LONDONDERRY — The long-awaited public hearing for the proposed Woodmont Commons development could be delayed again if the project developer’s most recent request for a continuance is granted.

The town’s planning and community development department received the request late Friday afternoon, town officials said.

If the Planning Board grants that request on Wednesday evening it would mark the sixth time this year the project approval process has been delayed.

“I cannot second-guess (the rest of) the Planning Board, so we’ll just have to wait until Wednesday when a decision will be made,” Planning Board Chairman Art Rugg said on Monday.

“Historically, the board has always granted continuances when requested. The number of continuances requested by Woodmont is unusual. But then, this is an unusual project,” he added.

This week’s scheduled public hearing had been continued from early May, when attorneys John Michels and Ari Pollack, legal counsel for Woodmont developer/ Pillsbury Realty Development’s Mike Kettenbach, requested a continuance on the grounds that they had not had adequate time to review a report completed by town-hired third-party review consultants Howard/Stein Hudson.

“It’s a very complicated project, and we’re still not ready to go before public hearing. Simple as that,” Michels said on Monday. “We want to take our time and make sure everything is done properly.”

Michels also said he’s uncertain at this point as to the length of the continuance, since that decision ultimately rests with the Planning Board.

According to Community Development Director Andre Garron, Woodmont officials have requested an additional 30 days.

Garron said the request is far from unusual, though he noted that the letter submitted to the town on Friday did not state a reason for the continuance.

“Other developers have requested multiple continuance requests for a variety of reasons,” he added. “The board has given each request its due consideration.”

In late March, a continuance was granted to Pillsbury Realty Development after the developer’s legal representatives expressed concern that Howard/Stein Hudson had failed to keep them in the loop on their review process.

Resident Jack Falvey, a vocal opponent of the project, expressed frustration Monday afternoon on the most recent delay.

“It would be nice to know what is going on,” Falvey said in an email. “Perhaps town staff could check with our third-party review consultant and give us a status report.”

Email AGuilmet@newstote.com.