NEWINGTON — Anti-war protesters expressed opposition to small-arms manufacturer SIG Sauer coming to the Pease International Tradeport, and Planning Board members raised questions about their role in approving the sublease at their Monday night meeting.

NEWINGTON — Anti-war protesters expressed opposition to small-arms manufacturer SIG Sauer coming to the Pease International Tradeport, and Planning Board members raised questions about their role in approving the sublease at their Monday night meeting.



Residents from Portsmouth, Rye, Durham and Eliot, Maine, attended the meeting to protest SIG Sauer's impending move from Exeter to the former Celestica building at 72 Pease Blvd. They held up signs bearing messages such as "No Gun Can Make Peace" and "Military Mom Sez No More," and spoke against the business, which supplies weapons to military organizations around the world.



"Weapons mean bullets, and bullets mean dead," said Durham resident Robin Miller, who questioned whether SIG Sauer was the right kind of industry for the area.



Ben Chichester of Rye asked whether a SIG Sauer rifle was used in the recent killing of 16 Afghan villagers, allegedly committed by a U.S. Army sergeant.



Steven Shawver, vice president and general counsel for SIG Sauer, said the company does sell rifles to military outfits, but not the U.S. military at this time.



"I don't believe that was our rifle," he said.



After the meeting, Shawver declined to comment on other remarks made by the protesters.



Shawver, SIG Sauer Chief Financial Officer Tim Scullin and Director of Facilities Jeffrey Chierepko were among the company officials who attended the Planning Board meeting to introduce SIG Sauer to the board.



Shawver said SIG Sauer has 515 employees in Exeter and plans to expand within the next 18 months. He outlined the manufacturing process that will take place at the facility and said the company plans to install a shooting range that will be equipped with "sound attenuation" and be ballistically certified so bullets cannot exit the range.



Monday night's presentation was described as a courtesy to the town, as the Pease Development Authority has already approved the company's move into the old Celestica building.



However, some board members and local residents said they felt as though the town's authority was circumvented by the PDA approval process. Resident Justin Richardson argued the project constitutes a change in use that should require site plan review by the Newington board.



"I'm afraid that we're being handed this request to just sign off on it without looking at it, because apparently there's an urgent need to act quickly," Richardson said.



Board of Selectmen Chairman Cosmas Iocovozzi said land-use attorney Peter Loughlin, who also represents the town, determined it was not a change of use, adding the state Department of Environmental Services raised no environmental concerns, either.



According to Planning Board Chairman Denis Hebert, the town's agreement with the PDA and the state limits the amount of authority the board has over Pease development. He said the board can make nonbinding recommendations, but has no authority to approve or deny development at Pease.



PDA engineer Maria Stowell said the SIG Sauer approval process was no different than any other projects on Pease.



But board member Patty Borkland and Vice Chairman Mike Marconi said they felt left out of the process.



"I'm thrilled the company is coming," Borkland said, but added, "I, too, feel just a little bit as if we have no say here."



George Bald, commissioner of the N.H. Department of Resources and Economic Development, said he appreciated the conversation and would bring back the issues raised to the PDA for discussion.



He said he has worked with SIG Sauer and called it an "ethical" company. "I think you've got another good corporate citizen," he said.