Advisory board explores Hackett Hill site; town asked to walk property and clarify costs

The Hooksett Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Feb. 1 discussed a citizen-led proposal to convert roughly seven acres on Hackett Hill into a neighborhood park, and agreed to invite a town construction contact to inspect the land and advise on feasibility.

Board members said the parcel, which they described as heavily wooded with some flat topography and a steep gully with wet areas, is owned by Tony Hooksett. The board noted access frontage on Corvo/Hackett Hill Road and said some limited parking could be created at the road frontage; members also raised the possibility that portions of the parcel may function as vernal pools or wetlands.

The board’s review is at an early stage. Judy (member) and other advisory members said they will present the rough dimensions and a basic layout to the town contact—identified in the meeting as a local contractor with landscaping and heavy-equipment experience—to determine what excavation, clearing and drainage work would be required and whether the town should put any work out to bid.

Board members cautioned that clearing and construction work would likely be expensive and that any large-scale earth-moving normally requires a formal bidding process. The board noted that if substantial clearing is required, work on the parcel could need to go to the lowest responsible bidder, and a single local contractor may not be the eventual vendor.

Members said they do not yet have a firm cost estimate because they do not know the scale or design of the park the community wants. They also said the community request that first surfaced two years ago still lacks specifics about what recreation elements (fields, playground equipment, walking paths, etc.) would be provided.

The board directed staff to invite the contractor and the councilor who requested a park—identified in its discussion as Duham—to a future advisory-board meeting and to arrange a site walk in spring when ground conditions allow. The board also said it would collect additional information on funding sources and any applicable restrictions before submitting a formal request to the town council or applying for impact‑fee allocations.

Members flagged other program considerations, including how often the police would patrol a new park and whether recurring maintenance and vandalism risk could affect use and long‑term costs. They also discussed whether local volunteer groups would be able to maintain features such as paths or a small rink in winter.

The board did not adopt any formal plan at the meeting and recorded no vote on park design or funding. The item will return to a future meeting after a site visit and additional staff input.