By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

Hooksett likely will soon be one of only a handful of New Hampshire towns to have its own totally enclosed composting facility.

Bruce Kudrick, head of the Sewer Department, said the town has been working with Graves Engineering Inc., of Worcester, Mass., to plan the site.

In late April, the town purchased 10 acres of land from Manchester Sand and Gravel on which to put the facility. The proposed location would alleviate concerns voiced by some opponents of composting over the past few years, said Kudrick.

"Our only neighbors are gravel pits," he said, adding that the purpose of the enclosed facility is to prevent odor from entering the air.

In 2002, voters approved an article granting the town $3.5 million to be used for renovations to the town's wastewater facility and to finance a new composting facility.

This year, citizens voted to rescind a condition of that article, thereby allowing the town to access the $3.5 million through other sources than State Revolving Loan Funds.

Kudrick said the federal and state government place restrictions on the state funds that would make the process far more expensive than if the town were free to use other bonding companies.

Town officials have recently begun talks with several manufacturing companies, aiming to figure out the total cost of the new facility, said Kudrick.

"It's taking a little longer than anticipated," said Kudrick. "We've only got so much money and a lot of work to do."