Housing, Recreation Lead Orleans Warrant

ORLEANS – Housing, recreation and climate advocacy are among the issues voters will weigh in on at special town meeting on Oct. 28.

 There are 24 articles on the warrant for the fall session, which is slated for 6 p.m. in the gymnasium of Nauset Regional Middle School.

 The warrant includes $1 million that would be committed to housing, $100,000 for the development of a proposed climate action plan and close to $1 million in recreational facilities. It also includes the potential purchase of property on Tonset Road for $2.5 million.

 “These articles underscore our commitment to building a resilient, vibrant  community,” Town Manager Kim Newman said in a statement Oct. 8. “We’ve prioritized the needs of our residents and taken an intentional approach to addressing long-term goals, in line with the Select Board’s vision.”

Article 20 seeks to appropriate $500,000 to fund the affordable housing trust fund in support of future housing projects for residents who make up to 100 percent of the area median income in Barnstable County. Article 21 would direct an additional $500,000 for future housing initiatives “as determined by the town manager,” according to language in the article. If approved, the funds in Article 21 could support a number of programs, among them a “lease to locals” program designed to help encourage the creation of more year-round rentals.The funding also could be used to help the town purchase year-round deed restrictions, promote and advocate for the need for more housing in town, support programs such as the Lower Cape ADU Resource Center, further the town’s ability to identify and register more short-term rentals, provide more support for rental assistance programs and better connect people with housing programs.

As the affordability gap for year-round housing continues to grow for many in Orleans and across the Cape, Newman said both articles represent the town’s commitment to finding innovative ways to address the problem.

Elsewhere on the warrant, $100,000 is being sought through Article 9 for the development of pickleball courts in town. In September, the board and Tom DeSiervo, the town’s recreation director, discussed re-lining and re-striping existing courts at Eldredge Park with the allocated money if it is approved.

The funding in Article 9 would represent a temporary solution for pickleball, as demand for more courts in town is rising with the sport’s popularity. 

Article 10 seeks $850,000 to more broadly support the town’s future recreational needs. Specifically, the funds would be used for “design, engineering, repairs, or construction of recreational facilities and infrastructure” related to the first phase of the town’s recreation master plan for the fields off Eldredge Park Way.

“As the demand for recreational facilities grows, Orleans aims to ensure its residents have access to high-quality public spaces,” Newman said in the statement. “We’re responding to what our residents are asking for: recreational opportunities for all ages. It’s vital we provide the quality of infrastructure needed to meet that demand.” 

Climate change will also be on the Oct. 28 warrant. The town’s energy and climate action committee is seeking $100,000 through Article 12 to support the creation of a local climate action plan. The funding would be used to hire a consultant to work with the committee to craft the plan.

According to language in the article, the plan will be marked by “trackable” goals for addressing climate-related issues. The funding could also put the town in line for matching grants to support initiatives outlined in the plan, it says.

 “We understand climate change is a threat to us locally, regionally, and beyond,” the article reads. “Having a local climate action roadmap for all community members will play a critical role in our resilience to the impacts of climate change and will ensure we are being a partner in working together towards the climate goals set forth by the Commonwealth.”

The largest expenditure in the fall warrant concerns a property at 72 Tonset Rd., which the town hopes to purchase with $2.5 million in free cash via Article 11. The property off Town Cove abuts the town-owned Sea Call Farm. Last month, several potential options for the property’s future use were identified, including recreation, conservation, housing and shoreline access. It’s also possible that the property could be used in conjunction with the neighboring farm.

“The land has several special features which make it unique and desirable for the Town to acquire, including its location,” the article reads.

The fall warrant also includes two articles seeking to eliminate the town’s mooring and Rock Harbor basin enterprise funds respectively. The finance committee, which is putting forward Articles 3 and 4, argues that both funds have failed to operate self-sufficiently since first being put in place three years ago. The committee also argues that the mooring fund is “virtually swamped by allocated indirect costs.”

Two articles seeking Community Preservation Act funding will also appear on the warrant. Article 18 seeks $10,000 for the hiring of an “East Orleans historic district coordinator” to help develop a historic district study and corresponding bylaw. Article 19 seeks an additional $11,000 in support of the Northwest School House restoration.