Hooksett Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting – June 9, 2026

The Hooksett Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) met on the evening of June 9, 2026, and remained in session past 9:00 p.m. The board approved prior meeting minutes, continued the Martin Bernard wetland-related applications to August 11, 2026, approved a variance for outdoor equipment sales at 1806 Hooksett Road, approved a dwelling-expansion variance for the LaPorte property, and granted a two-year extension to an earlier application.

Consent Calendar / Minutes

• The board unanimously approved meeting minutes from March 24, 2026, and May 12, 2026, by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Terry Poff, 329 Hackett Hill Road and abutter to the south, urged the board to stay within its authority and be measured; he questioned whether requiring ponds would alter the natural watershed and said he had never heard of DES being too lenient.
• Amory Scott, 323 Hackett Hill Road, said her property is still littered with fallen brush and trees and asked the Bernard property to clean it up; she was unsure whether ponds were appropriate.
• Claire Bellyle, owner of a neighboring quarry property, supported enforcement of town drainage standards, said her family always obeyed the law, and insisted the person responsible for past damage fix it.
• Catherine Hamill, 1807 Hooksett Road, asked whether repair work would be conducted inside the garage, about noise, hours, and lighting; she said she loved the previous auto repair business and appeared supportive of the new use.

Martin Bernard Wetland Special Exception and Variance (Z25-23 / Z25-24)

• The applicant’s representative presented a Conservation Commission letter dated April 22, 2026, referencing NHDES violation file 2025-02098 at 325 Hackett Hill Road; the Commission concurred with the remediation plans but noted repeated past noncompliance and requested regular monitoring.
• Bedford Design’s drainage analysis showed a pre-development watershed of 21.78 acres and a post-development watershed of 19.92 acres, with runoff flowing south. Modeled discharge at the southern exit was 1.12 cubic feet per second (cfs) existing versus 3.94 cfs developed for the 2-year storm; 10-year was 7.34 versus 7.04 cfs; 25- and 50-year storms were virtually unchanged.
• The applicant also presented three proposed stormwater ponds, roughly 2 to 4 feet deep, that could reduce the developed 2-year discharge to about 2.81 cfs; at least some pond locations fell in the wetland buffer and would require additional variance relief.
• Keach Nordstrom Associates, the town’s consultant, wrote on May 18, 2026, that the drainage analysis confirmed runoff enters woodlands and wetlands to the south, but criticized the lack of a stated modeling standard and recommended compliance with Hooksett’s development/drainage regulations; it also raised Alteration of Terrain and dam-related permitting questions.
• Board members, particularly Roger Dehame, pressed for water being treated before entering wetlands, not just a flow analysis. Town staff member Dana said the calculations were not based on town design standards, and any ponds should be designed to Hooksett’s drainage regulations.
• The board decided it lacked sufficient expert testimony, site plans, and a survey. It continued both matters to August 11, 2026, with a list of required information: attendance by Keach Nordstrom and Bedford Design engineers, updated plans and drainage calculations designed to town standards, a property survey, current photos, and a culvert-maintenance commitment. Public comment remained open.

Outdoor Equipment Sales Variance (Z26-13) – 1806 Hooksett Road

• The applicant’s representative said the property has long been an auto repair garage and will continue as a low-intensity small-equipment repair and occasional sales business, with no changes to building footprint or site layout. He argued outdoor sales were ancillary, and said the “material handling” wording on the building application was an error.
• Town staff explained that the repair use could start immediately without ZBA action; the only issue requiring a variance was outdoor equipment sales, which are not an allowed use in the commercial district.
• The board discussed limiting the quantity of equipment, but ultimately avoided numeric limits and parking-regulation decisions, leaving those to the planning board. Public comment from Catherine Hamill raised neighborhood compatibility concerns.
• The board approved the variance with a condition: no storage of vehicles or equipment off the existing paved surface.

LaPorte Dwelling Expansion Variance (Z26-14)

• The applicant requested permission to expand one of three pre-existing single-family homes on one lot, from about 1,340 square feet gross (712 square feet living area) to about 2,132 square feet gross, an increase of about 900 square feet.
• Applicant representatives stated the house was built in 1940, the lot predates zoning, a prior subdivision was never completed, and the homes cannot be easily subdivided today. All setbacks, septic, and shoreland requirements could be met.
• The board found the variance criteria satisfied: no public harm, spirit of the ordinance observed, substantial justice, no diminished value, and hardship caused by the pre-existing, nonconforming lot configuration.
• The board approved the variance unanimously.

Extension Request (Z24-15)

• The board granted a two-year extension to Jarrett Porter and Tiffany Vanesse, even though the applicants were not present.

Key Outcomes

• Approved minutes from March 24, 2026, and May 12, 2026.
• Continued Z25-23 and Z25-24 (Martin Bernard, 325 Hackett Hill Road) to August 11, 2026, with specific information and expert attendance required before a decision.
• Approved Z26-13 for 1806 Hooksett Road, conditioned on keeping all stored vehicles/equipment on the existing paved surface.
• Approved Z26-14 for the LaPorte property on Hidden Ranch Drive.
• Granted Z24-15 two-year extension for Porter/Vanesse.
• Adjourned without scheduling an additional special meeting.