though there is a conservation easement on the property.
It was explained by Malaguti that the parcel isn’t owned by the Town and instead it is owned privately but they have a Conservation Easement on the property. He said that since there is an easement on the property and the property isn’t owned by the town that he didn’t think they had to get permission from the town.