An old elementary school in Marstons Mills was torn down last year. But now what?

Multi-family housing. Walking trails. Splash pad and playground.

Those are among the proposed uses residents have brainstormed for the future of the former Marstons Mills Elementary School site at 2095 Main St.

Barnstable town officials want to craft a master site development plan for the property that includes uses that "meet community needs, respect the history and character of the Village center, and incorporate sustainable development principals," according to the town website.

"We've heard a lot of great ideas so far," said Assistant Director of Planning and Development James Kupfer. The site is 14.2 acres, he said, and likely large enough to accommodate a "mixing of different uses."

The K-5 Marstons Mills Elementary School was constructed in 1957 and was part of the Barnstable Public Schools. In 2008, the district decided to close the school and several others when facing a multi-million deficit, according to the town.

In July 2012, the School Committee declared the school as surplus and ownership reverted back to the town. The building is now owned and the property maintained by the town under the control of the town manager.

It was later determined reusing the building was not feasible and the building was eventually demolished in early August 2023.

'Idle for a number of years'

"It's been idle for a number of years," said Kupfer, adding the neighborhood used the site as community open space.

So far, the town has hosted both an in-person and virtual workshop to gather feedback as well as a public walk of the property for residents to get a sense of the nuances of the area, said Kupfer.

The town will host a public workshop for the master plan at 6 p.m. on May 29 at Liberty Hall at 2150 Main Street in Marstons Mills.

"To me, it's a larger site than what you would initially expect going to the old school site," said Kupfer. "There are a lot of nuances — proximity to neighbors, natural vegetation, all those things that we want to consider when we're thinking about future uses."

The public can submit suggestions about the property online via the town of Barnstable website. The comment period will be left open through the month of May, said Kupfer, who encouraged people to offer comments to the town planning department.

Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach her at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow her on X @zanerazz.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: What to do with the old Marstons Mills school lot? Town wants to know