[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6696911,"mediaKeyId","5019289-cc08731ecdb26373d1c8f34752f68e39","parentId",5019289,"title","Hooksett planning board advances six-year capital improvements plan, sends it to town council","audioSeconds",2593,"startMs",215000,"endMs",2808000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5019289-cc08731ecdb26373d1c8f34752f68e39&start=215&end=2808","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5019289-cc08731ecdb26373d1c8f34752f68e39/thumbnail_215000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6696911/Hooksett/Merrimack-County/New-Hampshire/Hooksett-planning-board-advances-six-year-capital-improvements-plan-sends-it-to-town-council","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6696911-9e3cc33a2caae293da693349a63002d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775431048&Signature=J3GF0uv2Wn7~eD0Zp6~0uyP~SGiwAaK5dtpqQuYh~j2-6c41UVvtkmgepyFyR~seqYQFmLHUjHROZLieJoqkqEcGc~e6Jss8VSmyAePJFRwwQHwV3Jpbgido6Z5dBpOQ-4eQsEQQXeB8sIXKQsGyWLHZwDrcpv5dg7Pt1nkyxcyEZpxVmtLmmdNW1bv6SQbo6QSSbnLhzX1cyFXUou6ZN4iEaeSeZFIsLcBBudM~24J62yha5fmExJsinBFm0uJAu1CKmVyyuX8z-VStm4xOoTgN2siaZ3ojKhOilGQ2sXs3qm79DmEvsOFbNhd~xDdtWHEuT5Jy~OHkEGtua3Vyqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hooksett","date","2025-06-16T00:00:00Z","article","The Hooksett Planning Board on June 16 reviewed a draft six-year Capital Improvement Plan that lays out roughly $18.02 million in municipal projects for fiscal years 2026–2031 and voted to forward the plan to the Town Council for its consideration.

The plan was presented by Christine Tewksbury, the town’s finance director. “Good evening. I'm Christine Tewksbury, the finance director. And I am filling in for, our administrator, Andre Grant, to present the CIP,” Tewksbury said as she introduced the document and summarized the committee's review process and the statutory basis for the plan.

The presentation described how departments submit six‑year capital requests to finance, how a CIP subcommittee met with departments and other representatives, and how the plan is intended to inform the council’s budgeting and warrant-article decisions. The plan groups projects by funding source — tax dollars, capital reserves, TIF (tax increment financing) revenue, state and federal grants, and sewer/wastewater funds — and shows a front‑loaded spike in the first two years driven largely by TIF-funded projects and a major north‑main/Route 3A improvement estimated at roughly $10.2 million with “a lot of that funding coming from the state,” Tewksbury said.

Board members pressed staff on details of project funding and voter outreach. Jared Williams and other board members asked whether reserve funds are sufficient after last year’s warrant-article defeats; Christine Tewksbury responded that the town has some funds available for specific items but that some projects were shifted later in the schedule to reflect a missed year of voter support. “Some of the things we do have the money for, but some of the things we don't,” she said, adding that the committee had shifted some projects into later years and is “hoping that in 2026, the voters will then again approve the warrant articles to support the capital improvements.”

Board members discussed the TIF-funded Exit 10 infrastructure package and noted that the largest single elements of the plan depend on voter authorization of TIF spending and later incremental tax revenues to service debt. Board members also urged clearer voter messaging to reduce sticker shock — several members said residents seeing a $12 million TIF number on a warrant could react negatively without explanation that captured incremental tax revenues, not current general-tax levies, would service much of the cost.

The plan lists items by department and source: police cruiser replacements and radio/console equipment to be funded from capital reserves; DPW vehicle replacements and major road/intersection projects proposed for a mix of grants, impact fees and bonds; a $6.18 million proposal listed for Memorial School infrastructure that the schools submitted to the CIP committee and intend to fund by bond; and wastewater-specific improvements to be paid by sewer customers with some state aid.

After discussion, Commissioner Jim Sullivan moved that the board accept the CIP committee’s presentation and forward the plan to the Town Council; the motion was seconded and passed with one abstention. The planning board vote produced one recorded abstention; the board chair directed the plan be forwarded to the Town Council for its review and decision on which warrant articles to place before voters.

The planning board emphasized the CIP is a planning document. Final decisions on warrant articles and the number of projects presented to voters remain the Town Council’s responsibility, and board members said they expect further review and possible edits before articles are finalized for the ballot.

Copies of the draft CIP were available to board members and will be supplied to the council along with any suggested clarifications requested by the planning board.

Ending — Next steps: The board forwarded the draft CIP to the Town Council; staff said they will provide additional breakdowns on the school portion and further detail on urgency/prioritization for the board to review in July.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hooksett - Planning Board - Jun 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Hooksett Planning Board reviewed the draft six-year Capital Improvement Plan, raised questions about funding and voter messaging, and voted to advance the plan to the Town Council with one abstention.","taxTitle","Hooksett, Merrimack County , New Hampshire","taxId",68560,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6696897,"Planning board approves sign alteration at Turn 1 Graphics; limited lighting and landscaping discussed",1013,6585000,7598000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5019289-cc08731ecdb26373d1c8f34752f68e39&start=6585&end=7598","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5019289-cc08731ecdb26373d1c8f34752f68e39/thumbnail_6585000.jpg","/articles/6696897/Hooksett/Merrimack-County/New-Hampshire/Planning-board-approves-sign-alteration-at-Turn-1-Graphics-limited-lighting-and-landscaping-discussed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6696897-33b31308f0b367a44b59bfed02302ae3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775431048&Signature=OO6RSY60QMee8wVWAii7deEdy6JRKl2JzaXqS3qB9S8GiGDaHpIU1QUbe~OBefjhtXq4OhAnuKqYMcUYimU9VCpgUdmhlih1r03CSUuNQ8LE8PdD8qQQ~24vJiAaV~M2gQnZSBwwUoqih~z9i4SrLp7DZ-YFx4WXiIiT~I3qZrli4HIwERMxWVNeWsbQA7QnK3GO61aM4eN~xE9924Jk9GkcAD9WmdpaOEohAJ1xhXrCdfIbYbnqJ7LSpC0BNfvCvjKbEmU7G-PPYuj90r42K3a4R69wRVzllcbzy7WnhwNyScZllEBAklYy3LqTNCUx8RxzvG1sC27apKFicetEWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hooksett Planning Board on June 16 approved a waiver to allow an expanded freestanding sign and additional brand panels for the Turn 1 Graphics property on Hooksett Road (platinum-truck dealer sign). The applicant sought relief because the combined sign face and lighting proposed exceed the square‑foot limits in the sign ordinance for a single-tenant monument sign.

An applicant representative described the proposed work as a routed-aluminum monument with routed ACM panels, a satin black frame to sit over the existing stone base, and non‑lit logo panels for third-party product brands (for example, NiftyLift and Manitou). The representative noted the existing sign currently lights the background and that the requested change would light only letters and limited elements to reduce light spill. “We're gonna leave the stonework and it's just gonna give it a nice finished modern look,” the applicant representative said.

The applicant also added a small 9‑1‑1 panel at the top of the sign and noted the non‑lit brand panels would be changeable vinyl inserts so dealer product branding can be updated without altering the structure. Board members discussed placement, sight lines and landscaping: one member requested low shrubs or other plantings at the base to finish the monument and to improve winter visibility while keeping plants under the sign’s base.

The board voted to accept jurisdiction, held a public hearing and then voted to grant the requested waiver from the town’s monument sign standards. The planning board motion included conditioning the approval on appropriate landscaping around the sign and that only the letters and limited elements be lit in accordance with town policy. The applicant will obtain required building and sign permits and must maintain required landscaping.","Turn 1 Graphics received a waiver to enlarge and adjust lighting for its freestanding sign on Hooksett Road; the board requested appropriate landscaping and limited lit elements to fit the town sign ordinance’s intent.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6696902,"Planning board grants performance-zone waiver to allow eight residential units at 1143 Hooksett Road",2597,3923000,6520000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5019289-cc08731ecdb26373d1c8f34752f68e39&start=3923&end=6520","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5019289-cc08731ecdb26373d1c8f34752f68e39/thumbnail_3923000.jpg","/articles/6696902/Hooksett/Merrimack-County/New-Hampshire/Planning-board-grants-performance-zone-waiver-to-allow-eight-residential-units-at-1143-Hooksett-Road","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6696902-6f939f6b4fd1db08bdf403d5ff3157cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775431048&Signature=KSc-d9OhMu-OATyfbdFng201LrmJfzCCvgbqFUdh7~LcHI9ujuq~0k69ziOrT-2Qx3Ed9MwEmMJISpT4DO3XwTFsaAaoqqzkVeaqmESxC4-Gv0Q5kjiG6VYxEMbM9qg3oBsLQohllRsZc3NCwud23IdVz6cCuZME7SaW7yTfylAgcR38VIq1bvzqXhPBsjHrrexLiBfObOZjz9DPdE86ZLhAkiqVKjOYZekDxwfwULWpg8eqYotmsC-aPP79Cn4qchdsFmFgygLuS9ENLs6yrlwYeIkja-BEEE1wkZ0NfvjlIvUNir6dvaDw1I34je2gqAHi0j5tzMGfOsOlseTt4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hooksett Planning Board on June 16 voted to grant a waiver under the town’s performance-zone rules to allow eight residential units at 1143 Hooksett Road (accessed from Mammoth Road). The board accepted jurisdiction of the waiver request at the start of the public hearing and considered density, orientation, emergency access and abutter concerns before voting.

The applicant’s representative summarized the request as a change of use in the performance zone and said the waiver was to confirm the proposed density and to obtain written approval of the use. “This is to come back and get the formal written waiver and to agree on the density,” the property owner said when introducing the application.

Plans shown to the board describe a single shared driveway off Mammoth Road with three terrace-style buildings stepping down the slope to preserve southern exposure and allow walkout basements; each building would contain multiple dwelling units for a total of eight units. The design team said units were arranged east–west so each unit would receive southern exposure and so driveway grades would remain within fire-department maximums. The board heard that the first unit (closest to Mammoth Road) could be oriented architecturally to present a front façade to Mammoth Road in order to reduce the ‘end‑unit’ appearance.

Board members and abutters raised traffic, sight-line and drainage concerns. Philip McPherson, an abutter, sent a letter stating he and neighbors worry about increased traffic and drainage on Mammoth Road and preferred fewer units or orientation that faces Mammoth Road rather than the abutter’s backyard. The applicant said municipal water will serve the site and private septic systems are proposed beyond the 75‑foot wetland buffer; the applicant also said they would explore sewer tie‑in options if available but noted that connecting to sewer could increase density.

Members discussed comparable densities in recent performance‑zone approvals and noted this proposal’s density (roughly six units per acre as presented) is lower than some nearby developments and about half the density of a larger nearby apartment complex. Several board members said residential use is preferable to a commercial development in this location because the parcel is surrounded by housing.

After discussion the board adopted findings and voted to grant the waiver to allow eight residential units in the performance zone; the vote was seconded and recorded with one opposing vote. The board noted subsequent approvals — site plan review and any required state approvals — would be needed before construction could proceed.","The board accepted jurisdiction and voted to allow a change of use in the town’s performance zone, granting a waiver to permit eight residential units on the lot; members discussed density, access, and neighborhood impacts.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6696906,"Board recommends ZBA consider wetland special exception for proposed subdivision at 269 West River Road",1073,2827000,3900000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5019289-cc08731ecdb26373d1c8f34752f68e39&start=2827&end=3900","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5019289-cc08731ecdb26373d1c8f34752f68e39/thumbnail_2827000.jpg","/articles/6696906/Hooksett/Merrimack-County/New-Hampshire/Board-recommends-ZBA-consider-wetland-special-exception-for-proposed-subdivision-at-269-West-River-Road","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6696906-d01e5b5bc5adab1fb1289c8186b4d3af/orig.mp4?Expires=1775431048&Signature=S~UoV0L00sQ6x2yZpbjDcEoXK6l128mlTLc4lRsyb0zjodoNdC~6CzplQw30gaLG4f4RyaGbCKRcxpNVuZ3Re1qwIo-En71oRHHM6ZjT9q4HbmBBJLRU1jfSvwzKMv3uPvLk~oJopzJ5qm28dVbXpGVdMCeJQc2z1OiN8C8FLXNSDjE~xjGMoadTqXeCXAQGoqh630NTgNG0pznCV7eYznUkz11j8wTHNqRpg3ji0O32Jh05DPynsdfa~vsjmlXXQbrqWX27scvVs1UCNttwlinH~Y-oc16b08Ep6pGRcUB0tJHxFRskBUOkOrMKwevWn4Xy-NkekAPpRgIBCwwdpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hooksett Planning Board on June 16 recommended that the Zoning Board of Adjustment consider a wetland special-exception application for a proposed subdivision at 269 West River Road that would create two single-family lots and one duplex on a 5.72‑acre riverside parcel.

Grant Engineering representatives presented the proposal and said the development would access the rear portion of the parcel via a single shared private driveway that crosses an area of previously disturbed wetland. \"The project involves 2 new single family lots and 1 duplex lot on a shared private driveway,\" engineer Kim Harrington said during the presentation.

The applicant described stormwater measures including curbed driveways, two detention basins and treatment swales that would settle large particles and pretreat runoff before discharging to on-site wetlands. Because portions of the site lie in FEMA Zone AE (100‑year floodplain) the design also proposes grading and removal of earlier fill to provide compensatory flood storage and set finished floor elevations two feet above the 100‑year elevation (finished floors proposed at elevation 191 feet where the 100‑year flood elevation is 189 feet).

The project proposes approximately 6,447 square feet of wetland disturbance for the driveway crossing and about 21,061 square feet of wetland-buffer disturbance required for stormwater BMPs and balancing cut-and-fill operations to preserve flood storage.

Board members asked about long-term maintenance and ownership of stormwater facilities and private road maintenance; applicants responded the site would be served by a small homeowners association that would own and maintain the shared driveway and the stormwater/detention features. The applicant said septic systems will be private and outside the 75‑foot wetland buffer, and municipal water will be provided.

Planning Board members also noted the conservation commission raised concerns and asked the applicant to demonstrate alternatives; the applicants said they had met with the commission and that the crossing follows an existing disturbed path and provides hydraulic connectivity rather than creating disturbance in an undisturbed area.

Mike Summers asked whether the project could connect to nearby sewer on Cross Road; the engineers said they were open to the idea but that sewer connection could increase density and complicate the application and that any such option would have to be explored with the property owner and the town’s sewer and administration staff.

After discussion, the Planning Board voted to recommend that the Zoning Board of Adjustment consider the requested wetland special exception and forward the board’s comments. The motion to send the matter to the ZBA was moved by Jared Williams and seconded by David Russell; the vote recorded one opposition and otherwise carried.","Engineers told the Planning Board that three residential lots accessed by a shared driveway would require wetland and buffer impacts; after discussion, the board approved forwarding a recommendation to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hooksett planning board advances six-year capital improvements plan, sends it to town council

Planning board approves sign alteration at Turn 1 Graphics; limited lighting and landscaping discussed

Planning board grants performance-zone waiver to allow eight residential units at 1143 Hooksett Road

Board recommends ZBA consider wetland special exception for proposed subdivision at 269 West River Road