LOT AT TAVERN HILL AND ROUTE 102

Association News, Hickory Woods News

To Hickory Woods Residents,

Please read the following update regarding the property located on Route 102 at Tavern Hill Road (308 Nashua Rd)

As you probably already know the owners of the lot at 308 Nashua Road appeared before the Town Planning Board on June 14 to present a “Conceptual Plan” for developing the lot. (A conceptual plan is nonbinding on both the Board and the presenter and has no legal status.)

As part of the presentation the owners showed maps and diagrams which laid out plans for two buildings with a total square footage of more than 50,000 square feet. Also included were 155 parking spaces. One of the buildings was to be a restaurant. However during the presentation one of the owners of the lot stated that they had put plans for the restaurant on hold because they could not obtain a long term lease agreement for the building.

Present Status

  • As of August 14th we know that the lot owners have submitted no formal application with the town and no formal request has been made to be included on the Planning Board agenda. Also, Londonderry town departments have not been asked by the developer to review and comment on any proposed plan. We have ascertained that if any of the above actions are requested by the lot owners, we as abutters are entitled to immediate notification by the Town.
  • We have contacted the Department of Transportation and found the following:
    – An application for a driveway permit was filed on June 8, 2021.
    – The application was for access to the lot, but the plans described to the DOT do not resemble the “Conceptual Plan” presented to the Town Planning Board.
    – Primary access to the lot was to come though Tavern Hill Road, but they also applied for an entrance through the old service road on the other end of the property.
    – To afford access to the lot, modifications to Route 102 needed to be made including building a left hand turn lane and a right hand turn lane both of which would turn into Tavern Hill Road.
  • No action has been taken concerning this application to the Department of Transportation since September of 2022.
  • Until the lot developers obtain an approved permit from the Department of Transportation the Town of Londonderry is unlikely to approve any development plan for the lot.


    • Actions Taken by the Board to date

  • In anticipation of the eventual development of these lots, several years ago the Board requested rezoning of Hickory Woods from C2 (commercial) to AR1 (residential). The Town Council approved the request. This had the practical effect of extending the buffer zone for neighboring development from 50 to 75 feet.
  • The Board obtained and reviewed all of the easements pertaining to these lots and Hickory Woods. We also had these easements reviewed by an attorney to give us a clear understanding of our obligations.
  • One of our Board Members had established an ongoing relationship with Town planning personnel with the aim of keeping us posted regarding ongoing developments with regard to these lots. (Unfortunately, due to a recent upheaval in the Town Planning Department this relationship has been lost.)
  • We have established lines of communication with the DOT to keep us posted on any new developments.
  • After the latest Planning Board meeting, the Board met with another attorney experienced in this area to update our legal advice.



    • Summary

    Given all of the above, we still have no clear idea of the intentions of the owners of the lot or their plans for the future.
    We will continue to monitor developments at Town Hall and the Department of Transportation.

    This issue was on the agenda at our August 16 Board Meeting where it was discussed in detail.

    Any Unit Owner should feel free to direct any remaining questions to the Board at bod-input@hwcommunity.info

    Regards,
    Hickory Woods Board of Directors

    Leave a Reply