Selectmen Seeking Town Vision for Mashpee Commons Expansion

MASHPEE –  Selectmen in Mashpee are making an effort to gather input from town leaders and regulatory and advisory boards on what they would like to see from possible expansion of Mashpee Commons.

Selectmen recently asked the town manager’s office to talk with the heads of several boards and committees to schedule informal meetings early next year.

Selectman Andrew Gottlieb said there needs to be more discussion among town leaders about the future of the town’s central businesses district, which includes the Commons.  

“It would serve the community well in terms of guiding a conversation with land owners in that area about what we want to see and potentially have some zoning changes come before the town this spring,” Gottlieb said.

Gottlieb says right now there are only individual opinions about what should happen and no clear consensus among officials.

“It is very difficult then to expect land owners and developers to respond to what is a fairly murky set of individual opinions without getting some clear guidance from the town,” Gottlieb said.

Gottlieb said it is the role of Selectmen to convene the major regulatory entities in town and see if a common set of principles and visions to guide the activities of the land owners moving forward.

“The Commons does provide us with a unique opportunity to do things that are in mutual interest and serve the long-term needs of the community,” Gottlieb said. “But we don’t know yet what those are and what they look like and so that is why the conversation is important to have.”

Mashpee Commons officials held a “Master Plan Week” in the spring to gather input on what the public would like to see from expansion of the mixed use development.

Officials said residents expressed an interest in more housing types that are currently unavailable in Mashpee and surrounding communities, including housing for younger people who would like to stay on Cape Cod or seniors seeking to down-size.

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