The Derry Town Council has unanimously approved a zoning change to a portion of Folsom Road and Laconia Avenue, in order to bring the parcels in line with a rapidly growing business and commercial district.
The two parcels were rezoned from Medium High Density Residential (MHDR) to General Commercial (GC) after a unanimous recommendation from the Planning Board to the Council.
Planning Director George Sioras explained that the two properties are PID 35020, across from the car wash and police station and next to Monster Gas at 19 Folsom Road, and PID 35027, 8 Laconia Ave., across from the Salvation Army.
Priscilla Flynn, who had inherited the Folsom Road property from her mother, requested the change in order to make the property more commercially viable. The Planning Board “felt it made sense to also have this property in General Commercial,” Sioras said of 8 Laconia Ave., and they contacted owner Bradley Carson, who supported the rezoning.
The Planning Board held two workshop meetings, Nov. 20, 2013 and Jan. 15, 2014, to discuss the request and held a public hearing March 19. The change was unanimously approved by the Planning Board and forwarded to the Council.
Councilor Thomas Cardon asked, “Will either of these properties be affected if Exit 4-A goes in?” Sioras said if 4-A is approved it would be necessary to widen the road, and that would affect all properties on the road. “In theory, they could take properties on both sides,” he said.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Councilor Al Dimmock said.
“It is the right thing to do,” Councilor Phyllis Katsakiores said.
The Council voted 7-0 to approve the zoning change.
