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Developer asks conservation commission to back parking change and buffer reduction near Head Pond; commission tables decision
Summary
Developer of University Vista townhouses asked the Hooksett Conservation Commission to accept parking built around a cul‑de‑sac and a reduction to wetland buffers caused by an enlarged beaver pond. Commissioners said they will consult state regulators and requested maps before making a recommendation to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
A developer seeking to advance the University Vista townhouse project asked the Hooksett Conservation Commission on Wednesday for a recommendation to the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) to allow parking around an existing cul‑de‑sac and a reduction in wetland buffer areas created by an expanded beaver pond.
Developer Jeff Berg said the project originally showed a parking area 500 feet into the woods but that the team now proposes about 15 parking spaces around the existing cul‑de‑sac to serve conservation trail access. He also told commissioners that beaver activity has raised the height of a dam and expanded wetlands, creating new buffer impacts on the project site.
"We'd like your consent that you agree that, leave the Beaver Dam alone, and that the buffer impacts are okay with you," Berg said, summarizing the developer’s preference to avoid ongoing beaver removal and instead request a buffer adjustment. He and his team said the project’s remapped wetlands show approximately 5,000 square feet of one buffer impact and about 1,000 square feet of another area — a total the developer described as roughly 6,000 square feet of buffer reduction related to the beaver‑created pond.
Commissioners asked for clarifying information and told Berg the commission would consult the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) and other technical resources before advising the ZBA. Commissioner Sheena Gilbert noted that the town's earlier approvals and master plan influenced parking expectations and asked whether state parking rules that recently changed affect the project’s residential parking supply.
The commission discussed whether the beaver dam should be modified, with several members saying removing or trapping beavers is only a temporary fix and noting conservation values. As one commissioner put it: "They're doing what they do and we're trying to fight it." Others said DES guidance is needed about what permits, if any, are required to alter beaver dams.
Because the application materials and site maps were not provided in sufficient detail during the meeting, the commission voted to table the developer’s request and asked Berg to submit the maps and materials to the town planner. Commissioners said staff would reach out to DES for guidance on permit requirements and mitigation options; the developer will not need to present again in person unless requested.
The commission’s action preserves time for technical review before the body issues a formal opinion to the ZBA.
Votes and next steps The commission did not approve the developer’s request at the meeting. Commissioners moved to table the recommendation to the next meeting and asked the applicant to provide site maps and to allow staff to consult DES and other reviewers. The commission will make a formal recommendation to the ZBA after that follow‑up.
