Find another use for Depot Avenue parking

Sometimes we make mistakes. Government is no exception. Most folks have the wherewithal to either fish or cut bait, but there's something about government that inhibits such introspection. Instead of admitting culpability and altering course, government piles error upon error in an attempt to justify the initial action, and before long we have a string of blunders. A case in point is the town owned parking lot on Depot Avenue.

Purchased five years ago for $245,000, it's an albatross. Town meeting approved the purchase on the condition that the town charge for parking, but that was a dud. There's plenty of free parking closer to Main Street, and those using the bike path don't park in town and ride to other parts, but park elsewhere and ride into town.

Now the town is going to spend another $30,000 because someone believes that making it look pretty will encourage people to park there. My mother - God bless her soul - used to tell me that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, so this will probably be another waste of taxpayer dollars.

Back in September, the selectmen challenged opponents of the proposed affordable housing development at 419 Woods Hole Road to develop alternatives. The Depot Avenue property could be the answer. It meets all of the criteria for affordable housing, being near the town's commercial center, an existing sewer line, parks and schools. Unlike Webster Woods, the lot is flat, already cleared, public transportation is literally next door, and there's plenty of space for parking.

There are some drawbacks. We won't get 12-14 houses, but there was a feed and grain store here years ago, so apartments or a mixed use development are realistic options. It's zoned Light Industrial A and Single Residence A, both of which require widths and road frontage of 150 and 100 feet respectively, but the town used paper roads to access lots on Cloverfield Way (over the objections of many, including myself), so a bit of fudging here wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

This will never be a prince of a property, so instead of spending more money to crown this frog, town hall should either find another use for it, or sell it altogether. But that won't happen unless town government can admit that it made a mistake.

(This post also appeared as an op-ed in the Thursday, November 15, 2007 issue of the Falmouth Bulletin)