Commission again assists Falmouth in Davis Straits area planning

Commission staff will once again assist the Town of Falmouth in the general vicinity of the Davis Straits/Route 28 corridor between Scranton Avenue and Jones Road.   This section of Route 28 is unique because it retains both an area of residential scale buildings and also commercial plazas that have significant redevelopment potential. The area experienced an increase in redevelopment interest in recent years and is believed to be ripe for change.

Current zoning regulations do not treat this area differently from other large commercial areas in Falmouth. At the request of the town, the Commission will look for opportunities to differentiate this segment of Route 28 from others in order to give it a unique identity and to improve community vitality and economic development outside of the downtown area.

The work is being conducted as a Commission RESET project. RESET stands for Regional Economic Strategy Executive Team and is designed to achieve creative and robust solutions by mixing the ideas of a multidisciplinary team with wide expertise.

The Davis Straits project builds off the Commission’s 2013 Spring Bars Road Assessment. That planning study addressed land use issues beyond the boundaries of that town-owned property. The Falmouth Planning Board and Board of Selectmen chose to pursue several of the recommendations from the Study Area Analysis portion of the Spring Bars Road Assessment.

The scope of the work for this project includes two parts: a redevelopment plan for Davis Straits and Worcester Court between Scranton Avenue and Jones Road, including means to encourage mixed-use development; and plans for a Greenway Corridor linking Little Pond with the Teaticket Park. While the proposed project will contribute to the town’s interest in expanding the cultural district eastward from Highfield Hall, this scope does not include that area.

There will be opportunities for the public to participate in visioning and workshop sessions during the project. The schedule calls for a final report to the Town of Falmouth in October 2016.