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Historic register eyed

WILTON – The planning design charette is over. The organizers have community input and the recommendations of the professionals.

“And now we are good to go in several directions,” Jen Beck, chairwoman of the town’s economic development committee, told selectmen July 31.

“We have some principles to follow, some recommendations on parking and housing, and we are looking into finances” and the committee is making three proposals, she explained.

Flower boxes on the Stoney Brook Bridge would be the first of recommended improvements. Organizers will need state Department of Transportation approval.

It’s said there used to be planters there, Beck said, “but they weren’t bolted down and ended up in the river. We’ll bolt them.”

The selectmen had no objections.

Second, she said, “We would like to apply to put the downtown on the National Register of Historic Places.”

The designation would place no regulations on the property owners, she said, “but can be an incentive to developers.” It also adds to an application for a state moose plate grant. “It looks like we qualify,” Beck said.

Selectman Kermit Williams said, “It can be a complicated process” and asked who would be doing the research.

Beck said they have talked with both the heritage commission and historical society and there are people interested.

“It makes sense to do this,” Williams said of working toward the designation.

Selectman Kellie Boissonnault added, “We should move forward as fast as we can.”

The designation can help promote tourism, Beck said, and “encourage better design and help the cultural environment.”

Her third request was for permission to apply for an Urbanized Shoreline Protection exemption, which would ease some of the state restrictions along the river banks. The Souhegan is a designated river.

Williams said the planning board already is looking in that direction, seeing which properties would be affected, “getting the facts and figures together.”

He said inquiries also have been made about putting Main Street utilities underground.

Beck also said a pilot project through the Nashua Regional Planning Commission for a feasibility study is about to begin.

She spoke of lack of signs on Route 101.

“There is nothing to invite people downtown,” Beck explained.

It has been suggested, she said, that the town have a logo, something to identify it. Use of an image of the old iron railroad bridge has been proposed for this purpose.

Expanding the proposed river walk concept from the police station parking lot, where the first phase is under construction, to the Riverview Mills, also is being considered.

This would use both banks of the river below Main Street, along the edge of The Island near Label Art.

The final report of the charette is being prepared and will be posted online when it is received.

“You can expect some warrant articles at town meeting,” Beck said. “I want to see some of this done in my lifetime.”