2019.04.05 Council Agenda Item 01

The Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2013. A key element of the Comprehensive Plan is that it defined areas in town that are to be limited in growth and areas to be targeted for various types of growth. Many, if not most, of the plan’s strategies and goals support the general objective to ensure growth is targeted toward growth areas and discourage growth in rural areas.

The implementation of these strategies and goals, over the past couple of years, has (a) resulted in actual and proposed development in the designated growth areas and (b) helped sustain, and even slow, growth in the rural areas. This sounds like success, but recent public input has indicated that there are unintended negative consequences to consider.

Since 2017, residents have raised concerns about several proposed housing and commercial development proposals. Most development proposals have been residential. Some of these developments, including buildings on single lot splits and larger subdivisions, have been approved by the Planning Board and/or permitting staff. Some of the developments have been resubmitted with changes, while others have not moved forward.

These developments include, but are not limited to:

• Tuscan Way – duplex style subdivision (Planning Board approved revised plan after Town Council amended the ordinance to address concerns raised by the public)
• Homestead Acres – mixed use and mostly residential development (Planning Board is currently reviewing a revised plan. The original plan included a proposed contract zone that did not materialize, due in part, to concerns raised by the public)
• RA Zone - several lot splits and infill residential development (Long Range Planning Advisory Committee Plus is currently reviewing zoning based on concerns raised by the public)
• RB, RD and other zones – overall concern about growth in town and specific allowances in specific zones.
• Falmouth Center – large mixed-use development (The Town Council has indicated to the developer that there are concerns about the proposal, as designed and the developer is considering its options. The public has raised many concerns about this project that has influenced the Council)
• Land Near Police Station – proposed affordable housing development on town owned land (This property has been a consideration for affordable housing in the past and most recently, there is new proposal. This proposal and the general concept of affordable housing, in Falmouth, is generating public concern)

The Council discussed this topic on February 11, March 1, and March 8, 2019. This is a continuation of those discussions where questions like "Is there a need to further evaluate what has happened and the polices that were enacted that impact the designated growth areas?" will be contemplated. At the March 8 meeting, the Council discussed hiring a consultant for assistance with this evaluation of our systems and how we might proceed with new practices and policies in the future.