questions pulled from e -mail summary provided by jack falvey

Questions Pulled from E-Mail Summary provided by Jack Falvey

April 13, 2011 Updated March 22, 2012 (Misc. Questions for Planning Board pages 23 and 24)

PUD Master Plan Questions – Directed to Planning Board

• What actually is the definition of "Open Space" in this PUD?

• What is the concept and benefit to the town of Londonderry and its taxpayers for taking all of our zoning laws, which we all invested in and allowing a developer to write his own zoning laws for our planning board?

PUD Master Plan Questions – Directed to Planning Board

• Why can't we just require, and put in this PUD as a condition for approval: that all lots on the periphery of the development or

abutting regularly zoned properties must be one acre or larger in size?

that all lots abutting Gilcreast, Pillsbury & Hovey Rds maintain 3 rows of apple trees alongside these roads, to be kept as open space and be maintained by the homeowners association/developer, just as he will maintain the storefronts/retail/commercial/private roads/etc. within WC

PUD Master Plan Questions – Directed to Developer

• What is being proposed in the master plan for the site for a road network?

• Is the New Urbanism model firm in your master plan, or are there other options? Please describe the alternative options.

• very dense proportions are used in each of the other abutting "Maximas" eg. 25 units on 15 acres (W-2-3), 160 units on 41 acres (W-2-4), 100 units on 16 acres (W-2-6) and 90 units on 15 acres (W2-7). Where is the buffer zone?


• We live in Londonderry, and we all reside here for our reasons. Bottom line, will this project enhance us collectively on balance, or is this another futile attempt at conceptual, mumbo jumbo packaging of urban sprawl dressed up as "New Urbanism"?

• Where are the roads going? To what specifications are they to be built?


• Did the Mashpee Commons plan/development: live up to what was proposed? What were the positives/negatives? Was the timeline accurate? What was the physical/emotional impact to the

town and its residents? Did the developer live up to his obligations? Were they able to attract/keep businesses to fill

the storefronts?


• Did the Mashpee Commons plan/development: What type of amenities were proposed vs.

actually built? Did the town have to build those amenities/have

to insure and/or maintain them? What was the tax impact to the town? Any big surprises?


• 1300 dwellings is a maximum number listed, but are there lower density options? Describe each of those density options.

• What is the plan if 4A isn’t funded? • As inheritors of Boston North's position and

obligations under the old Exit 4A plan, what are you prepared to do should state funding not be sufficient to pay the entire cost? Please describe your plans in detail.


• Will retail commercial be planned along the I-93 boundary? Describe those plans in some detail.

• Is there a plan to address grid lock on local roads? Describe that plan or plans. What is the financial impact to the town?

• What is the planned dwelling mix? • How many McMansions? • How many stand alone single family homes on what

acreage at what market price?


• How many senior units at what price and configuration?

• How many government subsidized units? • How many multifamily units. How many two

story apartments? • How many three story apartments?


• If four thousand cars are to be housed in the project area, how many garages are in the plan?

• Public parking garages, # of stories, planned locations, and estimated number of parking units in those structures?

• Is there a planned or estimated cost to residents/members of the public for daily, weekly and/or monthly use?


• Is on street parking allowed anywhere in the plan? If so, please describe the anticipated plan.

• Londonderry has a no parking ordinance during winter. How do you expect to plan for that?

• What is the difference between the roads you propose to build and current town specification requirements? Describe your plans to meet or change those requirements for this venture.


• Are there a planned wildlife corridors connecting the planned open space areas?

• Could wildlife corridors be designed to buffer existing neighborhoods from the development?

• How many houses will there be on an acre in Woodmont?

Design Questions – Directed to Planning Board

• Why should the town permit a residential development on that road (Gilcreast)?

• Curb cuts onto Gilcreast Rd will I am sure cause major traffic problems and a place for accidents to happen. Who will pay to widen Gilcreast ? Who will pay for the traffic lights ?

Design Questions – Directed to Developer

• With natural gas available in Londonderry in abundance, Granite Ridge has given us a great supply system, shouldn't all outdoor lighting be energy efficient automatic natural gas fired?

• Shouldn't all indoor lighting be required to be LED lighting?

• Shouldn't all hot water be solar generated? • Shouldn't all dwelling heating be geothermal? (Or

by natural gas?)


• Shouldn't all cooking be with gas? • Shouldn't elevated R factors be required in

all dwellings? (This is the North Temperate Zone.)

• Shouldn't all home waste disposal systems be state of the art earth friendly?

• How much water and sewer service will be involved? How do you propose these services be provided and funded?


• Seven curb cuts on Gilcreast road will require a total rebuild of that road from Rt 102 to Pillsbury road. Do you have a plan for doing that? If so, describe that

plan, its estimated costs and the amount of money you expect the town to pay for these rebuilds.

• The intersection of Gilcreast road and Pillsbury road must be completely rebuilt if not signalized. What plans do you have for that re-build? Again, please

describe in some detail, including the estimated costs and what amount, if any, you expect the town to absorb.


• What mitigation plans do you have to replace the multiple acres of wetland your plans require to be flooded?

• Can you outline the sewer and water requirements for three to four thousand residents, a number of hotels and a hospital? Please include estimated costs and how you expect these to be funded, especially your expectation of town funding, if any.


• Describe your plans for water runoff from the proposed street and parking systems. Describe any necessary EPA rules that will apply, and how you plan to meet those requirements and how compliance will be funded by you. Will you seek waivers from the EPA?


• If Spring Road is extended into the development (currently a paper road) what will be the effect to the intersection of Spring Street and Hardy Road?

• Will Spring Road be connected directly to exit 4A? • What would be the traffic impact be to Spring Road,

and the surrounding neighborhood? • Are there sidewalks? • Are the four thousand residents all walking in the

streets? Are any of them driving to work?


• Their plan calls for mixed use along that boundary. There are large numbers of residential dwellings within in a few hundred feet of the Interstate. Will sound walls be installed by the developers or will they request that the taxpayer foot the bill when that section of road is expanded?


• Where will the water come from to support the 3000 new walking residents and also the $8.00 per hour workers at the proposed box stores?

• Then, where will the run off go from those hundreds, perhaps thousands of cars parked on the acres of asphalt needed to support those same box stores?

Misc Questions – Directed to Planning Board

• Has every member of the planning board read all the questions and comments submitted to date? Excerpt from Jan. 4 2012 Planning Board Meeting

Minutes- They had, with the exception of newer member M. Newman who said she will review them.

• Does every member of the planning board understand the requirements of the PUD ordinance that was enacted by the town last January? Excerpt from Jan. 4 2012 Planning Board Meeting

Minutes- A. Rugg said that those who were on the Board 44 during the development of that ordinance are certainly familiar with it.


• Has each member of the planning board conducted research on PUD laws, existing PUDs themselves, and the effects, both positive and negative, on towns that have enacted such laws and allowed PUDs to be built? Was that research done before passing the Londonderry PUD law? Excerpt from Jan. 4 2012 Planning Board Meeting

Minutes- “While A. Rugg and M. Soares some members have done some of their own research, it is not the role of the Board to do that in-depth examination. Staff and hired experts do that research on behalf of the Board.”


• In the research that was done, please outline your findings, and then explain in detail how this type of development will benefit the town of Londonderry. Also, what are the negative effects you have recorded from researching other PUDs of similar size/density?

• Did each planning board member attend all the presentations at the Woodmont Commons design charrettes last fall?


• Do members of the planning board meet with the developer or his representatives outside of planning board meetings?

• How will Woodmont's development effect the timeline of construction at Pettingill in order to pay off that loan?

• What is the town population increase estimated to be at build out?

• What can we expect for an increase in road maintenance and how will this affect our tax rate?


• What can we expect for an increase in trash removal and how will this affect our tax rate?

Misc Questions – Directed to Developer

• How old are the trees at Woodmont Orchards?

• Could a typical retail store worker/ teacher/ maintenance person/ Market Basket employee/ current Londonderry resident be able to afford to live in this type of planned and managed community?


• Have the developers explained how they will manage to build and sell all these units in a depressed real estate market, especially if the project offers a lifestyle that may not be in demand?

• Has anyone seen any studies about the demand for this type of living other than in a retirement community?

• Will this new development be financial viable?


• Londonderry does not pick up yard waste, since most people have sufficient space for composting, and those who don't take it to the drop off area. Woodmont Commons residents won't have the space for this approach. What provisions will be provided for yard waste

disposal, and how much will it cost? Will the cost be shared be the entire town, or just

the residents of the Londonderry Commons?


• Locally grown produce is a rapidly growing feature in America, even in cities, with roof-top gardens. What provisions are being made for gardening in

Woodmont Commons? Are you going to save space for a professionally

managed farm? Will you reserve small plots throughout the

neighborhoods for shared-gardening by the residents?


• What sort of non-fossil fuel energy generation will you provide? It is likely a good location for wind power. Would you build a small bio-mass energy plant to provide the power and make the community self sufficient?

• Will you have the ability to require energy efficient buildings and appliances well beyond those required by local and federal codes? If so, will you do this?


• Electric cars will be common by the time Londonderry Orchards is built out. Are you planning for electrical charging outlets

at all the commercial and industrial parking lots? Will there be enough electrical power capacity

for all the residents to charge electric cars at their homes?

• What are you plans to accommodate significant snow fall without impacting the local residents and businesses?


• How will you handle winter parking, snow removal, snow disposal, and prevent salt runoff into the local surface waters?

• Could some research be done to validate the question of the original use of that land in our town records and make sure all care is taken to preserve any items found of importance to the town?


• Pillsbury Cemetery: What guarantees will be made to the town that

the sanctity of this setting will remain? Will there be a reasonable buffer zone between

the cemetery and any proposed construction? Will Hovey Rd. become crowded and congested? Will it still be quiet when standing graveside

when we choose to visit our loved ones?


• What will be built next after the new Market Basket store?

• Would you consider a large scale retail mall like Mall of Americas in MN?

• Would you consider a combination Christmas Tree Farm and residential/golf course?

• How do the developers plan on addressing the amount of trash that will be produced? The hotels and other commercial buildings will require dumpster services, which will result in more commercial vehicle traffic within our town.

• When will they start building what?


• What about grid lock? • If you lived up over some little coffee shop, where

do you keep your snow blower? • If you are to walk to work down one of the little

Woodmont streets, who is clearing the sidewalks? • The developers have decided to bring three to four

thousand new people to Londonderry. Fair enough. Who are they trying to bring?

questions pulled from e -mail summary provided by jack falvey

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