The Forecaster Forum article, “Falmouth needs economic development, not housing development” by Valentine Sheldon contains numerous distortions and unsubstantiated claims. He claims that exempt housing allowed by 2016 zoning amendments have crowded school classrooms and increased our taxes.
Does he offer any proof that any new students came from housing allowed by the zoning changes? The School Department has clearly stated that enrollments have not increased since 2016.
Sheldon suggests that new housing for people 55 and older is overburdening town services and this, too, is causing our taxes to increase. OceanView, where most of this growth occurred, has not only substantially increased the town’s tax base, they helped the town re-purpose former elementary schools and created wonderful community assets. Is that bad for Falmouth?
He claims that the town has seen unprecedented residential growth since 2016. That is hogwash. Falmouth’s rate of growth ordinance has effectively moderated our growth rates. The intent of the 2016 amendments was to keep Falmouth’s growth caps in place and legally defensible.
If you truly want to “SaveFalmouth,” please support continued implementation of the 2013 Comprehensive Plan.
George Thebarge
Falmouth
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