Hooksett · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Hooksett public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Heaney landlocked parcel behind Cawley School
A woman who inherited logged, now landlocked property near the Caulley school is offering roughly 80 acres for about $75,000 — far below market. She's offered it to the school district (which declined) and would sell to the town or her neighbors.
TIF district and Exit 10 infrastructure
Sewer service unlocks restaurants, hotels, and infill development that septic systems can't support — Bass Pro wants to add a restaurant, and Marmon's new facility is expected to bring roughly 210 jobs over three years.
Release of apartment occupancy permits tied to commercial building
The board let 41 of 81 apartment units get occupancy permits now instead of waiting for the commercial strip building to be finished, keeping the rest as leverage. Residents get housing sooner, and the town keeps pressure on to get the commercial space built.
K Avenue family addition for special-needs son
Sean Menard got a variance to build an addition into the front setback so his family can care for their adult son with special needs and stay in the home they've had for 28 years.
Data Center Development Moratorium
Hooksett’s Planning Board is weighing a temporary pause on new data center projects, and voters could see it on the March ballot. It’s a local control question: do you want the town to hit brakes and study the impacts before more big facilities get approved?
Sewer routing and required business connections along Quality Drive
The engineer unveiled a redesigned sewer route along Quality Drive that avoids blasting rock under I-93 — a major cost saver — and puts lines in front of businesses instead of behind them. Businesses along the route would be required to connect within about a year.
Highland Street 55+ condominium density
23 condos up a steep, sandy hill off a 35-mph road has abutters worried about sight distance, stormwater running onto Dundee Avenue, a dangerous blind corner, and whether the density is even legal under Article 7. The board punted to July with a long list of questions.
Exit 11 Granite Woods development and TEPO parcel
The approved 500,000-square-foot Granite Woods project remains a hole in the ground with infrastructure ready to go; the developer is actively marketing and may have a prospect coming. The TEPO property has seen interest but nothing has materialized.
Hooksett Road buffer clearing at J.R. Holj condo site
Members noticed the 18-unit condo site was clear-cut right to Route 3 despite a promised buffer. Scarpetti plans to look into whether buffer restoration is required of the new property owner.
Childcare enrollment cap dispute
Maryann Garound Childcare wants the 32-child cap lifted seven months after the decision, but board members say the matter was already adjudicated and want legal advice before proceeding.
Eversource pole yard and zoning question
A 5.1-acre gravel pole storage yard was approved, but whether the use needs a ZBA special exception in the district remains unresolved — approval is conditioned on that determination.
Elm Grove CDBG workforce housing project
Elm Grove wants the town to sponsor a $750,000 federal grant to renovate its 70-unit apartment complex, adding six studio units and making all 76 units workforce housing. The town acts as the grant conduit but faces minimal cost — mostly potential audit expenses Elm Grove has agreed to share.
Mr. Gas Plus redevelopment with Dunkin' Donuts drive-through
A tired 1980s-era gas station on busy Route 3A gets a full rebuild: new 4,000-square-foot store, Dunkin' with drive-through, and four pump islands. Groundwater protection measures like oil/gas catch basin hoods and a shutoff gate are included. Final approval awaits material and landscaping details on June 1.
Eight-unit townhouse development at 1631 Hooksett Road
DJ Development needed two variances to build eight townhomes — one for a wet pond encroaching the wetland buffer, one because the lot falls 1,350 square feet short of the density needed for eight units. The board granted both. The 2,100-square-foot, three-bedroom units follow a model built recently in Auburn.
Proposed Bernice Street road connection
A Bert Street homeowner says the proposed road off Bernice Street would strip his grandfathered lot's legal status, hurt his property value, and could face a sinkhole problem from unsuitable fill. The development can proceed without it, he says.
Bernice Street development road connection
A Bert Street homeowner worries that a proposed road link to the new development off Bernice Street will strip his 1960s-era lot's grandfathered status and hurt his property value. He also fears the roadbed was filled with unsuitable material and could fail. The council can only listen for now, since approval comes later.
Planning Board vacancy declared
The council voted to declare a Planning Board seat vacant after alternate Biram Saidybah stopped attending or responding since July. Council debated whether to remove a volunteer, but a full board helps keep quorum.