Hooksett Community Development

02/10/2022

NHDOT will be hosting a public informational session to discuss forthcoming widening of Route 3 from Alice Ave north to the intersection of Whitehall Road. The info session has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 22nd at 6 PM in Town Council Chambers. All are welcome.

10/14/2021

STONE HOUSE IN HOOKSETT PURCHASED--
AND WILL BE PRESERVED!!
What great news for the future of Hooksett and one of its most intriguing buildings! The hopes of many have come true with the purchase of the Stone House and the surrounding acreage by Christina Katsikas, owner of Hooksett Fireworks.
Ms. Katsikas is still developing plans for the building. She will pursue listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Being very interested in period-appropriate furnishings, she looks forward to working on the interior. For the time being it will remain residential while necessary repairs and upgrades are done. The first project is to replace the roof--a major job.
“We came close to losing this treasure last year. Thankfully the project that included demolition of the Stone House was withdrawn, giving Ms. Katsikas the opportunity to fulfill a long-time dream of hers,” said Kathie Northrup, Chair of the Heritage Commission, expressing her excitement at this development. “We wish her well and so appreciate her contribution to our town’s history. I’m glad more generations will be able to drive by like they have for 90+ years and wonder about the history of this building, its possibilities, or what it would be like to live there.”
Katsikas will take possession of the property at the end of November.

05/06/2021

STONE HOUSE NEWS!! The Heritage Commission confirmed today that RCA Holdings has decided not to go forward with plans to demolish the Stone House and establish a storage facility on the site. The property is again up for sale, asking price $675K. Let's keep our fingers crossed that any new proposal includes retention of this unique asset.

10/26/2020

The Hooksett Conservation Commission was awarded an $80,000 grant from NH State Parks. This will help fund a project to complete the trail loop on the Hooksett Riverwalk Trail next year. You can read more about it on their blog.

This is the trail where Bennett Nelson and Boy Scout Troop 292 completed a walking bridge for Bennett’s Eagle Scout project over the summer.

The Hooksett Conservation Commission is on a mission. In 2015, it completed the first phase of the Hooksett Riverwalk Trail, thanks in part to a $50,000 grant awarded by the NH State Parks Recreati…

10/15/2020

09/16/2020

SAVE THE STONE HOUSE - UPDATE

Many supporters have asked whether the Stone House could be moved in order to preserve it. Several people told us that because of its method of construction it would be impossible to move this building.

Having exhausted many other options, we wanted to make sure all possibilities were explored. We contacted a couple experts–experienced companies whose business it is to move buildings. They told us it was certainly doable but costly--estimated to be $275,000-$350,000.

If the money could be found to move it, it needs a new home. Maybe there’s a lot in the surrounding area that could accommodate this special building.

So what is needed is a recent lottery winner, a person who loves and wants to protect unique architecture, someone or a group of someones looking for an investment, or any combination.

A project of this size would have lots of “moving” parts, so time is of the essence.

08/12/2020

Good morning from Community Development. Thank you to all for the feedback on the proposed demolition of the Stone House. While opinions on the demo have been varied, there has been overwhelming support for the house to remain. Despite this strong reaction from the community, there are no state laws or other statutes which allow the Town to prohibit a demolition, even for a historic structure such as this. We intend to work with the Planning Board and the developer to ensure that the development which replaces this historical home is as aesthetically pleasing as possible and adds value to our community and to our tax base.

Sorry to report that the Heritage Commission's meeting on 8/5/20 with RCA Holdings did not produce an agreement to save the Stone House from demolition. Manager Gordon Welch of RCA did agree "to delay physical demolition until 11/1/20" (while he sought approvals and permits from various boards and agencies) but declined an amendment suggested by the commission to add "or until all necessary permitting is complete, whichever is longer."

The applicant did not agree to any of the alternatives as offered (keep and reuse as the office for the business or otherwise incorporate into the project; keep and continue renting as residence or otherwise; or subdivide and sell) saying that it would be impractical to renovate for commercial use, keeping the house would lessen the acreage he needed for his facility, and having the frontage on Route 3 was valuable.

Also discussed was a land swap proposal by a local couple which would have subdivided the building and a small piece of land it sits on for land on the north end of the acreage. It was thought this would give RCA the acreage it needed and some frontage on Route 3 with the added bonus of reusing the Stone House and saving it from demolition. Welch declined to pursue further.

The commission thanks all the individuals who supported keeping the house and offered some great suggestions for reuse. The widespread public support for saving this landmark gem was amazing and so gratifying.

06/29/2020

PUBLIC INPUT - DEMOLITION PETITION
1253 HOOKSETT ROAD, THE STONE HOUSE
The Hooksett Heritage Commission will be holding a public hearing on Thursday, July 16, 2020, starting at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at the Municipal Building, 16 Main Street, Hooksett, NH. Proper social distancing protocols will be observed.
Its purpose is to hear concerns or alternatives offered by members of the public or the commission regarding the proposed demolition of the circa 1938 home at 1253 Hooksett Road. An architectural historian has inventoried the property and found it eligible for listing on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
If you are unable to attend the hearing, comments via email to [email protected] will be accepted and included in the record of the hearing. You may also express your wish to protect this architecturally significant building by signing the petition Save the Stone House, Hooksett, NH, from Demolition at www.change.org/hooksettstonehouse.
Please share to other interested family, colleagues, friends, etc.; anyone you think would want to offer support. The Heritage Commission seeks the public’s help in urging RCA Holdings, LLC, to reconsider destroying this one-of-a-kind structure.

06/22/2020

TOWN OFFICES - TO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON JUNE 23, 2020 – All departments in the Town Office Building will reopen on June 23, 2020 to the public from 8 AM – 4:30 PM on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 8 am -6:30 pm on Wednesday and 8 am to 12 pm on Friday. It is still recommended that you continue to complete as many transactions as you can online, mail or drop box whenever possible. The Town Clerk/Tax Collection Department will be limited to two customers in the office at a time to maintain proper social distancing. Hooksett strongly encourages customers to please wear a face covering and keep a 6 foot separation to others when coming to the building. Masks can be provided if you don’t have one of your own.

05/05/2020

HERITAGE MONTH GOES ON
Hooksett, NH - In May several local groups usually celebrate Hooksett’s Heritage with events and programs. In light of current conditions in-person activities won’t be possible this year, but we still want to celebrate Hooksett’s varied history so we’re offering something else.

The Heritage Commission will be sponsoring a history scavenger hunt using the town’s roadside historic markers. It will be a great change of pace, and you’re guaranteed to learn something new.

It’s simple:

1. Download a Location Guide to the town’s roadside markers

https://www.hooksett.org/sites/hooksettnh/files/uploads/location_guide.pdf

2. Visit each of the markers during the month of May and jot down a fact from each; then
3. Email [email protected] with the facts you’ve chosen.

You will be entered in a drawing to be held the week of June 8. Prizes include a copy of Hooksett Historical Sketches, the only stand-alone history of our town, or a piece from a selected group of Heritage Commission custom Hooksett merchandise, including Cat’s Meow or glass medallion.

Kathie Northrup, Chair of the Heritage Commission, says “the Historic Marker Program, adopted by the council in March 2005, is an official program of the Town of Hooksett and administered by the Heritage Commission. The roadside signs tell the stories of people and places important to our town’s history. So take a ride in May and learn those stories.”