The Londonderry Planning Board held its first discussion on potential amendments to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) ordinance during its most recent meeting.
Assistant Town Manager Kellie Caron explained that the conversation follows a directive from the Town Council to begin reviewing and drafting changes to the ordinance.
Caron said a draft amended ordinance was prepared as a starting point for discussion. The process will include a series of work sessions, a public hearing, and ultimately a vote by the Town Council.
The draft ordinance defines a PUD as:
“A Planned Unit Development (PUD) allows a landowner to propose a development project with flexibility from the standard land use regulations that would otherwise apply to the property. A PUD Master Plan functions similarly to a special zoning designation for a specific tract of land, establishing permitted uses, dimensional requirements, and development standards.”
One of the proposed changes involves eligibility and permitted uses. Caron explained that the draft recommends a minimum tract size of 20 contiguous acres for all zoning types except AR-1, which covers most residential properties in town. For AR-1, the threshold would be 50 acres – down from the current blanket requirement of 100 acres.
Caron said the recommendation was based on standards from other communities and guidance from the American Planning Association.
Initially, some Board members supported keeping the 100-acre requirement. However, Board member Giovanni Verani pointed out that only a few properties in town meet that threshold, which would severely limit it’s usefulness.
At the request of member Lynn Wiles, Caron said staff is working on a map showing which properties would qualify under different acreage thresholds.
Board Chair Jake Butler noted that while the proposed ordinance offers more control over PUDs, changing the land requirement could become the focal point of public debate, overshadowing other benefits.
Town Council Ex-Officio Shawn Faber emphasized the importance of messaging, saying the goal is to maximize public benefit from future developments.
Verani added that expanding the use of PUDs could allow for more creative development, rather than defaulting to traditional subdivisions.
The Board agreed to continue evaluating which properties would qualify under the proposed acreage requirements. No decisions were made during the meeting.
Another proposed change involves density bonuses, which would allow developers to increase density in exchange for community benefits such as affordable housing, open space preservation, sustainable design, public amenities, and mixed-use integration.
The Board generally agreed that infrastructure improvements should be a baseline requirement for PUDs, with density bonuses offered as incentives for additional benefits.
Under the revised review process, recommendations include pre-application consultations, conceptual Planning Board discussions, and community input sessions. The Board expressed support for requiring a community input session as part of the PUD process.
No formal votes were taken, and the next workshop meeting is scheduled for Nov. 12.
A copy of the draft ordinance is available under the Oct. 8 Planning Board meeting agenda.