BARNSTABLE – The Barnstable Town Council held a meeting last week to address problems in communication between the town and its residents over the planned location for a new sewer pump station.
“The way this came about and how it was communicated was wrong,” said Barnstable Town Councilor Britt Beedenbender.
The confusion and concern arose over a recently purchased property at 310 Main Street, Centerville, which some residents believed was intended to house the planned sewer pump station.
The town has since clarified that there is no plan to use it for the pump station.
“We immediately started discussion with our town manager and the head of our Department of Public Works as to how we can do a better job going forward because this is not the way to do it,” Beedenbender said,
Though a new sewer pump station is planned for the area, Beedenbender said that the property on Main St. was only to serve as a fail-safe location if the intended pump station at Mother’s Park didn’t work out.
Beedenbender said that she and Town Manager Mark Ells were pursuing the Mother’s Park location as a priority “100 percent,” and that the DPW was still working on plans for that location.
Beedenbender did warn that the bill required to continue the plans for the park still needed a supermajority of the legislature to pass, but the town is pursuing the park route to the best of its abilities otherwise.
She also asked that the residents who took notice and voiced concerns with the town over the Main Street location also speak up when the plans for the Mother’s Park station reached the voting stage.
“I really encourage you that you show this kind of enthusiasm, support, and advocacy for Mother’s Park when it starts becoming out there in the public and we start actually having to take votes on things. We will need broad public support for that, because I would be surprised if people don’t come out in opposition of that. So we’re going to need you to be the loudest voice in the room,” Beedenbender said.
She also said that, if all goes well, the town would have no reason to hold onto the 310 property.
“I promise you, and I’ve had this conversation with Mark Ells, the DPW, we’re all in agreement, we have no interest in owning that piece of property if we do not need it for the pump station,” Beedenbender said.
“When, hopefully, Mother’s Park passes, we will put that house out for sale. That is a commitment that we share.”
Beedenbender said that ideally the station should be installed within the next few years of the 10 year DPW building plan.
She said that the station in Mother’s Park could be concealed with either plant life or a small shed as well, but reiterated that more ideas could be discussed with the public as the project progresses.
“The communication will continue. I just want you to have my assurance that we have listened to you, and we have responded, and we are moving forward with Mother’s Park as we speak,” said Beedenbender.
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