LONDONDERRY — The town needs to increase its tax base, but must also keep development under control.
That was the consensus as Town Council hopefuls James Butler and incumbent Sean O'Keefe squared off during a sparsely attended candidates forum Saturday at Town Hall. They are competing for a three-year seat in the election March 13.
Both agreed that town leaders must carefully monitor growth in the wake of the development of the 630-acre Woodmont Commons project. The former orchard property would be transformed into a village with 1,300 homes, three hotels and numerous businesses under a proposal still under review.
Butler and O'Keefe, the council's chairman, fielded questions from a panel of journalists, the public and moderator George Herrmann for more than hour. Just 12 residents showed up to hear the candidates speak.
They were followed by the six School Board candidates, who also answered questions and spoke on local education issues for the remainder of the three-hour forum.
Looking toward Londonderry's future was a central theme throughout the forum.
O'Keefe and Butler said Woodmont Commons, proposed off Pillsbury and Gilcreast Roads, would have a major impact on Londonderry.
"Londonderry's character could change — I don't want it to change," Butler said. "Woodmont is a big issue."
Butler said he's concerned the project, to be built over 20 years, could "separate this town."
"We are going to have to watch that very carefully or it could damage our town," he said. "We have to look at density and we have to look at traffic."
O'Keefe agreed, but said the Planning Board would have greater oversight of the project than the Town Council.
"We do have to protect the town of Londonderry," he said. "I don't think they are going to let the developer push us around."
The proposal comes at a time when the town is trying to keep its budget under control while making sure it's doing enough to serve residents.
One issue voters will decide next month is whether to hire four more firefighters.
At the town's deliberative session Feb. 6, residents and fire officials spoke of the urgency to boost the department's staffing levels after two women died in a fire on Hemlock Street last spring.
The issue arose at the forum as well.
"I think our Fire Department is understaffed and we need to address that," Butler said. "I think we learned a less in the tragic Hemlock Street fire."
O'Keefe and Butler also spoke on other issues, including funding of the town's Cable Department and preservation of open space, before giving way to the School Board candidates.
The candidates for the two three-year terms are incumbent Steve Young, Melanie Tamburello, Michael Boyle, Leitha Reilly, Joseph Caputo and Glenn Douglas.
The candidates spoke of giving back to the school district that educated their children.
One key issue was whether Londonderry should expand its school year or lengthen the school day to improve education.
Most said more instructional time is needed as long as it doesn't place too much of a burden on the school budget.
"You have to decide if you want to compete," Douglas said. "The kids have to compete."
Tamburello said a longer school year could be ideal.
"I do believe the longer breaks give children a lot more of an opportunity to lose what they have learned," she said.
The School Board candidates were asked to weigh in on a proposed constitutional amendment on school funding and whether more school resource officers are needed.
Each said having one resource officer was sufficient. Some opposed the constitutional amendment, while most said they did not know enough about the issue to comment.
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