Spring Bars Road Community Housing
Acquisition of 11.9 Acres for Community Housing & Recreation
Location: Spring Bars Road, East Falmouth
Applicant: Community Preservation Committee
Allocation: $1,250,000
Year/Article: November 2010, A25 and 2020, A38
The 2010 April Town Meeting, by a two-thirds vote, authorized the Board of Selectmen to purchase approximately 21.13 undeveloped acres on Spring Bars Road west of the northern part of Little Pond and further authorized the Board of Selectmen to appropriate $3 million for the purchase. Using CP funds, the Town paid $3 million for the property, including a $1 million Conservation Restriction, and received a $500,000 reimbursement from a state LAND grant, for a net cost of $2,500,000.
Town Meeting authorized the purchase for the purposes of community housing, open space and/or recreation and subdivided the parcel into 11.39 acres for community housing and recreation and 9.59 acres for open space conservation. It further stipulated that the property be bound by permanent deed restrictions meeting the requirements of the Community Preservation Act (MGL 184) by limiting the use of the land to the purposes for which it was acquired.
Subsequently, a survey was taken of the two parcels and wastewater studies and environmental assessments were made. Using this information the Community Preservation Committee drafted a Request for Proposals for a thirty-unit community housing development on the property. At the request of the Board of Selectmen, the Cape Cod Commission performed a feasibility study for thirty units of community housing on the site. The Commission issued its report, “Spring Bars Road Assessment,” in October 2013.
In June 2013, the Conservation Commission hired a consulting firm to develop a master plan for open space and passive recreation in the 9.6 acres abutting Little Pond, designated as the Little Pond Conservation Area. In December 2015 the Conservation Commission contracted for implementation of the Plan, including trails, picnic shelters, boardwalks, observation platforms and signage. Because of budget constraints, the construction of a launch for fishing and non-motorized boats and kayaks has been deferred.
2020 Town Meeting appropriated $121,000 to implement Phases I of the Little Pond Conservation Area Restoration and Access project. Phase I includes site preparation, mobilization, and removal of invasive species on approximately one third of the 9.6-acre conservation area and one acre of the adjacent Town-owned housing parcel. The COVID pandemic and contracting issues have delayed the project, but in April 2021, the Conservation Department coordinated with Litter Free Falmouth to remove debris, trash, litter, some abandoned homeless camps, etc. With 25 volunteers and two clean-up days, 21 bags of rubbish and piles of debris were collected and removed by the DPW for disposal. The debris filled over four truckloads and included tires, windows, TV, mattresses, tents, clothing, plastics, concrete, etc. In May 2021, the Conservation Commission approved the invasive species removal and treatment as well as excavation of debris from the parcel. In October 2021, the Town got permission for the neighboring property owner to conduct invasives removal bordering on Little Pond Landing. Bid proposals will be sent out to vendors in January 2022 with a plan to begin invasive tree cutting, chipping/removal by the end of April. Herbicidal treatments are planned for May/June 2022 through the summer and fall to 2024.
In November 2015, the Board of Selectmen issued a Request for Proposals for housing development on the 11.39 acre site. Assembling financing, completing evaluations and studies as necessary, gaining the necessary permits and any special conditions, completing the construction and opening the project to potential qualified buyers can take two or more years. The construction phase was completed in a little over a year with the Falmouth Housing Corporation (FHC) working with Delphi Construction, Inc. through to completion in 2020. The project created a 44,000 SF affordable housing development on approximately 4 acres with 40 apartment and townhouse units ranging from 1-3 bedrooms. A community center was also built to serve the residents who also live within close proximity to the amenities in downtown Falmouth.