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Hooksett committee reviews RSA 79-E exemptions, identifies properties for potential change
Summary
Staff presented a list of commercial and industrial properties that may be added to or removed from the town's RSA 79-E exemption list ahead of a required five-year review. Committee members discussed timing, eligibility (pre-construction application requirement) and possible changes to exemption thresholds and durations.
The committee discussed review and possible adjustments to properties eligible for RSA 79-E tax exemptions and the town's schedule for renewal.
Staff outlined five properties that appeared to be ineligible for continued inclusion because they are already built out, including 40 Seventh Thames Road and 108 Mammoth Road (converted to condominiums in 2023). Staff identified additional parcels under consideration for addition, including 9 and 17 Londonderry Turnpike and several Hooksett Road parcels; one property was identified as the Welcome Home Motel at 1010 Bell Ave.
Why it matters: the program approved by the town council in 2021 automatically expires for those not renewed after five years unless the council acts earlier. Staff told the committee the council could renew the program for all or select properties before the March 2026 deadline; any property that already received the exemption would be grandfathered even if the council chose not to renew the program town-wide.
Committee members discussed eligibility rules: staff said RSA 79-E eligibility requires property owners to apply before construction begins; a late application is not eligible. Staff also summarized the current economic terms: the town's program presently exempts up to 25% of an improved value for up to five years, and one proposal discussed at the previous meeting would increase the maximum to 30% and extend the term to seven years. Staff cautioned that because of tax-year timing, a true seven-year benefit may require writing the term as eight years in the ordinance language so the owner receives a full seven years of benefit.
Staff also flagged a route to lower the program's minimum investment for historic properties: if a building is eligible for listing on the state register of historic places, the minimum capital investment threshold to qualify for 79-E can drop significantly (the staff example used a reduction from $75,000 to roughly $10,000), but listing on the state register would require meeting historic-district criteria and impose design restrictions that might conflict with the committee's heritage neighborhood objectives.
Committee members asked staff to return with more detailed files and recommended clarifying which properties have active development plans, which properties previously applied and which remain potential additions. Members discussed making the topic a future agenda item with a deeper property-by-property review.
Ending: staff will compile a follow-up report with application dates, current development status and recommendation on which parcels to add or remove before the council's renewal window.
