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Charter
Wilton's Economic Development Leadership Team serves the citizens and business owners of Wilton and reports to the Select Board and the Town Administrator. This team's responsibilities are to set priorities, make recommendations, and guide the execution of programs and projects that help achieve the vision of Wilton residents to remain a vibrant and thriving small town. Our goals are to protect its rural environment, historic charm, and natural resources while promoting opportunities for residential and business growth that are compatible with, responsive to and supportive of the needs of the community and local economy.
Project Updates
Town Signage Project
Residents approved both a new town welcome sign on Route 101 as well as wayfinding signs around downtown and on Route 101 to direct visitors to key attractions. When the DOT determined that there was no suitable location for a welcome sign in a new location on Route 101, we partnered with the Lions Club to re-brand their existing sign as a Welcome sign, and to include “Dining, Shopping and Entertainment” lettering at the top of the variable wording section, when the space is available. The Lions Clubs continues to own the sign, pay the annual fee, and provide the resources to change the lettering moving forward. We think this is a great example of a successful public=private partnership!
There will also be a total of nine wayfinding signs. The four that will be on town roads are pictured below.
In addition, Wilton has contracted with the DOT to place five additional blue “tourist signs” on Route 101, promoting downtown Wilton as well as Goss Park, the Sheldrick Forest and the Heald Tract. These will serve to direct visitors and tourists off the main highway and raise awareness of some of Wilton’s public recreational areas.
Monument Park Renovation Project
Monument Park is downtown at the intersection of Main Street and Route 31, and was dedicated as a War Memorial in 1924. It bears the names of all Wilton residents who have served in wars starting with the French and Indian War and continuing until present times. Access to the park has always been difficult and dangerous, and its renovation and improvement has been included in the Riverwalk Phase II project.
We have received a grant from Eversource, and are fortunate to have resources and materials provided by The Bent-Burke Post Legion and the Wilton Main Street Association. Work is underway to remove shrubbery, re-landscape the area, build a new and safer entrance from the public parking lot, add a handicapped accessible hard-pack path, and a new bench. The NH DOT is also cooperating by moving their road sign which would be in the way of the new access point.
Active Projects
We recently re-evaluated our master project list to assess status and priorities. We originally started with thirty-one low, medium and high priority projects to enhance the economic vitality of Wilton, and are pleased to report that we have completed eleven of these projects across the areas of marketing, research, business development and regulatory. Substantial work has already begun on many others. After combining several projects and adding a few new ones, we now have eighteen active projects. For details on these and the completed projects, see the Eco-Dev Prioritized Projects List.
We're always looking for motivated volunteers to help with our projects. If you are interested, please send an email to [email protected]gov with your interest.
Team
| Name |
Title |
| Jennifer S. Beck |
Chair |
| Jackie Kahle |
Marketing and Communications |
| Gail Hoar |
Art and Culture |
| Mike McGonegal |
Resident Geek and Bridges |
| Dick Putnam |
Business and Train Liaison
|
| Nancy Clark |
Historical Director |
| Kat Tighe |
Branding and Design |
| Open |
NRPC and Research: Strong Towns |
| Karon Walker |
Entrepreneurship |
| Kermit Williams |
Select Board Representative and Legislative Affairs |