OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Hooksett Highway Safety Committee Meeting Summary – March 13, 2026

Town Council & Boards — Friday, March 13, 2026
BodyHooksett, New Hampshire
SessionTown Council & Boards
DateFriday, March 13, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:59:56

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Uh counselor Smith, those are the few, and right now we don't have a town engineer, so that is vacant.

0:08

Um we're going to, if everybody doesn't mind, uh stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, please.

0:17

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:30

All right.

0:31

We'll let counselor Smith get settled for a minute.

0:57

All right, so uh the first order of business is we will need to appoint a new chair of this committee as uh the previous chairperson that we did appoint was our town engineer, and uh we don't have one right now and don't anticipate really haven't had any applications for the position, so that's something this committee has to look at as to appointing a new chair.

1:18

Um unfortunately our vice chair um Jameson Sakley was unable to make it today.

1:23

Um but hopefully we'll be at the next meeting, so it's up to the board if you want to appoint one now or wait till the next meeting.

1:32

I vote we wait until James is back.

1:35

Okay, perfectly fine with me.

1:36

Does everybody in agreement with that?

1:39

Okay, I will add that to our immediate business for next meeting.

1:43

Uh next topic approval of minutes from December 12th.

1:54

I move we approve the minutes from December 12th, 2025.

2:01

Do we have a second?

2:02

Second.

2:07

All in favor?

2:08

Hi.

2:12

Perfect, thank you.

2:13

All right.

2:14

So we'll move on to appointments.

2:16

Um, unfortunately, Mr.

2:17

Lambert was unable to join us, but we do have uh Lee Baronis, Corey Spedalunis, hopefully that's okay, and then uh Rich Wadwanski, I assume.

2:27

Um if you folks are welcome to come sit at the table and um come have a chat with us.

2:44

Oh yeah, over there.

2:46

Slide over for you.

2:50

Good morning.

2:51

Thank you all for joining us.

2:54

Good morning.

2:54

Yeah, good to be here.

2:56

So um I had reached out to uh Mr.

2:58

Lambert um to kind of discuss uh one of the main concerns that we brought to our attention was Whitehall Road and London Dairy Turnpike, as there was a severe accident there this past summer.

3:09

And so we just wanted to have you folks come in, have a little chat with us, kind of see if you had any plans or if you're aware of any plans in the works for that intersection, or really any information about how we can proceed if we have concerns relative to any intersections.

3:24

Why don't we start with introductions uh and what our roles are?

3:28

Perfect.

3:29

Uh my name is Lee Baronis.

3:30

I'm the state traffic engineer, administrator for the Bureau of Traffic uh at DOT.

3:36

Um DOTs divided into various uh sections.

3:42

We we try not to call them silos.

3:44

Um so but we each have our different areas of interest, and so sometimes having multiple people here gives us different perspectives even from just an internal uh standpoint.

3:55

And again, the three of us aren't necessarily uh familiar with everything that's happening at DOT, so um, but we will we'll do our best.

4:05

Absolutely.

4:06

Excellent.

4:07

Uh good morning, Chorus Fedelinus.

4:09

I'm the safety section project manager at DOT.

4:12

Great.

4:13

Richard Wanski.

4:15

Uh I'm the uh district engineer for District 5, which is all the South Central New Hampshire.

4:22

Um Bureau of Highway maintenance.

4:24

Perfect.

4:24

Thank you all for being here.

4:27

So I guess our first concern is um we it's been brought to our attention that intersection White Hall Road and uh London Dairy Termpike.

4:35

Um I'm not sure if you folks are aware there was an in and if it's on a 10-year plan to look at that or if there's any plans in the works to discuss that intersection whatsoever.

4:45

As far as I know, um we there is nothing that is set uh as a project for that area, unless you guys know otherwise.

5:00

As far as I know um we there is nothing that is set uh as a project for that area unless you guys know otherwise because when we we we were uh contacted I don't know if it was by um the f family member I think uh at that point um asking about what what can be done um that intersection is uh is is pretty pretty old oh well the intersection's been there a long time but the signal that's there uh has been there a long time um conditions have changed around it um even the you know the the signal equipment um is is getting older um there is a lack of pedestrian facilities in the area um usually they go hand in hand if you have sidewalks you you have crosswalks um there's not nothing scheduled as yet to for any improvements there um it is something that can be prioritized uh if the town wishes to um you know prioritize it um put it on you know propose it for the 10 year plan as a as an intersection improvement or uh sometimes this corridor improvements that can be done um at this point there's um there's nothing scheduled okay other that oh sorry go ahead counselor so um I have a question actually for for you as well as gentlemen so I mean this is an intersection that is very busy um it has a do not turn on red on on um the east and west side I don't believe it applies to both sides right it doesn't do north and south on do not turn so it's busy busy but it was was the accident that was not at the intersection correct wasn't it up the street or no?

6:44

No I don't mean accident the the incident with the with the right pedestrian um to the I don't think it was at the intersection wasn't right so yeah be aware of that I think what we're trying to figure out is um it's busy there is not a sidewalk as it stands and like recommendations I think is kind of right I mean isn't that do you have anything that you could propose because I'm sure this is not your first rodeo where we're like we have an intersection like this in another town or whatever.

7:14

Well and and um you know the like I said the signal is was set up years many years ago conditions have changed there's been development so from from what I remember from the correspondence uh there's a number of uh residential areas that result in uh folks walking to the potential walkers yeah potential walkers out to Route three uh I think I I recall a similar that it wasn't at the intersection um would a crosswalk and signal have lured or not lured but right had someone take the extra step to to cross at the intersection we we don't know that um we see a lot of people who you know take the shortest path as we like to call it jaywalking so um so it's hard to say what what would have been different you know if the conditions had been different for this particular incident um I guess the the the bigger question I think what you're driving at is what what what could be done going forward and I think if we if the town and the state have identified that there's significant uh pedestrian traffic or potential pedestrian traffic then does that uh warrant uh a review to have pedestrian facilities um provide a sidewalk where would they go how far would they travel you know which directions would they would they branch out the old um you know if you build it will they come uh type of thing um and how does it prioritize with other issues other projects um you know dollars are sparse and you know we we we want to put them to the best use um and um you know that um I I think that's something that you know within a town you can identify your trouble spots and then within regions and then within the state uh and that's you know that tends to be the 10-year plan process um there are other programs that can provide um some funding and support for projects the local public agency projects LPA um there's various programs in that um certain safety programs that can that can bypass or not bypass but work in conjunction with the 10 year plan um that um you know again if it it's a prioritization uh I'm I'm hogging the conversation you have anything you want to share Corey so I I I think it's an interesting question because there's always that kind of discussion we have internally on just because there's nothing there doesn't mean there's no demand for something to be there.

10:00

So I I I think it's an interesting question because there's always that kind of discussion we have internally on just because there's nothing there doesn't mean there's no demand for something to be there.

10:06

When we were there a few months ago, I mean it is mostly a residential area if I recall correctly so and it is pretty close to places that people would potentially want to go on foot.

10:16

So if the facilities were there would people use it because they feel safer and and trusting enough to use those accommodations.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████68%
Procedural█████7%
Public Engagement████6%
Fiscal Sustainability████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure███5%
Education Funding███4%
Personnel Matters██3%
Public Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Hooksett Highway Safety Committee Meeting – March 13, 2026

The Hooksett Highway Safety Committee met on March 13, 2026, at 14:30 UTC. No agenda or minutes were available with the source materials, so this summary relies on the recorded discussion. The committee heard from New Hampshire DOT staff, reviewed traffic-control and trucking enforcement proposals, and set next steps.

Consent Calendar

  • The committee approved the minutes of the December 12, 2025 meeting by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Vincent Limbo of 56 Main Street requested a four-way stop at Main Street, Grant Drive, and the Donati parking lot. He said it would slow Main Street traffic, help pedestrians cross to the park, encourage use of College Park Drive, assist vehicles and school buses exiting Grant Drive, and discourage trucks; he said he could not think of any drawbacks.
  • Limbo also said trucks continue to use Main Street despite the no-through-trucking ordinance, that GPS services direct drivers there, and that he fears for mail delivery and pedestrian safety. He asked whether higher town-ordinance fines would better cover enforcement costs than RSA tickets.

Discussion Items

  • Town engineer vacancy: The committee noted there is no town engineer and no applications for the position; the previous chair had been the town engineer. Members voted to wait before appointing a new chair and to revisit at the next meeting.
  • DOT guest discussion on Whitehall Road/Londonderry Turnpike: State traffic engineer Lee Baronis, safety section project manager Corey Spedalunis, and District 5 engineer Richard Wadwanski said no project is scheduled for that intersection. They acknowledged the signal is old, pedestrian facilities are lacking, and the area has development-related walking demand. The pedestrian crash was described as a major injury. They suggested working through the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, a road safety audit, the 10-year plan, and safety/LPA grant programs. On wider shoulders, they said widening may require full reconstruction and can encourage higher speeds.
  • Stop sign and street-light criteria: The committee reviewed draft guidelines based on the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Members agreed to add estimated street-light costs to the criteria, remove the word 'optional' from the requested-action field on the request form, and update the form with simple bullet-point criteria. Andre noted past conversions of 409 street lights in Hooksett and 4,956 in Salem, supporting caution about adding new lights.
  • Farmer Road stop sign request: The committee voted not to approve a stop sign on Farmer Road after determining the criteria were not met; Chief Sergeant cited a speed study showing the highest recorded speed was 34 mph.
  • No-through trucking ordinance: The committee reviewed an expanded draft amending Ordinance No. 2601. Chief Sergeant explained enforcement challenges, including GPS misdirection, rotating drivers, and the inability to weigh trucks. Limbo argued local trucks still violate the ordinance and asked for stronger enforcement. The committee voted to initiate the ordinance amendment and send it to the town council for public hearing.
  • Opticom update: Captain Woolinski said 6-8 intersections in Hooksett have malfunctioning emergency preemption; the list has been given to administration/DOT. There is no timeline yet, and the town must cover Opticom equipment and maintenance costs.
  • Utility pole at Dartmouth Street and Route 3: Eversource is willing to move the pole at no cost, but the property owner objected to a proposed support 'kickstand'; highway and Eversource are exploring alternatives.
  • Victory Lane accessory sign: Snoo installed an accessory sign under the stop sign reading "Oncoming traffic does not stop" at Victory Lane and Donati Drive.
  • School drop-off/pickup backups: Councillor Smith raised congestion at school pickup/drop-off, noting busing costs around $2 million and that staff supervise carlines. He proposed a convenience fee as a deterrent, while the chief noted the schools already have free busing. The committee will research how other districts handle drop-off traffic, including a Goffstown school road restriction, and may bring a recommendation to the school board.
  • Winter parking ordinance: No background was found for this item; it was removed from consideration.
  • Meeting frequency: The committee agreed to try a 45-day meeting cycle and set the next meeting for April 24, 2026, at 9:30 AM.
  • Jeff Nyam attendance: A motion to remove Jeff Nyam, who had missed three meetings, was made and seconded; the motion drew at least one no vote, and the committee instead directed staff to contact Nyam and revisit if needed.
  • Industrial Park Drive and Route 3: The state is not acting because traffic counts do not meet signal warrants; a signal was estimated at about $10 million several years ago and possibly north of $15 million today. Police detail coverage is funded by GE and ProCon.
  • Route 3 and 3A projects: Route 3 widening remains in the 10-year plan, with preliminary engineering 2027-2029 and construction 2031-2033; the Route 3A Hackett Hill/Main Street project is expected in 2028.
  • SNHPC traffic counts: Anthony Summers of SNHPC offered speed, volume, and classification studies; the committee requested data for Main Street and Martins Ferry to support truck enforcement and safety work.
  • Main Street/Grant Drive/Donati four-way stop request: Limbo's request was discussed under the new stop-sign criteria. The committee decided to gather SNHPC data before making a recommendation.
  • Streetlight requests: The Dartmouth Street/Route 3 request was tabled until the new building's lighting is known. The Royal Oaks Drive/West Allis Avenue request was moved to the next meeting pending clarification.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved December 12, 2025 minutes.
  • Voted to wait before appointing a new chair.
  • Voted not to add a Farmer Road stop sign.
  • Voted to advance the no-through trucking ordinance amendment to town council.
  • Voted to table the Dartmouth Street/Route 3 streetlight request.
  • Did not approve the motion to remove Jeff Nyam; directed outreach instead.
  • Set next meeting for April 24, 2026, at 9:30 AM.
  • Requested SNHPC traffic counts on Main Street and Martins Ferry.
  • Congratulated the police department on voter approval of all its articles.

Meeting Transcript

Uh counselor Smith, those are the few, and right now we don't have a town engineer, so that is vacant. Um we're going to, if everybody doesn't mind, uh stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, please. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right. We'll let counselor Smith get settled for a minute. All right, so uh the first order of business is we will need to appoint a new chair of this committee as uh the previous chairperson that we did appoint was our town engineer, and uh we don't have one right now and don't anticipate really haven't had any applications for the position, so that's something this committee has to look at as to appointing a new chair. Um unfortunately our vice chair um Jameson Sakley was unable to make it today. Um but hopefully we'll be at the next meeting, so it's up to the board if you want to appoint one now or wait till the next meeting. I vote we wait until James is back. Okay, perfectly fine with me. Does everybody in agreement with that? Okay, I will add that to our immediate business for next meeting. Uh next topic approval of minutes from December 12th. I move we approve the minutes from December 12th, 2025. Do we have a second? Second. All in favor? Hi. Perfect, thank you. All right. So we'll move on to appointments. Um, unfortunately, Mr. Lambert was unable to join us, but we do have uh Lee Baronis, Corey Spedalunis, hopefully that's okay, and then uh Rich Wadwanski, I assume. Um if you folks are welcome to come sit at the table and um come have a chat with us. Oh yeah, over there. Slide over for you. Good morning. Thank you all for joining us. Good morning. Yeah, good to be here. So um I had reached out to uh Mr. Lambert um to kind of discuss uh one of the main concerns that we brought to our attention was Whitehall Road and London Dairy Turnpike, as there was a severe accident there this past summer. And so we just wanted to have you folks come in, have a little chat with us, kind of see if you had any plans or if you're aware of any plans in the works for that intersection, or really any information about how we can proceed if we have concerns relative to any intersections. Why don't we start with introductions uh and what our roles are? Perfect. Uh my name is Lee Baronis. I'm the state traffic engineer, administrator for the Bureau of Traffic uh at DOT. Um DOTs divided into various uh sections. We we try not to call them silos. Um so but we each have our different areas of interest, and so sometimes having multiple people here gives us different perspectives even from just an internal uh standpoint. And again, the three of us aren't necessarily uh familiar with everything that's happening at DOT, so um, but we will we'll do our best. Absolutely. Excellent. Uh good morning, Chorus Fedelinus. I'm the safety section project manager at DOT. Great. Richard Wanski. Uh I'm the uh district engineer for District 5, which is all the South Central New Hampshire. Um Bureau of Highway maintenance. Perfect.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com