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Planning board urges outreach to abutters before auctioning two town-owned Hooksett lots
Summary
The Hooksett Planning Board recommended that the Town Council contact abutters — including Eversource — before moving forward with auctions of two small town-owned parcels, citing limited developable area, wetland value and potential sewer benefits.
The Hooksett Planning Board on Monday recommended that the Town Council contact abutting landowners before putting two small town-owned parcels on the auction list. The board concluded the lots — Map 25 Lot 7, a roughly two‑acre split parcel bisected by Eversource property, and Map 41 Lot 72, a tiny 0.1‑acre parcel near Route 3 with a vacant house — offer limited developable value and may be better handled by outreach to neighbors first.
Grant, the town planner, told the board that the northern portion of Map 25 Lot 7 is surrounded by Eversource holdings and ‘‘doesn’t appear that the property has much, if any, developable area’’ and recommended notifying Eversource and other abutters before an auction. After public comment and discussion, the board voted that the planning board ‘‘sees no benefit for the town to maintain the land’’ and prefers that the council reach out to abutters prior to auctioning the first parcel.
Resident Robert Duhame addressed the board during public comment about the parcels’ conservation and utility value, saying, "So this lot does have value." He urged the town to consider wetland negotiation value and sewer‑capacity rights before selling. The board incorporated that viewpoint into its recommendation to the Town Council to pursue abutter outreach.
For the second parcel, Map 41 Lot 72, planner comments noted the lot’s small size, limited buildable area, and proximity to a planned Route 3 widening; Sheena Gilbert moved and the board voted to recommend the council put that lot to auction. The planning board indicated it would forward its letters and recommendations to the council and to the Conservation Commission for their review before the council holds the statutorily required hearings.
Next steps: the planning board will provide the council with its letters of recommendation and the Conservation Commission will be asked to review the wetland implications prior to the council’s agenda and public hearings.
