Heritage Commission Recommends F.W. Webb Site Plan

The Heritage Commission has recommended that the Planning Board approve the site plan for F.W. Webb’s proposed distribution facility on Pettengill Road.

The 785,000-square-foot facility would be the third largest building in the Granite State, according to Jim Petropulos, president of Haynor Swanson.

“There are no cultural or historical resources registered here for this property and no stone walls through the property,” he said, noting the site was historically used as a rock and gravel pit operation.

Existing trees around the property will remain untouched and approximately 400 trees will be planted, as will varieties of lilacs.

The proposed two-story warehouse facility, which would serve as central distribution for F.W. Webb’s 86 showrooms in nine Northeast states, would have shipping and receiving on both sides of the building and a small fuel island for their fleet.

The warehouse would operate 24 hours a day, with trucking deliveries to head out in the early morning hours.

“There will only be a couple hundred employees at this facility,” Petropulos said. “It’s not a massive trucking operation – there’s maybe a fleet of 50 trucks. The traffic and sewage impact is not significant.”

An office for employees is included in the plans for the facility, as is a recreation area next to the employee entrance.

Petropulos said the property is being developed similarly to those of neighboring properties, such as FedEx.

The grading of the site is lower than that of FedEx and the building will be about half a mile from Pettengill Road.

“Despite the enormity of the building, I don’t think you’ll see the site from Pettengill,” Petropulos said.

Design review for signage of the site is to move through the Town’s planning process separately, but Petropulos shared with the Commission designs they plan to incorporate on the façade of the warehouse, as well as at the entrance to the property.

The lighting design for the property meets Londonderry standards and features downcast LED lighting.

“There will be no spillover onto anyone’s property,” Petropulos said.

“I think it’s terrific,” member Art Rugg said. “It looks good. I think the bulk of the public won’t even know it’s there, aside from seeing the sign.”