Hooksett Planning Board Meeting Summary – May 4, 2026

The Hooksett Planning Board met on Monday, May 4, 2026. The board approved corrected minutes, held a conceptual discussion for HK Power Sports, continued and approved a two-lot subdivision at 48 Zapora Drive, and developed a recommendation on Ordinance 2601 for no-through trucking. No agenda or minutes were provided; this summary is based on the meeting transcript.

Minutes Approval

• A motion to approve the April 20, 2026 planning board minutes was made and seconded. Corrections were made to a line referencing a third tenant and to the public hearing/open-meeting attribution. The minutes were approved as corrected.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Don Bouvier, a former resident of the subject area (1976–1994), described a pole and fence near the corner being struck by vehicles multiple times and raised concerns about placing a new driveway at the corner of Zapora Drive.
• Cindy Tebow, 19 Springwood Drive, said her husband maintains the town sewer easement, not the town, and raised concerns about school bus stops, package and mail delivery vehicles, traffic safety, wildlife, and future clearing. She asked for binding tree buffers.
• Chris Tebow, 19 Springwood Drive, raised concerns that the corner is dangerous and difficult for right turns into a new driveway, and asked for buffer distances from the sewer easement and northern property line.
• Applicant representatives responded that measured sight distances exceed the required stopping sight distance and that deeded no-cut buffers would be recorded.

Discussion Items

HK Power Sports – Conceptual Discussion, 1354 Hooksett Road

• Applicant representatives presented a conceptual plan for a new approximately 17,000-square-foot building with a 3,000-square-foot mezzanine for off-road vehicle sales, showroom, parts, and service. The plan would remove a flat-roof showroom section of the existing building, keep the main structure and three rear wood-frame buildings, add customer/employee parking, and connect to town sewer via Industrial Park Drive instead of a new septic system.
• The property is in the Performance Zone; the proposed 30–36-foot building height would normally require a 90-foot front setback. The existing building sits at roughly 30 feet, and the proposed awning would reduce the effective setback to about 22 feet. The applicant acknowledged a waiver would be needed.
• Board members raised concerns about future Route 3/DOT widening and right-of-way impacts, the 6-foot retaining wall, curb cuts, limited green/landscaping space, exterior materials (steel siding is not accepted), architecture of the end walls and awning, trailer/inventory parking, and the fact that automotive sales is not currently a permitted use in the Performance Zone, which may raise nonconforming-use/expansion questions.
• No vote was taken. The project will return for site plan review after revisions.

Patrick Morrison – Continued Public Hearing, 48 Zapora Drive

• The applicant returned with an updated driveway location and sight-distance study. According to the presentation, the site provides 535 feet of sight distance to the south toward Mammoth Road and 317 feet to the north. AASHTO stopping sight distance for a 35 mph road on a 9% grade is 287 feet, so the applicant stated no driveway waiver is needed.
• The proposal is a two-lot minor subdivision of the 2.2-acre property, with the existing home and outbuilding in the northern portion and the southern portion wooded.
• The board discussed and the applicant agreed to recorded, deeded no-cut buffers: 15 feet from the 20-foot sewer easement on the south side and 20 feet from the east lot line, excluding the driveway area. The driveway apron would be 20 feet wide at the road and taper to 12 feet.
• Public comment was closed after hearing from the three speakers listed above.

Ordinance 2601 – No-Through Trucking Recommendation

• The board reviewed the proposed no-through trucking ordinance before the town council’s second hearing, expected on May 13, 2026.
• Members supported clarifying the ordinance by adding a Schedule B listing affected road segments rather than only signage locations, adding Goughtown Road, adding Spruce Court/Route 27, and including an emergency/legitimate detour exception.
• The board reached consensus; staff will prepare the planning board’s recommendation for the town council.

Staff Updates and Other Business

• Occupancy reviews were reported for 187 Londonderry Turnpike (nail salon in former office space), 1806 Hooksett Road (inquiries about automotive use), 35 Londonderry Turnpike (medical product storage), and Dartmouth Hitchcock pharmacy freezer additions (two 160-square-foot areas).
• The board discussed the distinction between occupancy reviews and site plan reviews, and directed staff to bring a proposed change-of-use definition to a future meeting.
• Members raised concerns about the former Rite Aid/Town Fair Tire property, requesting follow-up on signage, landscaping, and whether it should come back for a site plan review.
• The board reviewed a camper/RV occupancy concern on Zapora Drive and agreed that the chair would follow up with code enforcement to get a written response for the board.
• The board supported allowing the town planner to approve ordinary voluntary lot mergers administratively, with quirky or complicated cases still coming to the board.
• The board agreed that draft minutes should be labeled/watermarked as draft or unofficial when posted online until officially approved.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the April 20, 2026 minutes as corrected.
• Approved the Pat Morrison minor subdivision at 48 Zapora Drive, with conditions including deeded no-cut buffers, a 20-foot-to-12-foot driveway taper, and state/local permit documentation. Impact fees were set at $6,999.00.
• Endorsed a no-through-trucking recommendation to the town council, including Goughtown Road, Spruce Court/Route 27, a Schedule B road-segment list, and an emergency/detour exception.
• Directed staff to prepare a change-of-use/site-plan threshold item for a future agenda.
• Directed the chair to request a written code-enforcement response on active complaint/occupancy issues.