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Hooksett planning board recommends outreach to abutters before auctioning two town-owned parcels on Hooksett Road
Summary
The Hooksett Planning Board told the Town Council it sees no benefit to the town holding two small, mostly nondevelopable parcels on Hooksett Road and recommended the council contact abutters before proceeding with auction. The board voted to forward a favorable recommendation that abutter outreach be attempted in lieu of immediate auction.
The Hooksett Planning Board recommended that the Town Council notify abutting landowners before placing two town-owned parcels on Hooksett Road up for auction, saying the board sees no public planning benefit to the town retaining the lots.
The motion directs the council to seek interest from adjacent property owners before designating Map 25, Lot 7 and Map 41, Lot 72 for public auction; the board voted to send that recommendation to the council after debate and a brief public comment period.
Map 25, Lot 7 was described by staff as roughly 2 acres split by property owned by the power utility Eversource; the parcel is mostly wetlands and contains little developable area, the planner said. The board discussed whether it would make sense first to ask Eversource if it wanted the portion that bisects the lot, and several members urged contacting abutters before a sale because the land’s utility and development potential are limited.
Map 41, Lot 72 is about one-tenth of an acre with roughly 50 feet of frontage and contains a small, long-vacant ranch house. Board discussion noted that a planned Route 3 widening would further reduce the lot’s usable area. The planner said lapse of use has negated prior nonconforming rights for the house, and that any future development would need to comply with current setbacks and zoning, likely requiring demolition of the existing structure.
Resident Robert Duhame spoke during public comment to urge the board to consider the conservation value of wetlands, noting that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services sometimes encourages municipalities to hold wetland parcels for use in negotiations. "Just to remember... through the DES, at times, you are encouraged to purchase wetland properties so that you can use them in negotiations," he said.
After debate the board made two linked recommendations to the council: first, that the planning board sees no planning benefit in the town retaining the two parcels; and second, that the council should reach out to abutting property owners before considering the parcels for auction. The board voted to transmit the latter recommendation to the council; the motion passed with one recorded opposition (Alicia). The planning board’s recommendation will be considered by the Town Council at its public hearings required by statute before any auction is authorized.
Why it matters: the council must hold two public hearings and a subsequent meeting before voting to dispatch town land for auction. The planning board’s recommendation will be part of the council’s record; outreach to abutters could produce private purchases or other options the council may prefer to auction.
What’s next: the planner will include the planning board’s recommendation in the materials sent to the Town Council for the required public hearings. The council will schedule its hearings and may choose to approach abutters or proceed to auction based on the totality of board and committee recommendations.
