Londonderry senior advocates launch petition drive

Jul 1, 2010 — The Derry News

Suzanne Laurent

Jun. 30, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- LONDONDERRY -- Residents are invited to stop by the Londonderry Senior Center to sign a petition to allow proposed 20 senior housing units per building. The petition will be presented at the Planning Board meeting July 14.

The town is considering whether to reduce the number of affordable housing units per multifamily structure from 24 to 16. The Town Council has directed the Planning Board and Community Development Department to reduce the number of units to 16 across the zoning ordinance -- including in workforce and senior housing.

But the Elder Affairs Committee and Sara Landry, senior affairs coordinator for the town, are hoping to convince the Planning Board at least 60 units of elderly housing are needed. There is no other senior housing in town.

"We were hoping for a strong showing of seniors at the meeting June 9," Landry said. "But only nine showed up."

Landry said the 7 p.m. meeting time is not good for many seniors.

"Many don't like to drive at night, and this item came up later on the agenda," she said. "We didn't go on until 8:30."

The Elder Affairs Committee recently learned the number of units in the planned senior housing development on Sanborn Road will be reduced from 90 to 60 because of wetlands. A representative from the developer, Southern New Hampshire Services, said the number of buildings planned for Sanborn Road was affected by wetlands and flood plains.

"We can only build three two-story buildings with 20 units per building," Landry said.

Each unit would be 550 square feet in the development just down the road from North Londonderry Elementary School.

"There is a growing population of seniors in Londonderry who want to stay close to their families," Landry said, "but can't afford their big homes."

At least 50 residents have expressed an interest in senior housing, she said.

Southern New Hampshire Services will pay the town for the land and the town will apply for a Section 202 elderly housing grant through HUD. The grant would pay around $10,000 per unit, which would be used to extend utility, sewer and water lines, all of which stop at North School.

Landry said it wouldn't look good in the grant application if she had to ask for a zoning variance.

She said while some workforce housing units would have two bedrooms, the senior units would all have one bedroom.

"In a town ordinance, multifamily housing in is Section 2," Landry said. "Section 3 is about elderly housing. They are separate."

If the number of units is reduced to 16 per structure, Landry said, it would mean just 48 units of new senior housing.

Residents wishing to sign the petition can stop by the Londonderry Senior Center, 535 Old Mammoth Road, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Newstex ID: KRTB-1048-46625348