Hooksett group to seek qualified preservation plan, parking study to support town-hall grant bids

Members of a Hooksett working group spent the session reviewing survey results, grant requirements and repair options for the town's old town hall and agreed to pursue a qualified preservation plan and a parking study to prepare for potential grant applications.

Speaker 1 said the survey drew about 34 responses: roughly 41% were aware of the preservation effort, 42% would support selling the building, 76% opposed a local tax increase, and about 50% backed repurposing the hall into a community meeting room. Speaker 1 also read several written comments urging spending priorities for schools and suggesting grants and local support as alternatives to a tax increase.

The group focused on short-term deliverables the town would need to submit competitive grant applications. Speaker 1 noted that LCHIP (the Land and Community Heritage…