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Board members press need for state action on failing Route 3A/Main Street intersections; discuss strategic use of impact fees
Summary
Planning board members said state-owned intersections near Hackett Hill and Main Street are operating at failure during peak hours. The board debated whether to pursue different uses of local impact fees, push state DOT via legislative representatives, or pursue off-site developer-driven improvements.
Traffic and roadway funding dominated a lengthy segment of the Sept. 22 workshop, as planning-board members raised concerns about congested state roads and the town's limited levers for near-term relief.
Board members identified several state roads and intersections (Hackett Hill/Main Street, Route 3A, Exit 10 area) where peak-hour operations are at or near failure and where planned state projects have shifted years into the future. Participants said the town has some local funds (impact fees, federal grants used as match) but noted legal and practical constraints on spending collected impact fees on state-road improvements. The town's Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission traffic data and recent project-cost estimates were discussed: speakers cited project cost figures in the tens of millions (example figures mentioned included $22.7 million for a Whitehall Road reconstruction and $37.2 million for a US 3/28 project in planning materials discussed at the meeting).
Board members debated options: increase pressure on state DOT via elected state representatives and petition hearings; transfer or strategically spend locally collected impact fees on state-road needs where legally permissible (the group discussed RSA provisions allowing transfers in certain circumstances); or require developers to fund more off-site state-road improvements as part of project approvals — a path that would require coordination with DOT and careful legal counsel. Participants also discussed whether shifting some class 2 roads to town maintenance (a transfer) could force DOT to upgrade them before transfer, but noted that such transfers shift long-term maintenance responsibility to the town and would require upfront improvements and resources.
The meeting produced direction for staff and the chair: planning staff will coordinate with the town administrator and council leadership to request greater advocacy with state transportation leadership, and the board said it wants to bring the issue to the next council meeting and to ask the administrator and local legislators for updates and advocacy. Board members also asked town counsel and staff for clarification on impact-fee rules and options for using collected funds more strategically.
Ending: The planning board will request clearer information from administration and legal counsel about legal uses and flexibility of impact fees and will ask council leadership to press state DOT and local legislators for prioritization of Hackett Hill/Main Street improvements.
