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Hooksett economic development committee to push council on RSA 79‑E expansion for Cigna building conversion
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Summary
EDAC members agreed to draft and sign a letter urging the town council to expand the RSA 79‑E area and consider adopting the RSA 79‑E:4 office‑conversion option to promote conversion of the vacant Cigna building to residential use; the committee said zoning board variance barriers remain a hurdle.
Members of the Economic Development Committee agreed to prepare a letter to the Town Council urging consideration of expanding the RSA 79‑E district and adopting provisions to promote office‑to‑residential conversions that could apply to the vacant Cigna building.
Grant (staff member) reviewed the history of the Cigna site and said the property sits inside a Mixed Use 1 district where residential use is not currently permitted. He said the planning board and the committee could point to the master plan’s future land use map to justify a rezoning or to recommend expanding the 79‑E area to include the Cigna parcel.
"It might be appropriate to extend the 79‑E District to include that property," Grant said, describing RSA 79‑E amendments aimed at promoting conversion of vacant commercial buildings to residential use. He said the statute often provides tax relief to make conversions financially feasible.
Committee members discussed prior legal history around the building and noted repeated zoning board denials for residential proposals. Grant said one path is a zoning map amendment recommended by the planning board and placed before voters next year; another is a town council action to amend the 79‑E designation or to adopt the RSA 79‑E:4 office conversion option.
The committee agreed to sign and present a letter to the Town Council expressing support for expanding 79‑E and for pursuing the office‑conversion option. Committee members asked to coordinate the timing of the letter so that the council could consider the change ahead of next year’s zoning map amendment deadlines.
Why it matters: Committee members said the Cigna building has been vacant for years and that conversion to residential would repurpose underused space, potentially avoiding demolition and reducing long‑term maintenance costs for the property owner. Speakers also emphasized that zoning board variance denials remain a significant procedural hurdle.
Next steps: Committee members asked staff to prepare a draft letter for signature and to appear before the Town Council to present the committee’s recommendations. The committee voted in favor of moving forward with the letter and outreach.
