"If they meet all state and local regulations there is not a lot you can do to say no," Barbara Camm, of the town's planning board, tells GlobeSt.com, referring to the 360-unit proposal. Auburn, NH-based P. D. Associates wants to build the complex on a 120-acre site near Route 102 behind a new Home Depot. The parcel is zoned for multifamily use.

Camm says that town officials have come up with an agreement with the developer to buy the site's development rights for $2.9 million. The money would come in the form of bonds that would be financed through an increase in property taxes. Voters have to approve of the deal and if they do, the developer has agreed to build 125 single-family homes for residents over the age of 55, a plan the town wants to see, as it won't significantly increase traffic or strain the local school system. But if voters reject the agreement, Camm notes that P.D. Associates will proceed with the original proposal.