Scittery Woods Partners last year presented this idea for a workforce housing development to the Town Council. The council is now ready to accept official proposals. Contributed / Scittery Woods Partners
The Falmouth Town Council voted unanimously Monday night to seek proposals to develop workforce housing on a 25-acre site on Marshall Drive behind the police department.
Residents speaking at a public hearing before the vote were divided on the project, with some saying workforce housing is needed in the town, where the median sale price for a single-family home, according to Realtor.com, is now more than $800,000. Others said the town-owned Marshall Drive site is not the right place for a housing project.
“We’re in need of a diverse housing stock in this town,” Councilor Bryce Hach said. “As our housing prices go up, it really does limit the range of people who can afford to live in Falmouth.”
The town is seeking development proposals for residences that would be owned by households earning up to 120% of the area median income, rental units for households earning up to 80% of the area median income, or a combination of both.
In Falmouth, an affordable house for a household earning up to 120% of the area median income would cost $419,773.
Resident Carolyn Bailey said adding workforce housing in Falmouth is something the town should be looking to do.
“The availability of homes is declining and the price is increasing,” she said. “We need to do something about that.”
Other residents said they are in support of workforce housing but not on Marshall Drive.
“It is too valuable to the town for future municipal use,” resident John Winslow said.
Since the town of Falmouth already owns the land, Councilor Jay Trickett said, the project could be built without using taxpayer money.
“We can sell this property and actually make money off of it,” Trickett said. “There’s no other property in town that we can do that.”
Councilor Amy Kuhn said the ideal workforce housing project would be limited in scale, would cause no traffic problems and would not negatively impact the schools.
The project would also fit architecturally with other buildings in town, and would be built as sustainably as possible while still remaining affordable.
“We’re looking for good projects that address the need we have,” Trickett said.
Monday night’s meeting was the first of many regarding a workforce housing project in Falmouth and there will be ample opportunities for public input, Council Chair Hope Cahan said.
If the council settles on a developer’s proposal, it would then go to the Planning Board.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
