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Woodmont Commons
Shook Kelley, along with The Cecil Group (Boston, MA), assisted Pillsbury Realty Development with obtaining approval of a master plan for a planned-unit development (PUD) with the Town of Londonderry, NH planning board for Woodmont Commons. It will include housing, boutiques, restaurants, hotels and other businesses, allowing residents to live and work in one walkable, village-style community encompassing 603 acres, built partly on what was formerly land full of apple orchards. Woodmont Commons will be that active community for those people who want to live in a more active community rather than traditional neighborhoods with streets and cul-de-sacs.
The town gave the green light to the Woodmont Commons master plan in 2013. The approval marked a near five year long process of careful planning and navigation through multiple challenges with the town, primarly due to the PUD process, which allows developers to sidestep existing zoning laws and propose mini-master plans with their own zoning plan consistent with the project. Once a PUD is approved, the Planning Board reviews specific site plans to make sure they conform to the developer's PUD application, but the Town Council no longer has any authority over the project's zoning.
For generations, Londonderry’s best-known attributes have been its rolling apple orchards, its schools, and its quiet cul-de-sacs within commuting distance to Boston. But that’s about to change somewhat with Woodmont Commons, which brought on an onslaught of local resident opposition, who throughout the entire process, voiced concerns and opposition about the effect of development on traffic, quality of life, and the town’s rural character.
Woodmont Commons is focused on community—specifically, driving economic growth by creating a unique development to draw both new businesses and new residents. The area, which will be developed in phases during the next 20 years, will include retail space, restaurants, offices and other businesses, a mix of condos, apartments and single-family homes, and plenty of open space. Phase One will include building out the commercial plaza along Route 102 near the existing Market Basket grocery store, as well as improvements and changes to the traffic infrastructure along Route 102 and Pillsbury and Gilcreast roads.
Access is a key issue to the full development of Woodmont Commons, which depends on the construction of a new exit on Interstate 93, (Exit 4a) a project the State of New Hampshire tabled because of the estimated price tag. The exit would allow for a larger development, such as hotels, hospitals, or entertainment complexes. While developers and town officials are still hopeful that the exit will be created. If the town can successfully navigate the challenges, the payoff may be enormous. Only Londonderry has this kind of potential in the area. There’s a lot of interest in this town.
The town gave the green light to the Woodmont Commons master plan in 2013. The approval marked a near five year long process of careful planning and navigation through multiple challenges with the town, primarly due to the PUD process, which allows developers to sidestep existing zoning laws and propose mini-master plans with their own zoning plan consistent with the project. Once a PUD is approved, the Planning Board reviews specific site plans to make sure they conform to the developer's PUD application, but the Town Council no longer has any authority over the project's zoning.
For generations, Londonderry’s best-known attributes have been its rolling apple orchards, its schools, and its quiet cul-de-sacs within commuting distance to Boston. But that’s about to change somewhat with Woodmont Commons, which brought on an onslaught of local resident opposition, who throughout the entire process, voiced concerns and opposition about the effect of development on traffic, quality of life, and the town’s rural character.
Woodmont Commons is focused on community—specifically, driving economic growth by creating a unique development to draw both new businesses and new residents. The area, which will be developed in phases during the next 20 years, will include retail space, restaurants, offices and other businesses, a mix of condos, apartments and single-family homes, and plenty of open space. Phase One will include building out the commercial plaza along Route 102 near the existing Market Basket grocery store, as well as improvements and changes to the traffic infrastructure along Route 102 and Pillsbury and Gilcreast roads.
Access is a key issue to the full development of Woodmont Commons, which depends on the construction of a new exit on Interstate 93, (Exit 4a) a project the State of New Hampshire tabled because of the estimated price tag. The exit would allow for a larger development, such as hotels, hospitals, or entertainment complexes. While developers and town officials are still hopeful that the exit will be created. If the town can successfully navigate the challenges, the payoff may be enormous. Only Londonderry has this kind of potential in the area. There’s a lot of interest in this town.