'A precipice.' More open land, less development is before Mashpee town meeting voters

When Mashpee Community Preservation Committee chair Arden Cadrin was the Mashpee Planning Board recording secretary in the 1990s, she remembers working until 1 a.m. every other Wednesday trying to keep up with a period of what she calls "massive development."

South Bend apartments came in, and Windchime, and Stratford Farms condominiums, Cadrin said, along with the construction of many single-family homes.

"It all happened so fast, and in hindsight, we are seeing the environmental impact of too much building," she said.

Cadrin is advocating for Mashpee residents to help conserve and protect land by passing Article 8 during the Mashpee special town meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, May 6.

Mashpee voters will be asked to consider about 43 articles between the special town meeting and annual town meeting at Mashpee Middle-High School at 500 Old Barnstable Road.

Article 8 asks voters to appropriate about $100,000 from the Community Preservation Fund for an updated open space and recreation plan. The plan, which hasn't been updated since 2009, can help the town identify available and environmentally sensitive parcels of land for conservation and recreation, according to proponents.

What is open space?

Mashpee adopted an open space conservation and recreation plan that was endorsed by the town Conservation Commission in 2009 and approved by the state Division of Conservation Services the same year.

The plan, at that time, qualified the town for grant reimbursement for purchases of conservation lands under state and federal programs.

"We're not eligible at this point to apply for any of those grants. For that reason alone, it's an important plan to update," said Cadrin.

If Article 8 passes, funds will be used to hire a consulting firm to help the town identify available parcels, initiate a mapping process, and collect community input. The consulting firm will also help the town evaluate environmental sensitivity and the value of open space, said Cadrin.

The finalized plan will have a lifespan of five years, said Cadrin.

Money to buy properties could come from state grants, Community Preservation Act money, or private nonprofit land conservation entities, she said. Multiple organizations may be engaged in managing the parcels, she said.

Is it too late to conserve land in Mashpee?

Not every voter will be in favor of Article 8, said Cadrin. "There are two camps — those who believe we need more tax revenue and those who say money isn't everything and environmental impact is the priority," she said.

"We are at a precipice right now. Mashpee is going to become — if it hasn’t already — unrecognizable to those who have been here for 15 years or more. It's scary."

Although there is hope, said Cadrin. Article 10 on the special town meeting warrant is seeking to fund the Pickerel Cove Road/Pickerel Cove Circle project, which includes nine parcels, about 17 acres. If the article passes, the project could maximize publicly owned and protected lands within the boundaries of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge.

A second phase of wastewater plans

Article 4 on the annual town meeting warrant asks voters to authorize the $96.1 million to provide funding to implement and construct Phase 2 of the town’s comprehensive wastewater management, treatment, and disposal improvement plan.

"I expect Phase 2 property tax increase, averaged over the 30-year life of the SRF loan, to be about $75 per year for the average residential valued home, which is about $772,000 in Mashpee," said Town Manager Rodney Collins in a memorandum.

SRF refers to a state revolving fund loan that is meant to offer affordable financing options to cities, towns, and public water utilities to improve water supply infrastructure and drinking water safety

Funding for Phase 2 of the town's wastewater treatment plan, according to the town's website, needs approval at town meeting. The article will also require approval of a corresponding Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion ballot question at the May 11 annual town election.

A rough estimate for when construction for Phase 2 would potentially begin is spring 2025, according to the warrant.

Ashumet Pond Restoration also on the docket

Article 9 on the special town meeting warrant will ask voters to use $550,000 of Community Preservation Act money to complete a third aluminum sulfate or "alum" treatment to Ashumet Pond to reduce phosphorus release from bottom sediments. The project would be conducted over a three year period with three phases.

Joint Base Cape Cod fully funded the alum treatment on Ashumet Pond in 2001 and in 2010, and has shown a willingness to contribute 50% of the cost of the treatment, and to include the permitting andmonitoring, according to the warrant.

What is a town meeting?

A town meeting is both an event and an entity, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website. As an event, it is a gathering of a town’s eligible voters, and is referred to as “the town meeting.” As an entity, it is the legislative body for towns in Massachusetts, and is referred to simply as “town meeting.” Thirteen of the 15 Cape Cod towns including Wellfleet have “open town meetings,” meaning all voters who live in that town may vote on all matters. Falmouth, though, has a “representative town meeting,” where all voters elect town meeting members who then vote on all town meeting matters. The town of Barnstable is governed by an elected town council rather than by a town meeting.

Rachael Devaney writes about community and culture. Reach her at rdevaney@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney.

The Cape Cod Times is providing this coverage for free as a public service. Please take a momentto support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: New plan to combat development in Mashpee before town meeting voters