Marriotts Happen

For many months now, the town has discussed and debated the proposed Marriott Springhill Suites at the intersection of East Main Street and Lantern Lane. I don't oppose this project, but I don't support it either.

I have no opinion because it's too late. The proverbial horse is already out of the barn. I'll get to that in a minute, but first, let's look at some of the issues that have been raised.

Traffic is a red herring. Every time someone has a problem with development, they ask for a traffic study. I'm not sure why. Maybe some project some time ago was halted because a traffic study proved it would turn every road into a parking lot, but for as long as I can remember, nothing has ever been totally derailed. Such studies are usually used to force the developer to pay for road improvements that modify traffic patterns in ways that annoy everyone who is used to the current traffic pattern.

Some have suggested that Falmouth has enough hotel rooms already. Maybe we have enough restaurants. Maybe the hospital is big enough. Define "enough." You can't. It's a subjective term. One person's definition of enough may differ from another's. Arguing about whether there are enough rooms is like arguing over the best pizza in Falmouth.

By the way, the best pizza in Falmouth can be found at Pizza One in the 02536.

Moreover, not all rooms are created equal. Large hotels like a Marriott are more likely to attract large groups of people, like youth sports teams traveling to a tournament, or businessmen attending a convention. These kinds of visitors are not going to rent a house for a week, or stay in a 4-room B&B. However, it does work the other way. A couple desiring a room at a large hotel might stay in a B&B if there are no rooms at the hotel.

This is important, since – like it or not – Falmouth is a tourist destination. I work off-Cape. I recently encountered one of my coworkers in a local store. He asked if I was vacationing here too.

Over the years, Falmouth has lost a lot of hotel rooms to timeshares, condominiums and other redevelopment. We host more visitors, but get less in room taxes. And unlike B&Bs which might be able to close for the winter, a large hotel doesn't have that luxury. They need business year-round, which means that they will attract those large crowds in the off-season. That's good for Falmouth's other businesses.

This part of Main Street is not – as one person suggested – blighted in the sense that some inner cities are. However, for Falmouth, this intersection is an eyesore. There is nothing attractive or welcoming about the perpetually vacant lots at the corners of Nye Road and Lantern Lane, and while that old red building has character, it's seen far better days.

Urban sprawl has been mentioned, but this is a commercially-zoned property in a commercially-zoned district. It's neither urban sprawl nor spot zoning.

Someone said this was in a residential neighborhood. Again, this is a commercially-zoned property in a commercially-zoned district. There is a neighborhood behind the property on Lantern Lane, but that doesn't make this a residential neighborhood. Using that logic, the residential properties on Walker Street make downtown Falmouth a residential neighborhood.

That said; none of this really matters.

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a selectman were the Johnny-come-latelys. These are the folks who show up to protest something that is perfectly legal. They usually wanted us to intervene, and complained bitterly when we didn't.

It's not that we didn't want to, it's that we couldn't. At least once a month, there is a meeting of some decision-making body (selectmen, Planning Board, conservation commission, etc.) where something is decided. It's a public meeting and the agenda has been publicly posted. If you don't speak up and say something when those decisions are made, Marriotts happen.

Most of the people who are protesting the Marriott project haven't been to a Planning Board meeting in years, if at all. Yet, that's where it's at. This project wouldn't be on the table if this area was zoned differently.

So, don't blame the developer. Don't blame the Planning Board, or the Cape Cod Commission. Don't blame the property owner who wants to sell this blighted corner. Blame the person who didn't speak up when the Planning Board and town meeting voted for this zoning. Blame the person in the mirror, and then – to quote another vacation option – "get out there" and start participating before the next Marriott comes to town.