The Londonderry Planning Board held a public hearing for an application for the Village on Technology Hill Planned Unit Development Master Plan during its April 10 meeting. An area that was deemed by one proponent as essential to the defense industrial base and needed to be moved forward quickly.
Dick Anagnost, the co-developer for the project, explained that the proposed space for the development, which was listed as Map 28 Lots 31- 6, 29-2 and Map 17 Lots 2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, is “essentially off Kitty Hawk Landing,” currently consisting of seven parcels, for a total of 110 acres which he said meets the definition of a PUD.
“The Village is accessible via Akira Way and Kitty Hawk Landing in Londonderry, NH,” the proposed PUD Master Plan stated. “The current physical address is 5 Kitty Hawk Landing, Londonderry, NH 03053.”
In the proposed Master Plan executive summary Londonderry Holdings, the applicant, explained that they were proposing “a mixed-use development consisting of over 180,000 square feet of industrial and office buildings with provisions to increase to 333,460 square feet of industrial and office buildings, 439 apartments for workers at the businesses that will occupy these and adjacent office and industrial buildings, a child care center and a general retail building (which will encompass a general store and will hereinafter be referred to as “general retail store”) to support the residences.”
Assistant Town Manager, Kellie Caron, explained that the proposal meets the minimum requirements for a PUD and said that they were at the public hearing phase to approve the Master Plan.
She said it is essentially the regulatory framework for the PUD and any individual site plans would then need to be brought forward in order to get approval, based on the master plan. Caron said no formal site plan reviews could happen until the Master Plan is approved.
Anagnost explained that if they get the Master Plan approved they would be looking to get into the site plan process immediately and they have identified all of their future uses.
“We’ve identified them up front,” he said.
In the executive summary, it was explained that the “Village consists of 3 distinct zones.”
“To the east is the industrial zone consisting of a 60,000 square foot building for Envision Technology, an approximately 20,000 square foot building for OnPoint Systems, a 5,000 square foot office building for the Solinsky Family Office and Family Foundation,” the executive summary stated.
It was explained that an additional pad site “will also be prepared for a 263,000 square foot industrial building to support Envision Technology as it continues to grow, and future pad ready site for an additional 12,000 square foot building.”
Envision Technology is owned by the other co-developers, Anagnost noted.
Anagnost described Envision Technology as having a focus on “developing and producing electro optical systems, which helps their customers detect, see, and locate their targets.”
He also said it’s “clean manufacturing.”
“West of the industrial zone and separated by the natural topography, a road, and landscaping, is the residential zone consisting of 439 one-, two-, and three- bedroom apartments in 9 residential buildings, as well as a community building,” the executive summary stated. “These 10 buildings are formed in a large oval surrounding a village green. This expansive green grass area will have a children’s playground area, dog park, and picnic tables. In addition, the northwest area of the property will have a parcourse for walking and exercising in a wooded environment.”
It was explained in the summary that to the north of the residential area “is the Village entrance from Akira Way.”
“This entrance will have a general retail store,” the summary stated. “This general retail store will provide convenient access to sundries, sandwiches, ice cream and other items associated with general retail stores historically in small villages throughout NH. The Akira Way entrance will also include a childcare facility to serve the Village and employees of other companies in the area who have preschool children. A covered bus stop will be by the entrance area and along Akira Way.”
Nick Golan, from TF Moran, who was representing the applicants and owners, explained they are maximizing green space and minimizing the environmental impact as part of the proposed PUD.
He said that 40 acres as part of the project will remain in its “natural occurring condition.” Golan also noted that there will be a lot of open space.
Golan went through a number of proposed modifications as part of the Master Plan proposal, including to allow 200 dwellings to be built per year, with the goal of having them all built in a four year span. He added that it’s in comparison to the ordinance, which allows 20 per year.
Asked about how many units are being planned for each building, Golan said it will vary, but the smallest building would likely be 43 units with the largest being 55 units.
Dave Robbins, who said he lives nearby, explained he was concerned about the traffic in the area and with adding more residential units there, saying they aren’t “addressing the surrounding infrastructure issues.”
While he says he knows the town needs growth, he said they need to have “smart growth.”
No votes were taken during the meeting.
“I think we’re in a better position to review this and provide formal recommendations at the next meeting,” Caron said.
The Planning Board ultimately agreed to continue the public hearing until May 9.
In the meantime, Vice Chair, Art Rugg, suggested that they continue to work with abutters to address any of their concerns.
“They’re the ones who can make or break the whole thing,” he said.