Londonderry holds public engagement on PUDs as residents press for stronger controls

Town Manager Sean Mulholland opened the session by saying the meeting was meant for public input on growth and planned unit developments rather than council business. He described updates the council adopted to the PUD ordinance in May and said the planning board now has more authority and written public engagement steps for future applications.

Mulholland told attendees the town will prepare a public strategy document and a schedule of deliverables for staff and partner agencies, including a multi-stage traffic study paid for by the developer. "We're trying to develop a strategy document, in terms of how we're gonna manage the impacts of this," he said, adding the working group has 30/60/90/120-day checkpoints. Residents repeatedly pressed for stronger tools to protect neighborhood character and infrastructure; one asked whether the town could repeal PUDs entirely, and Mulholland replied that while municipalities are not required to have PUDs, the council chose to keep and strengthen the tool rather than eliminate it.

The session featured detailed discussion of two active PUDs in town: Woodmont (a large mixed-use project the town described as nearing occupancy of its residential units) and a proposed project in the Brook/Brookview Hollow area. Mulholland emphasized that development agreements and state-authorized exactions are available to require off-site infrastructure improvements, but cautioned these tools cannot be used to force developers to pay ongoing operating costs such as additional firefighter salaries. He said the town will publish the strategy document and pursue neighborhood meetings and targeted outreach before accepting formal applications.