
The entrance to a 25-acre plot of land off Marshall Drive in Falmouth is under consideration for a workforce housing project called Scittery Woods. The plot is adjacent to the Falmouth police station headquarters, which would not be affected by the potential development. Nick Ressel / For The Forecaster
The Falmouth Town Council voted to authorize a purchase and sale agreement between the town and Scittery Woods Partners, proceeding with the workforce housing project initiated by the town back in 2023.
Last May, Falmouth struck a development agreement with SWP, charging the group with creating a housing concept for the undeveloped town-owned land off Marshall Drive, adjacent to the police station headquarters. Since then, SWP has undergone a Planning Board sketch review and a site visit with the Town Council. The purchase and sale agreement, which received Town Council approval on Jan. 13, carries the affordable housing project closer to a final sale between the town and developer, but still needs additional Planning Board approval. The town has set the price of the land at $500,000.
The project proposes constructing 49 two-bedroom units – which are expected to sell for $425,000 each – on the 25-acre site. The unit cost equates to nearly half of the median listing price for a home in Falmouth, according to a town analysis on housing affordability. The homes will be available to households making no more than 120% of the median income within the Greater Portland Metro Area. In Cumberland County, that would be up to $137,700 per year for a three-person household.
Diverse, affordable housing has been a mounting pressure on Falmouth and surrounding towns in southern Maine. Data from the Maine State Housing Authority shows that in the past few years, the gap between Falmouth’s median home price and its median income has increased significantly. In its 2023 Comprehensive Plan, the town identified that in order for wide range of citizens to live well, remain in, or return to Falmouth, the town needs to increase financially accessible and more diverse housing options.
While the most recent phases of the housing project have progressed through council votes with unanimous approval, council discussion addressed the intricacies and intentions of a large development project.
“Transparency is really important to me,” said Councilor Alisa Morton. “I have previously stated my full support of workforce housing but also some of my concerns about selling public land for private development.” These concerns, Morton explained, centered around the environmental impacts of developing an array of housing units and their accompanying affordability controls. But, in summary, she stated that “I continue to be satisfied by the responses that I’m getting and the additional due diligence” addressing the financial and environmental parameters of the project.
At the Jan. 13 meeting, Councilor Sean Mahoney expressed vehement support for the project, thanking town staff, council members and the public who have helped propel the project forward in the past couple of years.
“I, for one, am really proud that Falmouth is walking the walk on workforce housing,” he said. “It is good that we are taking a lead on this. It is difficult. There is a lot of detail. But I agree with what Councilor Morton and Chair Trickett said: that there has been a lot of time spent by the people here, and the great staff of the town, on making sure that we get the details right and that this is a good project for the town. I am really pleased to be voting on this tonight.”
Council Chair Jay Trickett reiterated some of the town’s major stipulations present in the agreement with SWP: the town is being paid for the property; there are affordability and design requirements; and the area will include dedicated open space with public access per an easement on the land. The purchase and sale agreement does not indicate an actual sale, he notes, but paves the way for SWP to finalize engineering and design plans as well as obtain final site plan and subdivision approval from the town’s Planning Board.
Enacting the purchase and sale agreement represents “another step,” says Trickett, toward Falmouth’s goal of offering affordable housing in town.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is found on our FAQs. You can modify your screen name here.
Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
Join the Conversation
Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe. Questions? Please see our FAQs.