Selectman Mulling Idea of 'Searles Square' to Solve Signal Issue

A Windham Selectman has crafted a unique idea that he thinks could solve a big issue in the town's Interstate 93 corridor.

Local business and property owners are growing anxious over a traffic light at the intersection of Routes 111 and 111a.

Some stakeholders in the area believe the signal needs to stay to protect their financial interests, while others say it needs to go for the very same reason.

Selectman Al Letizio Jr. has come up with a concept that he calls "Searles Square," which would take that intersection and turn it into what he referred to as a "signature feature" in the town of Windham.

"Right now if you pass through Windham it's forgettable," said Letizio.

To make it memorable, Letizio wants to carve out a circle at that intersection and have a roundabout formation.

He plans on proposing a feasibility study for a design that would have two lanes going around, with access points to all of the roads currently connected to that intersection.

Letizio admitted that the plan will take a lot of engineering to make right, but noted that the square could tie in to the surrounding stone structures built by Edward Searles.

He explained that the design is seen in different permutations around New England, from Exeter to Amesbury, Mass. Letizio said a contest could even be held for the design, perhaps even by the Windham Historic Commission, which he said has interest in talking about the idea further.

"Here's a chance to solve a back and forth disagreement and create a third option," said Letizio.

The issue with the intersection right now is that many businesses in the area believe they will suffer if the traffic light is removed from the location as part of the Interstate 93 widening project.

ConvenientMD, which has an access point at the current traffic signal, is run by chief executive officer Max Puyanic.

Puyanic has said that removal of the light will make his business a difficult one to get to, which will create a negative impact.

On the concept of a roundabout in that area, Puyanic called it a "very nice idea," but said that it probably wouldn't work in that location as there isn't enough room.

He added that roundabouts aren't intended to work with traffic lights on either side of them.

The issue with the signal at the intersection dates back almost 11 years.

A December 2002 letter from Margaret Crisler, who served as chairwoman of the Windham Board of Selectmen at the time, was sent to Marc G. Laurin, senior environmental manager in the New Hampshire Department of Transportation's Bureau of Environment.

The letter, which was also delivered to 21 other parties, asked that a design change take place at Exit 3 which would move the existing traffic light to the northbound exit ramp location.

According to William Boynton, public information officer for the NHDOT,  the proposal to remove the traffic signal is included in the 2004 Final Environmental Impact Statement.

Some property owners say they staked their dollars into the assumption that the traffic light would be gone.

Just last Friday, Delahunty Nurseries and Florist owner Jay Yennaco finalized the $1.25 million purchase of the 41 Range Road property. Since 2007, he rented the property to house his business.

"It's rather concerning to me that what I had planned on as a business owner is now going to be changed significantly," he said.

Yennaco said that the light remaining at the intersection will create four congested signals on Route 111 starting at the Lamson Road intersection and heading further into Windham toward interstate 93.

A new traffic signal is also expected to be placed at the entrance of Yennaco's business in the near future.

The commercial lot right next to Yennaco is owned by Windham resident Mark Cafua of Cafua Management Company, LLC. Cafua has close to 40 Dunkin' Donuts stores in the state of New Hampshire.

Like Yennaco, Cafua also argued that he has planned for years, put in the research and done his due diligence around the assumption that there would be no traffic light at the Route 111/111a intersection.

"We bought our property based upon what the plans of the state were," he said.

Cafua paid over $700,000 for the 43 Range Road property, which he has plans to build another Dunkin' Donuts on. He currently owns the locations both in the Oasis Gas & Mini Mart and closer to the center of town.

He argued that the more traffic lights you have in a row, the more you are creating convolution similar to Route 28 in Salem.

Letizio said there is also a third group of business owners in the area who are neutral on the issue.

The majority of work on the new Routes 111 and 111a in Windham is expected to take place in 2015 with a target date of 2016 for completion. The realignment will see a traffic signal at the intersection of Route 111 and the new Route 111a, which will run behind both the Country Shoppes and Nault's Honda.

The Windham Economic Development Committee heard from both Puyanic and several other property and business owners during a meeting last Friday.

Harry Shea of Shea Commercial Properties is representing the state in attempting to sell 93 Range Road, also known as the former Applewood Golf Links property.

In a letter to the WEDC, Shea said that interested buyers in the property have indicated that they need the existing traffic light to stay in place "in order to insure convenient and easy access to Route 93 and Route 111."

Shea said the site has potential for a lot of business development, including a major medical center, financial center, health care provider, professional business office center, restaurants or a banking facility.

Todd Waardenburg, owner of Professional Martial Arts Academy in the Country Shoppes Plaza, said in a letter that removing the light wouldn't be a smart move.

"Even after the realignment and moving traffic from Range Road the intersection will be busy," he said.

Other businesses against the light removal include Windham House of Pizza, Windham Restaurant, Aragon Investment, Thamer Photography, Canobie Lake Veterinary Hospital, The Prime Butcher, Fantasian Nails, Windham Family Eye Care and Windham Restaurant.

During last week's meeting, the WEDC voted to support retaining the light if traffic studies if traffic studies show that its retention will not create traffic congestion or other safety issues, according to interim committee chairman Paul Gosselin.

The Windham Board of Selectmen will host a May 20 public hearing on the issue at 7 p.m.