These are the initial activities for the Economic Development Committee (EDC).

• New Welcome Signs
• Proposal for Ice Skating Rink
• Proposal for Skateboard Park
• Online Business Directory
• Realtors Solicited
• Economic Development Tax Exemptions

 After a meeting in the Fall with members of the NH Division of Economic Development, an initial recommendation was to install new signs at the entrances to town to make a good first impression. The current wooden signs, (sample shown to the right) are showing their age.

The EDC reviewed dozens of NH town signs and identified the most appealing features. These features were used to create a prototype. This prototype was sent out to three NH sign vendors, who were requested to submit designs as well as estimates for the sign, the posts, and the installation. A local woodcarver submitted a separate estimate for the carved bear cubs to be attached to the sign posts.

The committee decided that the two most prominent features should be the town name and the slogan. If you were at the Deliberative Session in March 2019, you will recall the speech given by Chairman Michael Frascinella that the EDC wanted to turn Bear Brook State Park from a liability into an asset by claiming that "We are the Home of Bear Brook State Park."

The EDC negotiated with three local vendors on the size, design, materials, and wording for the signs. The selectmen approved the signs in late April and the sign vendor installed the new signs on July 9th. The woodcarver completed the bear cubs a week later. They were installed on August 1st with the help of the Highway Dept.

As a bit of a Wow factor, carved bear cubs adorn the signs as shown in the following photo, emphasizing the town's connection to the state park.

The old signs were donated to the Allenstown Historical Society.

The EDC developed a proposal for an ice skating park. The freestanding ice rink was to be modular so that it could be set up in early winter and disassembled in the spring. This type of park was one of the top desirable recreational projects cited in the "Recreational Amenities Project Scope" that was issued after the Plan NH Charette of October 2016.

Three locations (the field at Dupont School, Volunteers Park on River Rd., and Iris Pond off Route 3) were considered. The EDC met with school officials in late October 2018 and learned that they were planning to use the field for a basketball court and other equipment. After the new K-8 school bond was approved in March 2021, the ARD school field became available. Funding was obtained from the capital reserve fund, a rink kit was purchased, the Highway Dept. graded the field, and a water line was installed to the field. The rink was finally opened to the public in mid-January 2022.

Details about this project were documented in the 2019 Project Proposal.

First skaters on the ice, Jan. 4, 2022

 In response to a request from the Allenstown School Board, the EDC has been working on the feasibility of constructing a skateboard park for the children of the town. A set of old ramps was located and the plan was to renovate them and install them in the downtown area.

Details about this project are in the Project Proposal. This project is on hold due to a lack of paved property on which to install the ramps.

 With approval from the Selectmen, the EDC worked with the Town Administrator to create an online directory of town businesses. This was designed to be a tool for residents, neighbors, and visitors. Its purpose was to help everyone quickly find local businesses and learn what products and services they offered.

The online directory went live in August 2018 with announcements on the town web site and via the town mailing list. To encourage more businesses to sign up, a mass postal mailing was sent out in October to all businesses in Allenstown and Suncook Village.

As of Jan. 2024, EDC members took over the task of reviewing and updating all the business listings and adding news ones.

The EDC enlisted the help of the town assessor to identify all town-owned property and privately-owned commercial property in town. Mailing labels were created from that list. In addition, a list of local commercial realtors was compiled.

In May 2018, an invitation and copy of the tax exemption warrant article were mailed to all the local commercial realtors to ask their clients to consider these properties. A mass mailing was used to send the same information to the owners of commercial property in town, encouraging them to take advantage of the tax exemption.

Article 14 was overwhelmingly approved by 70% of the voters on March 13, 2018 by a vote of 182-77. The article became effective on April 1st, 2018, meaning that new businesses, as well as existing businesses planning to expand or upgrade their facilities, can now apply for the exemption. The tax exemption starts at 50% for the first two years and decreases to zero over 10 years. This makes Allenstown a very desirable place to build or expand a business.

EDC members worked hard to develop a proposal, and then a warrant article, and convince the Selectmen to add it to the town warrant. We thank you, the voters, for affirming our efforts at the ballot box.

 Text of 2018 Warrant Article 14

Applying for the Business Tax Exemption

You must apply for the exemption BEFORE you start any construction or renovations because the state law includes that stipulation. You should also request that the town provide you with an assessment of the property BEFORE construction/renovation begins and after construction/renovation ends so that you can see the increased value to be used to calculate the exemption.

 Business Tax Exemption Form