Town to Combat National Guard at Applewood Property

The town will draft a letter to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation voicing disagreement with the plans to possibly allow the National Guard to occupy the surplus state-owned land where Applewood Golf Links is currently located.

Going before the board on Sept. 17 was Rep. Charles McMahon, R-Windham, who said that he doesn't believe the National Guard on that site is right for the town, as it takes away a valuable piece of property.

"We right now have a tremendous bill to pay," he said. "It's the high school, the cost of operating it going forward. We do not have a growth of our tax base. The cost of living in Windham has gone up dramatically yet the revenue stream has not."

McMahon confirmed that National Guard placement on the land would be donated, and not purchased.

"We should not allow this to take place," he said. "If there is an alternative site – I have alternative sites in Windham candidly where they could go – but not in our commercial base."

Selectman Kathleen DiFruscia agreed with McMahon, suggesting the letter be signed by representatives in town as well as boards and committees.

"I hope that you and the other state representatives and our state senator will advocate both verbally and in a letter to whatever authorities you have to advocate to, to keep this property zoned as it is and make it available for development," Difruscia said to McMahon.

She added that someone will come forward to develop the land, which McMahon said is estimated at being worth $3.4 million, plus or minus 10 percent.

McMahon answered that Sen. Jim Rausch has jumped on the issue "big time," but that the issue came up rather recently. McMahon was unaware whether the National Guard had even taken part in a walk-through of the property.

Chairman Bruce Breton said that he also spoke with Rausch, who will bring information to the Selectmen as soon as he meets with the National Guard and NHDOT Commissioner Christopher Clement.

Selectman Roger Hohenberger took the issue one step further, saying that board members need to be in Concord to help advocate against the National Guard using the property.

Peter Stamnas, who works as a project manager for Interstate 93, clarified that the issue is not related to the highway, and that the land was purchased as part of the Route 111 bypass project with federal funds.

Development near the Applewood Golf Links property has been busy in the past several months, with medical facilities currently being built in the Castle Commons complex as well as across the street from Klemm's Mobil.

Previous planning board meetings have indicated development plans in the area around The Common Man – Windham.