DERRY — In reimagining Derry’s Gateway District, residents said they want to keep the charm of the town’s rural neighborhoods while supporting more mom and pop businesses, green spaces and affordable housing.
At the first of four visioning sessions on Jan 6., dozens of residents gathered to hear developmental and expansion plans for the area of town where Exit 4A would meet Folsom Road, and provide feedback.
The Exit 4A project dates back to 1984 when town officials and residents realized that Derry was one of the only communities along Interstate 93 that was expanding, but didn’t have an exit into that part of town, said Planning Director Elizabeth Robidoux.
In 2015, the Derry Town Council voted to enter into a three-party agreement with Londonderry and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to move forward with the new on- and off-ramps. Both towns committed to spending $5 million on the project.
“Exits give you really cool opportunities for growth and provide good access for businesses and residents,” Robidoux said. “Everybody who is coming into Derry is getting off Exit 4 and going on 102, heading off to Raymond, Chester, Auburn and sometimes Salem.”
The construction of Exit 4A will help promote new business development and encourage people to stop in Derry, rather than use it as a throughway to other towns. It will also serve as a way to relieve congestion in the downtown area.
When thinking about how the Gateway District could look in the next 10 years, Robidoux asked residents to consider redeveloping underutilized properties, creating mixed-use residential and commercial zones and maintaining the characteristics of the area.
“The goal is to look at this area and look for commercial and economic growth there,” she said. “We want to make sure we are maximizing that for the people who own the properties, our future residents and those who might own property in the future.”
At the forefront of the redevelopment, residents said they didn’t want the residential neighborhood in that area to be commercialized or industrialized; they wanted it to stay exactly the same. What they like most about the area are the trees, the sidewalks, the green spaces and the community of the neighborhood.
However, residents agreed they didn’t like the proximity of the highway, the traffic, the cut-throughs, the gas stations, the light pollution or the idea of excessive mixed-use dwellings in the area.
In looking ahead, residents said they’d like to see more green spaces, one-way streets, a bigger variety of small businesses, more privacy, town-owned infrastructure, single-story buildings, open recreation and the completion of the rail trail.
In the mixed-use and commercial zones within the area, residents would like to see the town bring in hotels, biomed manufacturers, nursing homes, electric car dealerships, 55+ housing communities, a movie theater, an indoor pool, a hockey rink and a senior center.
If the Gateway District was entirely undeveloped and residents had their choice of amenities and businesses, they said they’d want to see a Trader Joes or a Market Basket, a clothing store, a small-scale Walmart-style store, small single-family homes, entertainment for kids (mini golf, trampoline park, arcade, laser tag) and mom and pop stores broken up with a lot of green space.
The information gathered at the meeting will be used to help develop the town’s Master Plan and consider amendments to the town’s zoning ordinances, Robidoux said.
Next month’s visioning sessions will ask residents the same questions: what do they like, what do they dislike, what do they want to see more of, what could the town look like in 10 years, what type of things will encourage new businesses in Derry, what will keep already existing businesses in Derry and what businesses/amenities would residents like to see if the area was not developed.
The second visioning session on Feb. 10 will explore the area around Madden Road and Ash Street (Area Two) while the third visioning session on Feb. 24 will explore the area north of Folsom Road (Area Three). In April, a final visioning session will be held combining all areas within the Gateway District.
The sessions will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Derry Municipal Center, 14 Manning St., in the third floor meeting room.
A zoom link will be posted on the town website, derrynh.org/planning-board
Those who cannot attend the meetings are encouraged to submit written feedback to derryplanning@derrynh.org
The Planning Board will use the information from these sessions to establish zoning and land-use rules for the Gateway District which will be presented in the spring.