The Hooksett Planning Board continued its review on Monday of a proposed Washville drive-through car wash for 1317–1319 Hooksett Road after extended public comment focused on traffic, queueing and potential winter ice risks.

The applicant presented a revised packet including a single long tunnel wash, three pay lanes and a water-recycling system the company said will reuse roughly 65% of process water. The applicant’s traffic memo estimated the new operation would generate several hundred trips per weekday and more than 1,200 trips on Saturdays, figures that drew immediate scrutiny from neighbors and a competing operator.

Why it matters: The site fronts Route 28, a state road with heavy, fast-moving traffic. Neighbors and business owners said the car wash’s driveway and queueing demand could worsen local congestion and create safety risks where sight lines and turning distances are limited.

What neighbors and others told the board: Attorney Aria Novenbach, representing Tony Crawford (operator of nearby car washes), told the board the applicant’s comparative analysis overstated the current activity on the existing auto wholesaler site and understated the car-wash trips. “The report claims the auto wholesalers currently generates 306 weekday trips and 914 Saturday trips,” Novenbach said; “that is highly unlikely” given the small size of that dealer’s operations. She urged a comprehensive traffic-impact study that would include updated counts, queueing analysis, level-of-service for nearby intersections, and turn-lane recommendations.

Multiple abutters also raised water and winter safety concerns, saying water dripping from cars could freeze on driveways and sidewalks. One resident said that when similar operations have been active nearby, ice buildup created hazardous patches. The applicant said its system would recycle water, include oil–water separators and ozone treatment, and that winter ice control would be part of the operation’s regular site maintenance and a snow-management contract.

Applicant response and DOT review: Applicant engineers said their trip estimates were developed from counts at other Washville locations and from industry-standard trip-generation rates. They noted that the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, which controls Route 28, had reviewed early materials and had not at this stage required a full traffic study; the applicant said it is working through DOT driveway comments.

Board action: After extensive debate over whether the town or DOT rules control the need for a full traffic study, the planning board continued the public hearing to Nov. 3. The board directed staff and legal counsel to advise whether the town’s 500-trip threshold in Hooksett’s development regulations requires a study that would be separate from, or in addition to, DOT’s review. The continuation gives the board time to decide whether it will require the applicant to submit a comprehensive traffic-impact study before the board can complete review.

Speakers (selected): Aria Novenbach (attorney for competitor Tony Crawford); Robert Bollinger (GPI traffic engineer); Katie Weiss and others (applicant design team); several area residents who gave public comment including Mark Hussain and Claudette Brown.

Next steps: The applicant returns Nov. 3; before then counsel will confirm whether Hooksett’s trip thresholds compel a full traffic study and, if so, what counts and intersections must be measured. The board may then either require the study or accept DOT’s process as sufficient.

Ending: With the hearing continued, neighbors and the applicant have more time to exchange information on traffic, queuing and winter ice controls before the board reaches a final vote.