Hooksett conservation commission approves 40‑day hold process for wetland applications; motion to rescind December recommendation fails

The Hooksett Conservation Commission voted to ask the town clerk to place a 40‑day hold on all wetland applications so the commission can review them before the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) completes its review.

The motion, introduced during a discussion of wetland‑permit procedures, instructs the town clerk to notify DES that the commission will place a 40‑day hold while it conducts its review. The motion was seconded and approved by the commission.

Commission members said the change reflects a desire to see wetland permit packages earlier in the process. Sheena Gilbert, who introduced the motion, said the change responds to the commission’s limited time to comment under the current workflow: “So if notification is not received by the department within 14 days following the date of notice filed by the municipal clerk, the department shall proceed as if no notification has been made,” she summarized from DES guidance and added that the hold gives the commission more opportunity to review applicants’ materials.

The meeting also included a contested effort to rescind a recommendation that the commission had recorded in its Dec. 9 minutes related to the Granite Woods driveway and…