The hill is scraped clean, but don’t expect to see anything new go into the spot on Bypass 28 recently cleared of trees. Those trees are simply footing a tax bill.

Hooksett Town Hall has gotten phone calls from residents wondering why a large number of trees have been cleared from a familiar landscape in the past two weeks.

“The Town Hall departments have received several calls,” Town Administrator Carol Granfield said.

The town’s assessing department said it granted a permit to the land owner to cut down 7.5 acres of trees on the 9.5-acre property – a large hill on Route 28 Bypass overlooking Route 3, facing the 99 Restaurant.

Planning officials and Granfield, who also serves on the Hooksett Planning Board, said there have been no development plans submitted for the site.

“There has been nothing, at this point, associated with development that I’m aware of,” Granfield said.

Martha Robie of Allenstown owns the land with her husband, Wayne Robie. They took over the land after the previous owner, Martha’s aunt, died a few years ago, she said.

Wayne and Martha Robie are executors of the estate following the death of Wayne Robie’s aunt, Lucielle Burbank, who owned the land. Martha Robie said the land has been for sale for several months, but it hasn’t been moving.

“We thought what we’d do is sell the timber to pay the taxes,” Robie said. “We’re hoping this harvesting of the timber will pique someone’s curiosity enough to say, ‘Let’s buy that parcel.’”

There is a house on the property that is vacant, and Robie said it will likely be demolished once someone purchases the property, which is on sale through Prudential Verani Realty. A Realtor handling the property has not returned calls for comment.

The Robies were issued a logging permit last month that expires March 2011.