I-93 Development Takes Center Stage in Candidate Debate

If nothing else, Alan Carpenter and Al Letizio Jr. are cordial and professional, and the two spent much time complimenting one another's commitment to the town during a 30-minute discussion on Windham issues Wednesday.

The public appearance for the two selectmen candidates was part of the annual candidates night event hosted by the Windham Woman's Club at Town Hall. The two are running to replace incumbent Bruce Breton, who will step down from the board due to health reasons.

Front and center in their short debate was the economic development of the Interstate 93 corridor in Windham, a location that certainly hits home for Letizio with his business located right off Exit 3.

"Mainly, I take a look back at statistics," Letizio said. "There's a potential for $5 million in additional revenue in our town. There are lands that are currently zoned for their highest and best use that could bring in an additional $5 million."

Carpenter said that the debate is not about the valuations of property in Windham, it's about "how you want to generate the revenue."

The two clashed a bit on the subject of commercial development near Interstate 93 and why developers have mostly avoided the area.

"Projects of (Route) 111 and (Interstate) 93 have been on the DOT's drawing boards for 25 years, maybe even more," Carpenter said. "As this infrastructure gets built, we will develop, and we will do it according to our zoning ordinances, which is by law."

Letizio said that people who are developers in the area have known what is going on, and they have known about the final layouts for the new I-93 exit ramps for five years.

"If (businesses) are not coming, we need to ask ourselves why the types of businesses that we want aren't coming to town," Letizio said.

Carpenter insisted that during a meeting with local realtors and other state officials during his first of three terms as a Windham selectman, the no. 1 reason developers stayed away was I-93.

"(They said) we're not going to do anything until I-93 is done, they were very clear about that," Carpenter said. "They also said, once it is done, you will develop and you will develop quickly, so hang on."

Changes to I-93 and Routes 111 and 111a are expected to be completed by 2016. Development has already sparked in the last year near the Exit 3 corridor with the addition of the ConvenientMD plaza.

Both candidates also tackled the issue of working with the school district to solve facility concerns.

"It's my belief that even though we are separate, we're all Windham resident and we should all be working together," Letizio said. "The biggest issue is a major financial challenge that we have facing our school infrastructure issues."

"It's unfortunate that the timing is such that we have a middle school coming right behind (the high school) but it's simply what it is," Carpenter added.

Carpenter noted that Windham is the "fastest growing community in New Hampshire" in the last two decades.

Other situations plaguing the town that the two candidates touched on included the two expired contracts with the police and fire unions. Letizio said he would bring his experience on the school board working to negotiate successful contracts with the teachers unions.

On restructuring of the town's Maintenance Department, Carpenter said that he thinks Windham should combine the Maintenance Department and Transfer Station under one director.

"It's only eight employees," he said. "I don’t see any reason in the world  that we cannot take the four maintenance employees and put them underneath the existing team that runs the Transfer Station."

Carpenter added that the facility needs to be open for five days rather than the existing four.

Both candidates stressed their long-standing relationships with the community.

Letizio noted that he has "no agenda, no grudge and no clique to join."

In his opening remarks, Carpenter said much of the same, explaining that the tone of the election process became more dismaying each year after he stepped down as a selectman to spend time with his family.

"It's going to be a victory for Windham either way," Carpenter said of Windham's election of either himself or Letizio.