State Motors presented plans Aug. 6 to replace its long-standing car wash at 275 Hooksett Road with a new two-bay facility and updated detailing bays. The car wash owner said a wash has operated on the site since 1962 and the new design will consolidate vacuum and drying equipment inside the building to reduce noise and to modernize operations.

City staff and the applicant discussed several site issues the board asked them to resolve before a final vote: the informal historic easement/parking triangle near the Puritan restaurant, how to handle Oak Street fencing and the dumpster screening, and whether to install raised curbing/sidewalk and street trees along the Hooksett Road frontage. DPW raised concerns that the area’s drainage is a combined system in places, and the applicant said a stamped concrete or protected edge (not a raised curb) may be preferable given existing runoff and plowing patterns.

The applicant also noted they will install sediment tanks and a new transformer and underground service and coordinate sewer-video and any needed utility upgrades with DPW. Staff and the applicant agreed written resolution of the Puritan easement (either a formal easement or a lot-line clarification) is needed. The applicant asked the board for time to finalize those items.

Why it matters: The site is a visible commercial corner along Hooksett Road and Oak Street; options for sidewalks, street trees and curb treatments implicate public safety and pedestrian access. Drainage and winter plowing practices on Hooksett Road make standard curb-and-sidewalk treatments technically complex.

Next steps: The board agreed to continue the public hearing to Aug. 21 to allow the applicant and staff to complete negotiations with Puritan restaurant, DPW and finalize drainage and frontage details. The applicant will return with a draft easement or title adjustment and DPW responses to curb/sidewalk options.