WINDHAM — Residents will have a chance to plead their case for keeping the town's skate park open at the Board of Selectmen's meeting tonight.

The meeting will include a public hearing about the possible permanent closure of the skate park at Griffin Park.

The Recreation Committee recommended closing the park after repeated reports of skaters not wearing helmets, cursing and leaving excessive trash in the park. A permit system and self-policing policies haven't worked.

Selectmen, concerned about the reports and the amount of time police spend on calls to the park, agreed to a public hearing before deciding if the skate ramps should be dismantled. Public input is encouraged.

At the same meeting, the board will receive an update from Sen. Jim Rausch on the various potential sites being considered for a New Hampshire National Guard facility.

Last week, the New Hampshire National Guard named the Applewood Golf Links property on Range Road as one potential site for a field maintenance shop. Possible locations in Hooksett and Milton were also mentioned and other potential sites may also be considered.

The parcel is a prime area of nonresidentially zoned land located near the Interstate 93 and Route 111 interchange. Rep. Charles McMahon and members of the Windham Economic Development Committee have expressed a desire to keep the parcel available for commercial development that will improve the tax base.

The state Department of Transportation purchased the 28 acre parcel for about $3.7 million to use as a staging area for the Route 111 relocation project. The town refused an offer in July to purchase the property for $3,060,000 plus administrative fees, saying it would be better to sell the land on the open market and keep it on the tax rolls.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Community Development Office at 3 North Lowell Road.

jhanson@newstote.com