EDIC Discusses Potential Falmouth Station Development: 'This Is The First Step'
Following the Falmouth Economic Development and Industrial Corporation’s recent presentation of three concept designs for development at the Falmouth Station, board members on Tuesday, February 8, made it a point to clarify that the three ideas that have been communicated to the public are just ideas meant to solicit feedback and are not a definite plan that is ready to move forward.
Executive director Wayne Lingafelter said the EDIC’s January 26 stakeholders meeting was well attended and received by the community. A total of 31 community members were in attendance for the 70-minute meeting, he said, adding that both the presentation and dialogue that followed were constructive. Discussion focused on potential concerns that community members had regarding the project, like increased traffic on Depot Avenue and the size and scale as was presented, but Mr. Lingafelter said that he is concerned that there was miscommunication.
“I think we tried to be very upfront and make sure that the community understand that this was the first step; it was a preliminary set of conceptual plans that we presented,” he said. “I think there was probably some misunderstanding that this was going to be the only opportunity for the community and specifically the neighborhood to react to those plans, which is certainly not our intent.”
Mr. Lingafelter said he intends to present the EDIC’s conceptual plans to many town boards and committees, which will provide additional opportunities for input from both those bodies and the community at large.
“We know that we’ve got quite a bit of work ahead of us and throughout that process we certainly intend to continue to take public comment,” he said.
The board discussed comments made by an abutter to the property during the historical commission’s meeting on February 1. Benjamin Mezzacappa, who owns property on Depot Avenue, voiced concerns about traffic and size of the plans, and also said he is deeply concerned that further development at the station would be detrimental to the historic character of the area.
During the EDIC’s discussion of the matter this week, board clerk Thomas Feronti said the station is not in a historic district. However, the property is bordered on two sides by historic district property, which was one of Mr. Mezzacappa’s concerns that he shared with the historical commission. Edward Haddad, chairman of the historical commission, seconded these concerns during the commission’s February 1 meeting. He said the area’s historic nature should be considered by the EDIC and that any further development there should not overshadow the station, which he called the “jewel of the property.”
Mr. Lingafelter said he has not yet met with any boards to present the EDIC’s plans, but that is the next step. He added that he has had private conversations with Mr. Haddad about the concepts and the board’s intentions for the property, and intends to meet with the commission as well as any other applicable or interested parties, including neighbors, to discuss any concerns.
Mr. Feronti offered to help with community outreach and said that his priority is to clarify that the three concepts are just that, concepts and not actionable plans.
“These are concepts that we’ve come up with that happen to be on a sheet of paper that look like a plan, but this isn’t a defined project that is moving forward,” Mr. Feronti said. “This was a planning process funded through a grant to look at what the possibilities and potential are for this developable parcel, so I think that that’s an important distinction for people to understand.”