LONDONDERRY — The message was positive during last week's economic development business luncheon held at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
This is the second year that Andre Garron, community development director for the town, organized the lunch meeting to discuss Londonderry's position as a key player in the future of new growth in the state. Three town councilors - Mike Brown, Kathy Wagner and Paul DiMarco — as well as planning board member John Farrell attended the meeting.
Gary O'Neil of O2-Generations of Creative Energy and chairman of the Manchester Airport Authority Board spoke about Londonderry's new branding with a logo of a red apple with strings of fiber optic cables through the center.
The new marketing slogan reads, "Londonderry: Business is Good, Life is Better!"
O'Neil said that residents welcome new business, but only if the character of the town is maintained.
"We have a lot of green going on in Londonderry," he said.
"Businesses like Stonyfield Yogurt work cooperatively with the town."
O'Neil said he sees the southern New Hampshire towns no longer being just "border towns," but will be seen more as a regional area that includes Boston which is only 45 minutes away from Londonderry.
"We're creating an atmosphere where business and lifestyle thrive," O'Neil said.
He listed the hospitals, schools, airport and proximity to Boston as putting Londonderry at an advantage for people who would want to live in the area.
With the airport access road becoming a reality and the widening of Interstate 93, Londonderry is at the "apex of the golden triangle," O'Neil said.
Other speakers at the Friday meeting included Michael Bergeron of the Department of Resource and Economic Development, Alex Vogt of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, and Londonderry Public Works Director Janusz Czyzowski.
Vogt and Czyzowski gave outlines of the access road and the Pettingill Road extension, a $12.3 million project that will link the access road to the rest of north Londonderry. This project will also offer 1,000 acres of industrial land for new business. Councilor Wagner added that this could bring 6,000 jobs into the region.
Czyzowski noted that the town is seeking alternative funding for the Pettengill Road project which has been named a priority by the Capital Improvement Project Committee.
In his closing remarks, Garron said his department would be unveiling the much-awaited new town Web site.
